Careline is an effective way of getting help quickly and efficiently 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A small Pendant is worn around the neck or on a wrist-strap. This is linked to a special unit - the Careline - which plugs into a power socket. It may also be connected using an ethernet cable if signal is poor in your area.
Careline FAQs
By pressing the pendant a signal is sent to the Careline base unit, which will then dial automatically to the Control Room, which allows help to be called quickly in the event of a fall, accident or even if you are feeling unwell. Your pre-programmed personal details will come up on a computer screen and a fully-trained call handler will be able to talk to you through the unit via a powerful speaker and listen to you through a sensitive microphone. If you are not close to your base unit or cannot respond, the call handler will immediately attempt to contact you via your telephone.
The call handler will then assess the situation and contact your Emergency Contacts and/or the Emergency Services if required.
Please note the Careline Service does not provide Home Responders.
If you want to sign up to the Careline service you can do this via the application form on the Careline web page, or call the Council's Customer Contact Team who can take you through the form over the phone. There is an administration set up fee of £51.00, PLUS £52 if you choose the Fall Detector.
Please see information on the main Careline webpage regarding the Falls Detector, view greater detail about it here, and have a conversation with the Careline Team before you select the Falls Detector.
The Falls Detector takes several days of consistent wear to acclimatise to the individual. Please note, the Falls Detector does not detect all falls and may not be suitable for every lifestyle.
You must live in the Stroud District.
A power socket for the Careline unit to plug into (you may need an ethernet port if 4G/5G signal is poor in your area). You can check signal here Mobile Coverage Checker by postcode for all UK networks with one search | Signalchecker.co.uk
You should ideally have two emergency contacts, one of whom is local, although you can have more emergency contacts than this.
There is a required 3 month commitment to the service.
It is advised to have an Emergency Contact who lives locally and could attend your property in case of an emergency. Suitable people might be a family member, friend or neighbour. You can also have contacts listed who may not live locally but whom you would want to be informed should you have an emergency situation.
Once we have all the details required through the application process, including a completed and signed Direct Debit form, we will set the Careline account up for you and a member of the Careline Team will be in touch regarding an installation appointment. This will not be on the same day as the phonecall regarding installation and depends on our Community Officer availability. At the installation appointment, a Community Officer will install and test the equipment, you will be shown how to use the alarm, and packaging will be taken away.
Careline unit and Pendant rental charges are £19.17 + VAT* per month. Annual rental is £230 + VAT* per year. This includes 24/7 monitoring and maintenance. If the Careline user has a long-term medical condition, and is entitled to VAT exemption, please complete a VAT exemption form and submit it to us.
Replacement or additional Pendants will cost £49 (VAT exempt) or £59 (nonVAT exempt)
Replacement or additional falls cost is £110 (VAT exempt) or £131 (nonVAT exempt)
Charges are paid monthly or annually by direct debit.
The standard push button Pendant should not be submerged in water but it can be worn in the shower.
The Falls Detector is water resistant and should always be worn.
No. The Pendant does not make any noise and you cannot talk through it.
The silver base unit is what makes noise. From the base unit the call handlers will speak to you, and you can speak back to them.
One.
One per resident. It is not advised for a single Careline user to have both a standard Pendant and a Falls Detector. There can be more than one Careline user per property.
For the standard Pendant there is a neck cord, a plastic watch strap or an elasticated wrist strap.
The Falls Detector is built into a plastic watch strap and no other setting is available.
No. The standard push button Pendant and Falls Detector are different sizes to one another, but no different sizes are available for either.
Yes, the elasticated ones or watch straps can be adjusted.
The Pendant should operate in and around the average property. However, please note the range of the device to the base unit does vary depending on interfering material e.g. thick stone walls may reduce the range. Our Careline service is in-home and is not designed to support outside use e.g. out shopping, visiting friends, going on a walk.
When a call is placed, it will go through to the monitoring centre where one of the call handlers will speak to you from your base unit and assess the situation for what help is required. The monitoring centre is based in Cornwall.