Following a public consultation, Cabinet is proposing that everyone who has a community alarm only is assessed under the Care Act to see if they’re eligible for support in line with the act.
Currently, around 2,600 people have a community alarm which we fund, but don’t have a wider package of care. They began receiving the service prior to 1 November 2019, often as part of a tenancy agreement. A further 2,400 clients began receiving the service after that and were assessed under the Care Act. This group is charged in line with our charging policy.
If Cabinet agrees the proposals on eligibility, community alarm equipment would be provided for free to those who are eligible although they may be required to pay the monitoring charges. Any contribution would be calculated following a financial assessment.
Councillor Natalie Hoy, our Cabinet Member for Adult Care, said:
“Supporting older people to live safely and independently at home is a priority for the council and as our population ages and the demand for our services increase, we have to ensure we’re supporting those who need us most.
“We recently consulted on proposed changes to the way community alarms are funded and having considered all the responses, Cabinet is proposing to create a fairer and more consistent approach.”
Under the new proposals, the community alarm only service would in the future focus on supporting people with health and social care needs identified under the Care Act.
If agreed, anyone assessed as not having eligible needs under the Care Act would have a 12-week funded transition period to consider future options and would be supported to explore alternatives.
The community alarm service will still be free of charge to Derbyshire residents as part of the council’s short-term enablement service.
Community alarms provide a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week monitoring service where an older person wears a wristband or pendant which will summon help if an alert is triggered.
If Cabinet agrees to the change in the eligibility criteria, people with only a community alarm would be assessed over the next 12 to 18 months.