Telecare demand is high in Andalucia

Telecare was introduced to Andalucia twenty years ago. It has become one of the most popular services for the elderly in the community.

Over the past twenty years, the devices have been modernised and now it is possible to call for teleassistance by using a pendant or a watch. Each device has an SOS red button which when pressed will alert a teleoperator that the elderly person needs assistance.

According to the latest data from the Andalusian Social Services, there are 257,999 people using the telecare service which is 11,019 more than in February last year.  Since 2019 the trend for telecare services has increased dramatically with 13.1 per cent more users in the last three and half years.

Most of the beneficiaries of telecare in Andalucia are women who represent 78.5 per cent of all users. Those who use the red button the most are people over the age of 80 followed closely by people between 65 and 79 years old. They are used by the elderly, people with disabilities and those who are in a situation of dependency.

More than 530 telecare professionals are spread out between the centres in Seville and Malaga. As wel as centres in Granada, Cordoba, Jaen, Huelva and America.

Last February they managed 451,139 calls. The majority of these were from workers to users with 85 per cent being calls to follow up with users and the rest as calls to mobilise resources in an emergency.

Users used the red button mainly for emergencies, but some used it to talk, find out technical information about the service or request information.

More than 70 per cent of users are able to use the service at no cost. Others pay a monthly fee between €3.60  and €10.80 depending upon their circumstances.

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Source: https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5112823/0/andalucia-suma-11000-nuevos-usuarios-teleasistencia-ultimo-ano/