There are many reasons why older people are afraid of living alone. It could be fear of bogus callers, the threat of crime, being nervous about having a fall or even the basic need to have another human to speak with. But could technology help?
A core activity of community alert groups, whether long-established or newly emerging, is to be mindful of older people in their catchment area.
One way of doing this is through the Seniors Alert Scheme. This scheme, which comes with a household grant of €250, is administered by Pobal and delivered by community alert groups and others working with older people.
“The community alert group identifies those aged over 65 and can apply for the scheme on their behalf. The grant covers the cost of equipment and installation.
There is no monitoring fee for the first year and thereafter the fee is about €66-€80 per year,” says Conor O’Leary of Muintír na Tíre, which looks after the community alert groups.
Over 17,000 socially monitored alarms were installed in 2017 and that was a significant increase on the 2016 figures. You don’t have to be living alone to receive one either; you just have to be over 65 and be alone for significant periods of time during the day.
The equipment consists of a base unit connected to a landline or SIM card along with a pendant or bracelet to be worn by the older person.
It has a range of about 300 metres, which suits most people. By pressing a button, the person can be directly linked to a monitoring station.
“The monitoring station will know exactly who the person is and if the elderly person is unable to respond or if the pendant or bracelet detects they are in difficulty, the monitoring station can call the emergency services or call from the list of names and numbers provided by the older person.
"Due to advanced technology, the pendant or bracelet can even detect if the person has had a fall. It gives such reassurance to people,” says Conor.
Harnessing smart phonesWhile this scheme is the bread and butter of community alert groups, they also recognise the power of the mobile phone and were to the fore in developing the text alert scheme in association with the gardaí.
Each group has a closed membership and through the gardaí they are warned about bogus callers, suspicious car numbers and even actual crime in their area.
“We know this scheme prevents crime, aids detection and works as a deterrent, so it’s very popular with groups,” says Conor.
Upping the ante
The third scheme that’s helping people feel more secure is CCTV.
This emerged as a useful option when communities close to motorway exits became targets for criminal gangs.
The serious upsurge in crime forced communities to investigate technological solutions that would keep them ahead of the criminals.
CCTV hit the mark and a pilot scheme was developed for communities in Co Laois and Co Tipperary.
Two years ago the Government made €3m available over three years on top of the significant funds already raised by communities.
Rollout in rural areas has been slow and some groups haven’t been able to proceed because of issues over the role of data controller. According to the Garda Siochana Act 2005, it’s mandatory for the local authority to act as data controller. But some country managers have concerns about resources and funding.
Data controller issue
In late December in Woodenbridge, a packed meeting of community alert groups eager to proceed with CCTV in Co Laois were updated on the current state of play.
Having raised substantial amounts of money to install cameras, they were anxious to put the money to the use it was intended for, said local community alert chairperson Michael G Phelan.
Groups in Mountmellick, Donaghmore and Clonaslee spoke of their frustration at trying to get CCTV installed.
Other groups, including Borris-in-Ossory and Ratheniska, were worried about the legality of the cameras already installed, given that the local authority was not the data controller.
Chief Superintendent John Scanlon confirmed to the meeting that the only issue preventing their approval was that the function of data controller was not being undertaken by the local authority.
However, following discussions in early January, it was announced that the local authority in Co Laois would take on the role of data controller in the county subject to some technical issues being resolved.
This was very welcome news for the many groups who are ready to install CCTV in their communities. Community-based CCTV schemes can apply for Government funding, which has been set at €1m for the next year. The Department of Justice is administering the grant aid scheme. Eligible groups can apply for grant aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum total of €40,000.
Speaking in the Dáil in December, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said he was keen to ensure that all interested groups, in both rural and urban areas, take advantage of this grant aid scheme. Full details are available to download from www.justice.ie and support and guidance is available to help interested groups to apply for this funding through a dedicated email address communitycctv@justice.ie.
For more on community alert and text messaging contact info@muintír.ie or call 062-51163. For more on the Senior Alert Scheme, call 01 5117222 or contact onlinesupport@pobal.ie.
‘The alarm saves lives. There’s no doubt about it’
Frank Fleming lives in Portrane, north Co Dublin, and is chairperson of Fingal Community Alert, one of the groups monitoring the personal alarms. He is a firm believer in the Senior Alert Scheme, using it himself, and takes every opportunity to promote it.
“The alarm saves lives. There’s no doubt about it. We deliver leaflets to all the hospitals and care homes north of the Liffey. We visit up to 200 homes a month in a catchment that includes north Dublin, Fingal, Drogheda, Kells, Navan and Ashbourne. It’s all voluntary work and we promote the alarm scheme any chance we get, be it in supermarkets, in church newsletters or talks to ICA branches. People just aren’t aware of it,” he says.
When he was 60, Frank suffered a minor stroke and didn’t have an alarm but thankfully he was found in time. “It made me sit up and think what would have happened if my wife hadn’t been at home. I went out and bought the alarm straight away and it gave me great peace of mind. It’s that peace of mind that helps keep people living in their own homes rather than going into nursing homes at great cost before their time.”
Spike in numbers
Frank reckons he signs up an average of 180-200 people a month for the alert scheme. However, after the publicity in the Irish Farmers Journal and on Prime Time about a rise in trespassing on farmland in north Dublin, this number shot up to 260 in November. Frank feels strongly that the free carbon monoxide alarm and emergency lighting scheme should be restored to people aged over 65.
“Removing these supports for older people was a bad decision and should be reversed.”
Frank knows a good many farmers who are in the Senior Alert Scheme. “I know they are happy when I see a bag of potatoes or a few heads of cabbage outside my front door.”
Older people in need of reassurance make up 86% of calls
Last year during storm Ophelia and the Beast from the East, older people were petrified
It says a lot about our society that the vast majority of calls are false alarms. Calls made by lonely people who just need someone to talk to.
The term used is “reassurance calls” and they make up 86% of all calls, says Ronan Bunting.
Ronan is chief executive of TASK Community Care, which is based in Stamullen, Co Meath, and is one of four companies that cover the scheme in Ireland.
It is also the longest established social monitoring centre in the country, having been established in 1974.
“We receive some horrific calls but most are from very lonely people wanting to have a chat.
"Last year during storm Ophelia and the Beast from the East, older people were petrified. Instead of the usual 1,500 calls a day, on 16 October we had over 4,000 calls. If there’s a worrying story on the Six One News we get a spike in calls.
"Older people want the reassurance that they are not on their own,” says Ronan.
We can listen in on the conversation and issue a verbal warning or call the gardaí if appropriate
October to March also sees a surge of these calls as many older people are fearful of the dark nights.
When they hear about a bogus caller or read about an attack, it makes them very anxious and they need to make those “reassurance” calls.
Once the basic alert system is installed there are additional functions that can be added on.
These include a bogus caller button, which can be installed at the front and/or back door. If the older person is worried about a caller they can push the silent button and be linked straight away to the monitoring centre.
“We can listen in on the conversation and issue a verbal warning or call the gardaí if appropriate,” says Ronan. This costs €50 a year for one alarm or €80 for two.
Another useful function of the alarm is the bed sensor, which can tell if someone is out of bed longer than they should be.
“People tend to have falls at night, or they might wander and with this sensor we know if their behaviour is unusual and we can call them to check if everything is OK. If we get no reply we can call a neighbour or family member to check on them.” This sensor costs €170.
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There are many reasons why older people are afraid of living alone. It could be fear of bogus callers, the threat of crime, being nervous about having a fall or even the basic need to have another human to speak with. But could technology help?
A core activity of community alert groups, whether long-established or newly emerging, is to be mindful of older people in their catchment area.
One way of doing this is through the Seniors Alert Scheme. This scheme, which comes with a household grant of €250, is administered by Pobal and delivered by community alert groups and others working with older people.
“The community alert group identifies those aged over 65 and can apply for the scheme on their behalf. The grant covers the cost of equipment and installation.
There is no monitoring fee for the first year and thereafter the fee is about €66-€80 per year,” says Conor O’Leary of Muintír na Tíre, which looks after the community alert groups.
Over 17,000 socially monitored alarms were installed in 2017 and that was a significant increase on the 2016 figures. You don’t have to be living alone to receive one either; you just have to be over 65 and be alone for significant periods of time during the day.
The equipment consists of a base unit connected to a landline or SIM card along with a pendant or bracelet to be worn by the older person.
It has a range of about 300 metres, which suits most people. By pressing a button, the person can be directly linked to a monitoring station.
“The monitoring station will know exactly who the person is and if the elderly person is unable to respond or if the pendant or bracelet detects they are in difficulty, the monitoring station can call the emergency services or call from the list of names and numbers provided by the older person.
"Due to advanced technology, the pendant or bracelet can even detect if the person has had a fall. It gives such reassurance to people,” says Conor.
Harnessing smart phonesWhile this scheme is the bread and butter of community alert groups, they also recognise the power of the mobile phone and were to the fore in developing the text alert scheme in association with the gardaí.
Each group has a closed membership and through the gardaí they are warned about bogus callers, suspicious car numbers and even actual crime in their area.
“We know this scheme prevents crime, aids detection and works as a deterrent, so it’s very popular with groups,” says Conor.
Upping the ante
The third scheme that’s helping people feel more secure is CCTV.
This emerged as a useful option when communities close to motorway exits became targets for criminal gangs.
The serious upsurge in crime forced communities to investigate technological solutions that would keep them ahead of the criminals.
CCTV hit the mark and a pilot scheme was developed for communities in Co Laois and Co Tipperary.
Two years ago the Government made €3m available over three years on top of the significant funds already raised by communities.
Rollout in rural areas has been slow and some groups haven’t been able to proceed because of issues over the role of data controller. According to the Garda Siochana Act 2005, it’s mandatory for the local authority to act as data controller. But some country managers have concerns about resources and funding.
Data controller issue
In late December in Woodenbridge, a packed meeting of community alert groups eager to proceed with CCTV in Co Laois were updated on the current state of play.
Having raised substantial amounts of money to install cameras, they were anxious to put the money to the use it was intended for, said local community alert chairperson Michael G Phelan.
Groups in Mountmellick, Donaghmore and Clonaslee spoke of their frustration at trying to get CCTV installed.
Other groups, including Borris-in-Ossory and Ratheniska, were worried about the legality of the cameras already installed, given that the local authority was not the data controller.
Chief Superintendent John Scanlon confirmed to the meeting that the only issue preventing their approval was that the function of data controller was not being undertaken by the local authority.
However, following discussions in early January, it was announced that the local authority in Co Laois would take on the role of data controller in the county subject to some technical issues being resolved.
This was very welcome news for the many groups who are ready to install CCTV in their communities. Community-based CCTV schemes can apply for Government funding, which has been set at €1m for the next year. The Department of Justice is administering the grant aid scheme. Eligible groups can apply for grant aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum total of €40,000.
Speaking in the Dáil in December, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said he was keen to ensure that all interested groups, in both rural and urban areas, take advantage of this grant aid scheme. Full details are available to download from www.justice.ie and support and guidance is available to help interested groups to apply for this funding through a dedicated email address communitycctv@justice.ie.
For more on community alert and text messaging contact info@muintír.ie or call 062-51163. For more on the Senior Alert Scheme, call 01 5117222 or contact onlinesupport@pobal.ie.
‘The alarm saves lives. There’s no doubt about it’
Frank Fleming lives in Portrane, north Co Dublin, and is chairperson of Fingal Community Alert, one of the groups monitoring the personal alarms. He is a firm believer in the Senior Alert Scheme, using it himself, and takes every opportunity to promote it.
“The alarm saves lives. There’s no doubt about it. We deliver leaflets to all the hospitals and care homes north of the Liffey. We visit up to 200 homes a month in a catchment that includes north Dublin, Fingal, Drogheda, Kells, Navan and Ashbourne. It’s all voluntary work and we promote the alarm scheme any chance we get, be it in supermarkets, in church newsletters or talks to ICA branches. People just aren’t aware of it,” he says.
When he was 60, Frank suffered a minor stroke and didn’t have an alarm but thankfully he was found in time. “It made me sit up and think what would have happened if my wife hadn’t been at home. I went out and bought the alarm straight away and it gave me great peace of mind. It’s that peace of mind that helps keep people living in their own homes rather than going into nursing homes at great cost before their time.”
Spike in numbers
Frank reckons he signs up an average of 180-200 people a month for the alert scheme. However, after the publicity in the Irish Farmers Journal and on Prime Time about a rise in trespassing on farmland in north Dublin, this number shot up to 260 in November. Frank feels strongly that the free carbon monoxide alarm and emergency lighting scheme should be restored to people aged over 65.
“Removing these supports for older people was a bad decision and should be reversed.”
Frank knows a good many farmers who are in the Senior Alert Scheme. “I know they are happy when I see a bag of potatoes or a few heads of cabbage outside my front door.”
Older people in need of reassurance make up 86% of calls
Last year during storm Ophelia and the Beast from the East, older people were petrified
It says a lot about our society that the vast majority of calls are false alarms. Calls made by lonely people who just need someone to talk to.
The term used is “reassurance calls” and they make up 86% of all calls, says Ronan Bunting.
Ronan is chief executive of TASK Community Care, which is based in Stamullen, Co Meath, and is one of four companies that cover the scheme in Ireland.
It is also the longest established social monitoring centre in the country, having been established in 1974.
“We receive some horrific calls but most are from very lonely people wanting to have a chat.
"Last year during storm Ophelia and the Beast from the East, older people were petrified. Instead of the usual 1,500 calls a day, on 16 October we had over 4,000 calls. If there’s a worrying story on the Six One News we get a spike in calls.
"Older people want the reassurance that they are not on their own,” says Ronan.
We can listen in on the conversation and issue a verbal warning or call the gardaí if appropriate
October to March also sees a surge of these calls as many older people are fearful of the dark nights.
When they hear about a bogus caller or read about an attack, it makes them very anxious and they need to make those “reassurance” calls.
Once the basic alert system is installed there are additional functions that can be added on.
These include a bogus caller button, which can be installed at the front and/or back door. If the older person is worried about a caller they can push the silent button and be linked straight away to the monitoring centre.
“We can listen in on the conversation and issue a verbal warning or call the gardaí if appropriate,” says Ronan. This costs €50 a year for one alarm or €80 for two.
Another useful function of the alarm is the bed sensor, which can tell if someone is out of bed longer than they should be.
“People tend to have falls at night, or they might wander and with this sensor we know if their behaviour is unusual and we can call them to check if everything is OK. If we get no reply we can call a neighbour or family member to check on them.” This sensor costs €170.
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