Alarm service for vulnerable people receives £200,000 council funding (From Haringey Independent)

Alarm service for vulnerable people receives £200,000 Haringey Council funding

2:30pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in News By Hermione Wright

An alarm service for vulnerable people in Haringey will receive a £200,000 investment from Haringey Council.

The community alarm service currently provides alarms, including those worn around the neck or clipped onto a belt, for 5,000 people in Haringey who may need help without needing to call an ambulance.

Emergency response officers respond to the alarm and can contact the emergency services if help is necessary.

Patients' records are also kept on a database to ensure the team know the person’s medical history.

Councillor Dilek Dogus, cabinet member for health and adult services, said the service is now “a critical part of our social care package” and having an alarm buttons means people are “never alone.”

The service, which is run by Haringey Council, is free for those receiving housing benefit.

An assessment is carried out for eligibility to receive the system for free, but 90% of users in Haringey are elderly or living on their own and do not pay.