Information about the service we provide

We provide an end-to-end TECS service covering:

Referrals and how do I make a referral for a TEC/AT assessment?

We receive referrals into the service and triage accordingly, to determine complexity and priority (2, 5 or 14 day service). Referrals are triaged by reviewing the information on the referral, including supporting hospital discharge, and avoiding imminent planned admission to hospital.

We operate an outcome focussed and assessment-based service so all referrals are assessed by telephone, directly or virtually. We can also offer joint assessment with the referrer and one of our Care Technology Technicians – please indicate on the referral form if this is something which is required

The referral form is on LLA >Documents >Assistive Technology. The form will need to be emailed to NRS Healthcare via Egress. Please complete and check all the requested details especially contact information for family/friends/carers for the client to be provided to the monitoring centre.

Clients referred must be eligible for statutory services as determined via a Care Act assessment, or require TEC/AT to assist with reablement, as detailed below:

Reablement

Short-term need customers who need TEC (which will be free of charge to the customer for a maximum number of 10 weeks) to support them to respond to a crisis or some other urgent or short-term requirement, for example any of the points here:

• to support their timely discharge from hospital
• to avoid a hospital admission
• where there is evidence that a referral will delay or reduce more costly input.

The service is provided for up to 10 weeks to support reablement. During the 10 week reablement time we will contact the referrer to discuss options for the end of the period.

The options are:

1. The equipment is no longer required and will be collected by NRS
2. The customer is not eligible for statutory services but would like to continue with the service – in these cases they will be transferred to our private pay service. The customer will be asked to sign a rental agreement and will pay a monthly charge for the equipment and monitoring service. The community responder service is not available via our private pay options. Further details about our private pay offer can be found at www.nrstelecare.co.uk/northyorkshire
3. The customer is eligible for statutory services and would benefit from continuing the service – the equipment will remain in place.

Longer term need customers who are eligible for the service under the Care Act 2014 and will be able to access TEC to meet their needs via council funding during the period in which they are deemed to be eligible.

Eligible for statutory services – unmet need

Referrals are triaged to determine complexity and priority - 2 day, 5 day, 14 day – determined by reviewing the information on the referral inc: supporting hospital discharges, avoiding imminent planned admission to hospital.

This is an outcome focussed and assessment based service, all referrals are assessed by telephone, directly or virtually. Joint assessments with the Occupational Therapist or our Care Technology Consultants are available.

The completed form should be sent to telecare@northyorkshire.nrs-uk.net via Egress using the password supplied to you in your training

Assessment

All referrals are assessed by our highly trained team, either by our Triage Officers or our Care Technology Consultants.

The assessment will look at the outcomes your client would like to achieve. Outcomes could vary from feeling safe in their own home to wanting to get out and about more. Following the assessment, we’ll arrange for the solution to be provided/installed.

You do not need to make a new referral to ask for a reassessment, just give us a call or send us an email.

Solutions/equipment

We have a wide range of solutions, equipment, and combinations of both we can offer to clients. These range from a basic pendant alarm through to more complex equipment including multiple sensors providing a wealth of data and innovative products and digital solutions. Where possible we will look to help clients utilise equipment/solutions already available to them such as Alexas and mobile phone apps.

Our team are experts in their field and can help provide the best solution to meet the clients needs and desired outcomes.

Installation

If an assessment is taking place in the service users’ environment 95% of the time the installation will take place there and then. A return visit may be needed when a specialist piece of technology is identified. Our expert team of Care Technology Consultants and Technicians will return once this is available to complete.

This will include giving the customer all the information they need about the equipment, how to contact the monitoring centre and what to do if they have a query. They will also make sure that all the relevant information is held by the monitoring centre.

Monitoring

Our monitoring partner is Appello, they have agents available 24/7 for clients to contact in case of an emergency.

Appello will hold all the relevant information about a client such as keysafe PINS, emergency contact information and details about medical conditions and medicines prescribed.

The agent taking an emergency call from a client will take the appropriate action dependent on the situation –this could be reassuring the client, contacting their friend/family contacts, or calling the emergency services.

Mobile Responder Service - Provided by NRS

NRS Healthcare provide a responder service for both council funded and private pay TEC clients.

For council funded customers we will provide a mobile response service, which is included in the cost to the council. Typically, this will cover situations where a friend of relative is not available to visit and an ambulance is not required.

Examples include when someone has had a non-injury fall but needs help to get back up again, they have alerted the monitoring centre that they need help but are unable to talk, welfare and re-assurance calls.

For private pay customer interested in the service - more information can be found at https://www.nrstelecare.co.uk/northyorkshire.

999 Response

Our monitoring centre can also refer directly into 999, they will call on this service if the customer does require an emergency ambulance.

Maintenance and repair

We provide maintenance and repair of equipment as part of our service. We have a planned preventative maintenance schedule and will contact clients when a service is due. Clients can contact us or the monitoring centre if they have any concerns about their equipment.

Please encourage clients to allow us access to maintain their equipment, it could save their lives.

Training for professionals

Our TEC service covers a wide range of products and helps people with all types of needs. To help you understand our service and feel confident referring in, we have a variety of training on offer including:

• e-learning
• induction
• webinars throughout the year.

Please see here for our latest e-learning modules

We also offer training for new North Yorkshire Council delegates delivered in person either at our depot or the LIT hub at the Orchards in Brompton. These sessions run through an introduction to TEC, how different TEC and the outcomes we can achieve by providing this.

Podcasts

Pendant alarms and fall detectors

Using TEC to support dementia

Join us in our first podcast to find out the benefits and considerations of pendant alarms and falls detectors.