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Professionals - refer a service user for assistive technology

 

Refer a client for assistive technology

 

You can also Refer via ACSIS - (open client record, open case file, click on Documents, create document, general template, Careline) 

Important - once a referral is made, we will send an application pack to the address you give us for the service user. If you prefer the pack to be sent to a different address or require our free home form filling service then please state this on the referral form to avoid delay.

We work closely with health and social care professionals, carers, the NHS, GPs, nurses, support groups, charities, the Police, the Fire Service and other professional referral partners to ensure that those in their care in the community receive the benefits of assistive technology as quickly as possible.

Logo strip NHS HCC HRFS Police

We'll install appropriate assistive technology in your service user’s or patient's home, depending on their specific needs as described by you on your referral form.

Important update - Herts Bernie capacity

Bernie logos_V3 HB HIRES A3_V2

For legal reasons, the Herts Bernie service is only available to people who have the mental capacity to freely consent and sign a service agreement contract. 
However, if you feel it is in their best interest to have this service, all we need is for a healthcare professional to confirm that a Deprivation of Liberty does not apply. You can ask your patient or service user to ask their GP or other healthcare professional to give them a letter to this effect.

We can also now offer the Geofence option.

The Herts Bernie service costs £4.85 per week (inc vat) 

Please advise the person to this effect.

Please note that if your patient requires other telecare equipment or a community alarm, the cost will be £14.10 + VAT per month.

 

Types of equipment

Free form filling service at home

Low cost, no means testing, quick turnaround

Complex needs scheme

We can assess and bespoke our services for people with complex needs, dementia or learning disabilities.

Out of hours service

We can work with your organisation to manage your out of hours calls.

 

 


 

Types of equipment

We offer a wide variety of solutions, including:


The service user could benefit from:

  1. Alarm base unit and pendant – as a minimum, service user shave this. The alarm unit sends an alert call to our control centre when the pendant or other sensor is triggered 24/7.
  2. Fall detector – this detects stumbles, trips and falls. This is instead of the traditional pendant. The user can either press the button for help or the detector will automatically trigger when it senses a fall.

    Please note that a Fall Detector is only effective for those service users that are at very high risk of falls such those living with Epilepsy (or other blackout conditions), or those living with Dementia. Supplying service users with a Fall Detector, where they do not have the above conditions, can cause distress, as they can generate false calls due to the way they are used. This can lead to inconvenience and unnecessary concern to the service user.

  3. Smoke detector – when the detector sense smoke it automatically sends an alert to the control centre; this can be a potential lifesaver.
  4. Carbon monoxide detector – if carbon monoxide is sensed, the device alerts the control centre immediately.
  5. Ambient temperature monitor – detects abnormal temperatures, or a sudden rise or fall in temperature.
  6. Heat sensor – if a significant rise in room temperature is detected, an alarm is triggered.
  7. Passive Infrared Sensor (PIR) – detects motion within a home. If no movement is detected within a pre-set period, an alert call will be activated. This can be beneficial for those who live alone, those who don't get regular visitors and for intruder detection. This sensor incurs an additional cost.
  8. Deaf smoke alarm / vibrating pad – a smoke alarm kit exclusively for deaf and hard of hearing people. If a fire is detected the smoke alarm sounds, the strobe light flashes, the pillow pad vibrates and an alarm call is triggered.
  9. NEW! Cascade service for live-in carer – to help live-in carers regain some freedom using mobile phone technology and a cascade system to receive messages from the telecare devices, instead of pagers which require them to be at home, with Control Room help if required.
  10. Flood detector / barometric plug – depending on the nature of the circumstances, the risk of flooding will be managed by the use of a barometric bath or sink plug and / or a flood detector linked to a community alarm.
  11. Epilepsy telecare solutions – there are a variety of options available to cope with service users who experience seizures associated with epilepsy or other neurological conditions. See our complex needs section.
  12. Pill dispenser – an automated medication dispenser that allows a service users to receive pill form medications at the right time.
  13. Bed and floor mats – to ensure a person has returned to their chair, bed or room during the day or night.
  14. NEW! Herts Bernie - portable pendant and location service
  15. Complex Needs Service - for dementia, learning disabilities, epilepsy et al.

 

 

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Free form filling service at home

Some service users may not have family or friends to help them complete the paperwork to become assistive technology clients.

You can request free help for a person completing our application forms - just make a note on your referral form.

 

Low cost, no means testing, quick turnaround

Access to this service is not means tested.

There is a substantially subsidised monthly charge of £3.25 a week (the same price as just a community alarm) – this covers the cost of monitoring calls, equipment maintenance and an Emergency Response Fallback Responder Service. This is substantially lower than other providers.

There are no installation or equipment costs. Our installation partners Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS) can have the service in place within 14 days, often sooner in certain circumstances.

 Herfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS) logo

Hertfordshire Independent Living Service (HILS) is a charitable social enterprise set up in 2007 to deliver meals on wheels to older and vulnerable residents across the county.  In just 10 years, HILS has expanded its workforce (from just 7 to 200 people) and the range of services it offers.  In addition to hot meals and food packs, HILS now also provides free health and nutrition support, runs dementia clubs and a community centre in St Albans. To find out more, simply visit the HILS website.

 

 

 

Professionals – help us to help you

Tell us about the kinds of issues you frequently encounter so we can consider how our assistive technology services can be developed to meet the needs of those in your care.

Take the survey