Accident Prevention Local Initiatives First Connect - Free Services for Older People from Help the Aged (March 2009)
| First Connect - Free Services for Older People from Help the Aged (March 2009) |
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First Connect aims to empower disadvantaged older people to access a comprehensive range of integrated services, to improve their quality of life, help them remain independent, and enable them to access the right support by working with them and their local community. Home Support is the umbrella of Help the Aged Services which incorporates First Connect Service (access to internal and external services), Handyvan (home safety and security), SeniorLink (emergency response service) and SeniorLine (advocacy, information and advice) part of Information and Advice department.
The criteria for the service is less than £10,000 savings and do not pay income tax and must live in a home support area (Greater Belfast, Dungannon & South Tyrone, Omagh, Cookstown and Fermanagh). The First Connect Coordinator (Mr Martin Walsh) will visit clients at home to discuss their needs and provide them with information on all the services available (internal and external). He will agree with the client the services that are needed and will signpost clients to the services. He will stay in contact with the client, up until a 3 month period, and the referral agencies to ensure that the client has received the service and that their needs have been met. If services have not been provided within the 3 month period he will refer the client to the SeniorLine service and they will act as an advocate for the client. COMMUNITY SUPPORT SERVICES – The First Connect Co-ordinator will identify external services that will enable the client to live independently in their home and community to reduce isolation. Services required may vary, but could be:
Health & Social Services:
Other
Internal Services that the Coordinator can signpost the client to are: HANDYVAN – provides and fits a range of safety and security products in clients’ homes. It is primarily aimed at older people, who meet the Help the Aged criteria, and no charges are made for labour or the products installed. For anyone falling outside the criteria, chargeable options are available on request.
The range of products installed include: smoke alarms, door chains, mortice locks and bolts, window locks, door viewers, seniorLink and now extended to include: minor repairs such as changing light bulbs, nailing down carpets, fixing curtain rails, fixing a broken fence etc. SENIORLINK – SeniorLink is Help the Aged's 24-service in hour telephone call response. It is designed to help people of all ages who feel vulnerable or at risk, for whatever reason, to live independently in their own home. It provides an essential link from the home via the telephone line to the Help the Aged call response centre. With the increase of crime most notable against older and more vulnerable people, this service provides a greater sense of security and safety. If an unknown caller comes to the door you can press any of the call buttons to call for reassurance, advice or help. They are there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – always there to take your call. The service has been provided to 13,000 people in SENIORLINE - SeniorLine is Help the Aged's free telephone advice service for older people, their relatives, carers and friends. SeniorLine aims to promote independence by offering advice or information on a wide range of welfare rights issues. Trained advice workers can help with issues such as:
SeniorLine is free, impartial and confidential and aims to enable as many callers as possible to take action themselves. Advisers can also deal with individual cases working with and for a caller to move towards resolving an issue. For further information visit: http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/en-ni/default.htm To contact Martin Walsh Tel: 078 1623 0753.
Northern Ireland and 10,000 people in the UK. |