I’m going home continues to support patients

A joint initiative between the Careline Community Service and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to help local residents return home from hospital sooner is to continue for another 12 months.

‘I’m going home’, which helped its first resident in September 2019, has been developed by the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk to help provide services, free and at speed, which will enable patients to return home safely.

Hospital staff working in the Rapid Assessment and Frailty Team can refer them to the ‘I’m going home’ service. This means a ‘Go’ mobile alarm will be provided, free of charge, for six weeks while the patient gets settled back at home. The ‘Go’ is a mobile version of a Careline alarm which enables patients to summon help just by pressing the button. The device also has GPS tracking so assistance can be sent directly.

Cllr Jo Rust, Cabinet member for People and Communities, said:

“We launched this project with the hospital four years ago as we understand the need for people to get home from hospital.

“Returning home from hospital can be very stressful for patients not just because of their health, but also because of environmental factors which may lead to isolation or fear of being able to cope. The ‘Go’ device from our Careline team provides that additional reassurance both for the individual and for their families and reduces anxiety all round. I’m pleased that we will continue to support patients for another 12 months.”

Patients are assessed before being referred to this service, but once referred, set up is quick and easy, with no need for a landline.  This enables patients to return home speedily where their recovery is likely to be quicker.

Careline Community Service will contact the patient at the end of the six week period to discuss next steps. Residents who wish to retain the ‘Go’ service would need to sign up for the paid-for Careline service, discuss alternative products or arrange for the equipment to be returned if it is no longer required. Full details about the Careline service is available at careline-cs.org.uk or by calling 01553 616200.

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The latest from BT about the Digital Switchover

Find out more on the latest news about the Digital Switchover below.

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Why is it important to test your alarm pendant?

Our Careline Community Service alarms help thousands of people across Norfolk and parts of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire to live safely and independently within their own homes.

Our personal alarms and digital alarms are designed to be used in an emergency, therefore it is essential that these alarm pendants are tested on a regular basis.

Why should you test your pendant?

  • Testing your pendant once a month ensures everything is working correctly.
  • You gain confidence in using your alarm.
  • You will understand how the alarm system works once pressed and familiarise yourself with the process.
  • You will be prepared in an emergency due to the practice tests on your pendant.

Here at Careline Community Service we recommend that you test your pendant alarm once a month, simply by pressing the button. Doing a test call each month let’s us know your alarm is working correctly, it allows our 24/7 call centre to speak with you and personally check in, and lastly it can flag up any faults that may need to be fixed (free of charge).

How do you test your pendant?

  • Press the pendant (worn round the neck or wrist) once.
  • Wait a moment to be connected.
  • You will connect through a team member from our 24/7 alarm service.
  • Once they answer, say your name and that you are doing a test call.
  • They will check over your alarm to make sure signal is strong and all is working as it should, and that’s it!

Please don’t hesitate to test your alarm. We want you to feel comfortable and confident when doing so.

Find the most suitable Careline Community Service personal alarm for you.

Careline Community Service products
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Scam Callers – What are they and why do they do it?

Fraud is an intentional and dishonest act against another person which is used to cheat someone out of something, especially their money, and commonly occurs through scams (email, telephone, online scams, postal and more). Fraudsters or scammers commit these illegal acts for several reasons, this could be for greed, easy financial gain, personal desire for crime and more. Each motive of the criminal act will all depend on the individual criminal.

Unfortunately for our Careline customers, they do fall under the vulnerable category, who within our society are normally targeted and exploited the most.

How can you recognise a scam? (Check if something might be a scam – Citizens Advice)

  • What is being asked may seem too good to be true.
  • You have been asked to transfer money quickly.
  • Someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly.
  • No written confirmation has been sent to you.
  • You have been asked to give away your personal information.

The team here at Careline have heard first-hand how scam callers try and creep their way into our customers life’s, and due to the vulnerability of them, some will allow this to happen as they aren’t aware of the situation in place.

Please take careful note of the bullet points listed below:

  • Careline Community Service will never ask for your bank details over the phone.
  • Careline Community Service will never ask you to pay for work to be done to your property.
  • Careline Community Service will never demand money over the phone or via email.
  • Careline Community Service will always address our customers/future customers politely and state who we are and where we are calling from (Careline Community Services which is part of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk).

In general, we recommend that you:

  • Stop and think about what is being said to you before you go any further with releasing personal details.
  • Trust your instinct. If you have a feeling that the phone call or email you have received isn’t right, do not engage.
  • Ensure that all your online personal accounts have strong, protected passwords.
  • Use secure websites, they will have a padlock near the web address and will start with ‘https’.

For Norfolk residents, fraud effects thousands of people within the county each year. The Police and Crime Commissioner have worked with Norfolk and Suffolk Victim Care, Norfolk Constabulary and Norfolk County Council Trading Standards to set up a Scams Prevention Service. The service offers free and confidential specialist support to those who have been targeted by scams and helps to increase awareness of scams in Norfolk. Please follow their website below to find further information on this and tips on staying safe to scams.

In the United Kingdom, there are several national services that can support everybody with online scams/fraud. The links for information on these can be found below.

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The Digital Switch Over – are Careline Community Service products compatible?

Have you heard about the digital switchover?

In 2017, BT announced plans to turn off their analogue (landline) telephone network and switch over to a faster digital system. Work has already started and BT plans to switch the old network off permanently in 2025. This change will affect everyone who uses a landline telephone and therefore will affect our customers as our Careline alarms connect via the telephone line.

From 2025, landline telephones will no longer plug in to a socket on the wall, they will plug into your Wi-Fi router and will work via an internet connection.

Please do not worry, we want you to know you are in safe hands and we are here to support you with this change. We have products that are digitally compatible for you to use within the home or on the go:

Digital Sim Based Units

  • Uses 2G/3G/4G roaming sim
  • 40-70 hour backup
  • Waterproof pendant
  • Automatic falls detection pendant available to go with
  • 300m pendant range
  • Voice guided setup

Go Mobile wearable pendant

  • Uses 3G/4G roaming sim
  • No additional call charges when button is pressed
  • GPS satellite technology sends location
  • Automatic falls detection
  • 2-way speaker phone
  • Battery duration up to 1-2 months long

Find out more below:

If you have already been contacted by your phone or internet provider regarding the switch over, we recommend you:

  • Tell them you are a vulnerable client with telecare equipment
  • Ask to register with their priority service register
  • Request a free 1-hour battery backup for your router in case of power cuts.

If you wish to find out when the digital switchover is happening in your local area, you need to please contact your telephone provider.

If you would like to discuss the digital switchover more and hear how we can support you with this in further detail, please contact us on 01553 616200 or email us at careline.operators@west-norfolk.gov.uk.

Other relevant Digital Switch Links to follow:

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Worried about living in your home with the rising cost of living?

Are you worried about being able to live comfortably at home with the cost of living going up in the UK?

Here at Careline we want to help you and advise you beyond the services we provide. We acknowledge that the colder months at the end of the year are always gloomier than the brighter summer days. However, we have put together some top tips for staying safe and warm whilst living independently within your home.

Wanting to keep your house warm without paying out?

(Sourced from Daily Record Seven ways to keep your house warm without putting on the heating before and after price hike – Daily Record)

  • Make sure all windows and doors are closed. Doing this will keep the warmth within your home and prevent cold air getting into your house.
  • Use curtains and blinds effectively. Open them when the sun is out because the sun heats your home for free, in the night keep them drawn as this is another layer of insulation within your home.
  • Layer up. Instead of feeling a bit nippy and whacking on the heating for ten minutes, put on a jumper, longer trousers, or socks; this is an effective way of getting warm quickly.

Worried about spending this winter because you may face some hardship?

(Sourced from Ask Lily, Household Support Fund | LILY (asklily.org.uk))

  • The DWP is providing funding to County Councils and Unitary Authorities to administer the Household Support Fund and provide assistance to households most in need.
  • The fund is available to support those in need of support with Fuel and Food costs, and it is running till the 31st of March 2023.
  • King’s Lynn and West Norfolk residents can apply here Apply for the DWP Household Support Fund (west-norfolk.gov.uk), anyone outside this region should search on their local County Councils website.

Facing the cold and unsure on what to do?

Sourced from (Warm Welcome, Find a Warm Welcome Space Today and Spaces — Warm Spaces).

  • Across the UK, there are warm and welcoming spaces for people to go to if they are unable to switch their heating on, you can find a local warm space near you by putting your postcode into the above link.
  • Most of the registered warm spaces can provide attendees with hot drinks, free Wi-Fi, computer access, free parking and sometimes food.
  • For people within King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, please look on the Ask Lily directory where all local warm hubs are listed and updated regularly Community Categories – Search Results | LILY (asklily.org.uk).
  • Each warm space holds an environment that is judgement free and have been set up with the promise to support people within the community keeping them safe.

If you are one of our customers and feel like you need further information or support on any of the above points, please call us up on 01553616200 or email us on careline.operators@west-norfolk.gov.uk and one of our members of team will talk to you on how we can personally assist you.

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