Care Link
Peace of mind - 24 hours a day
Wakefield and District (WDH) Housing Care Link Telecare Services helps people keep their independence within the community. It gives peace of mind to families, friends and carers knowing that help is at hand no matter what the emergency, 24 hours a day every day.
Care Link alarms are quick and easy to install and are not just for elderly and less able bodied people. Those who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse or who are lone workers can also have an alarm installed, helping them to feel safer.
Customers of the service have an alarm system fitted into their home which is connected to the Care Link Customer Contact Centre through a telephone line. A range of additional sensors such as pendants, fall detectors, bed sensors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and flood detectors can be fitted to the alarm to allow complete lifestyle monitoring.
When the alarm is triggered a call is made to the Care Link Customer Contact Centre and a specially trained operator will answer the call and take appropriate action which could include alerting the emergency services, contacting a relative, carer or friend or offering advice and reassurance.
Over 15,000 customers currently use the service, including our Independent Living Schemes, which are monitored by Care Link when a Scheme Manager is not on duty.
The service also has officers who visit people in their own homes to:
- Assess their individual needs and advise on the most appropriate telecare package
- Connect alarms and demonstrate how they work
- Offer advice and guidance on using pendants and other sensors such as fall detectors, flood detectors and smoke alarms
Care Link can also offer customers a Response Service where a team of Care Link Support Workers can respond to calls to assist customers in their homes. Care Link Support Workers aim to arrive at a customer’s home within 30 minutes of the alarm call being received and will respond to the following types of call:
- Falls
- Reassurance calls
- No response calls (where an alarm has been activated but verbal contact with you cannot be made)
All Care Link Support Workers have been trained to give First Aid and moving and handling.
To find out more about the services Care Link provide telephone Care Link on 01977 788000 or email carelink@wdh.co.uk. To help us improve our service and for training purposes, calls to and from Care Link may be recorded.
After you call, a member of the Care Link Visiting Team will visit you to demonstrate the equipment and discuss your specific requirements. There is a charge for Care Link services depending on the level of service provided.
Care Link works with Wakefield Council Family Services, Education and Leisure Services, the Health Service, Police and the Fire Service. It plays a major role in supporting people who have just left hospital, and in helping to promote community safety. Care Link has been awarded the Charter Mark accreditation on three occasions for Customer Service Excellence