Telecare service provider plans digital upgrade to implement new tech for users
Carecall, a 24-hour telemonitoring and falls response service for older and vulnerable people, based in Stockport, is digitalising its services to get ready for the digital telephone switchover.
The upgrading of all phone lines in the UK from analogue to digital or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by 2025 means telecare providers in England need to move services to digital technology.
Carecall plans to fully digitalise its services, which will cover security over the digital network and increased opportunities to support users. The Carecall team has partnered with Enovation to move to its UMO platform.
UMO, when introduced in a few months’ time, will enable greater stability and security for the Carecall team to answer calls from digital phone lines. The project will also implement new digital equipment, such as wearables and pendants, for users.
In the interim, Carecall has carried out extensive testing to ensure the compatibility of the current alarms with digital lines to reassure users during the transition to new digital equipment.
Carecall is a brand of Stockport Homes Group.
Jenny Osbourne, Chair of Stockport Homes Group’s Board, commented: “Carecall is such a vital service for anyone needing extra support to live independently at home. Carecall as always has put customers at the heart of these changes, making sure they are kept informed and updated about the introduction of digital telephone lines, and changes to the way they access help from Carecall.”
Carecall has also been supporting users by creating an online guide to the digital telephone switchover to explain what is happening and what they need to do.
Richard Lark, Head of Sales at Enovation, said: “We are delighted to welcome Carecall to the ever-growing number of Enovation customers who see UMO as the lowest-risk and most proven digital monitoring platform on the market. We look forward to implementing the system with them so that their service users are seamlessly supported throughout, using both the existing analogue and new digital devices of the future.”
Recently, the Local Government Association warned that criminals are exploiting the analogue to digital switchover to scam vulnerable residents who use telecare monitoring devices into giving out personal information such as bank details.