Telecare saves people from carbon monoxide poisoning

More than 10 people have been saved from the deadly poisons of carbon monoxide thanks to Telecare – a system which helps vulnerable people live independently at home.

Since April 2010, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Careline+ staff have dealt with 16 incidents where carbon monoxide detectors, installed as part of a Telecare package, have triggered an alarm and set an emergency response in action.

Whilst five of them turned out to be false alarms, the other 11 have been actual incidents where, if it were not for the alarm being triggered, may have led to deadly consequences for the residents.

Telecare manager Jeanette Munn said: “The most recent incident was only last week, where a carbon monoxide alarm was triggered and our Careline+ staff alerted the fire service. Fortunately, we were able to provide a quick response, as the chimney had become blocked and carbon monoxide gases were building up inside the property.

“We are very fortunate to have a good partnership with the fire service, which provides the emergency response whenever one of the alarms is triggered. In return, our team carries out fire safety checks within people’s homes as part of our installation process.”

Carbon monoxide detectors are just one of a large range of equipment which can be installed in people’s homes as part of a Telecare package.

Other equipment can include smoke and flood alarms, door usage systems, fall detectors or those that can remind people to take medication.

Over 1,400 Telecare packages are currently installed throughout the county, and whilst they are mostly used by older people, a growing number of younger people are making use of the equipment to help them manage their home security and safety, either for health reasons, or in cases where they are vulnerable to domestic abuse.

Cllr Pat Jones, Executive Board Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This is yet another example of how invaluable a service like Telecare can be to help people retain their independence and live safely at home. It costs pennies, but can be priceless – it is literally saving people’s lives.”

For further information call 01558 825395.