St John Ambulance allocates state-of-the-art response vehicle to Vale Telecare Falls Response Service
Vale Telecare is the Council’s home alarm service which offers a range of services for vulnerable adults.
Residents lease an alarm unit and other sensors that are monitored 24/7, 365 days a year by Telecare operators based in the C1V centre, Barry.
Telecare operators assist residents with a range of emergencies, from loud sounds in the middle of the night to medical emergencies. But one of Telecare’s most important services is the Fall Response Service.
As part of the Falls Response Service, St John Ambulance have recently allocated a new state-of-the-art Toyota RAV4 Hybrid vehicle for use when attending to Vale Telecare users.
The Falls Response Service offers immediate help to residents who trigger their alarm when they fall, collapse, or have an accident.
Their alarm – which is wearable as either a bracelet or a lanyard – will connect a resident to a Telecare Operator immediately when pressed. In accidents and emergencies, St John Ambulance will immediately travel to the resident’s home to provide medical attention.
Now, they have a brand-new, fully kitted out Toyota vehicle to use for fall responses. As a hybrid vehicle, it has both a fuel tank and a chargeable battery which is self-charging when the vehicle is in use.
Cllr Eddie Williams, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health, said: “Telecare is an essential service the Council offers which provides some of our vulnerable residents with a greater sense of independence.
“As our Telecare operators monitor the alarm systems 24/7, vulnerable residents who live independently can rest assured that help and assistance during emergencies is just one push of a button away.
“With the allocation of a new Falls Response Vehicle by St John Ambulance, our responders are now better equipped to assist our Telecare users with falls, collapses, and medical emergencies.
“We are also pleased to see that the new Falls Response Vehicle is a hybrid electric vehicle which will contribute to the Council’s Project Zero aim to become carbon neutral by 2030.”
It has also been equipped with the latest falls equipment as specified by St John Ambulance Service, with the ability to charge any electrical equipment from inside the vehicle itself. This will ensure that when St John reach a Telecare call out, all the equipment with be ready to use.
The exterior of the vehicle also sports a striking white, yellow and black design with “Falls Response” written across the sides.