TEC-Helps - Disability

Tanisha’s Story – Safe at Home

You may have read Nigel’s reason for creating TEC-Angel and Tanisha is an example of someone, following a traumatic accident, who is young and wanting to live her life to the full, independently and without feeling her parents are watching over her every move. Tanisha was concerned a telecare system would be invasive and allow her parents to know everything she does in her home and didn’t want to look like someone’s grandmother wearing a pendant alarm.

Raj and Vidya are Tanisha’s parents and just want their daughter to return to being happy and independent while also being able to provide her with the support she may need. The TEC-Angel system allows Tanisha to get on with her life but alerts Raj and Vidya when Tanisha needs their help; keeping falls out of her wheelchair, just that.

How it works

With a movement sensor in each room and an innovative external door open/clode detector, TEC-Angel can determine which room the person is in and how long they’ve been there along with the temperature of any occupied rooms and whether they are at home or outside.

Combine this with some lifestyle information configured about the person’s everyday routine such as normal sleep times, what times of day they may go out and what times they are normally at home, and TEC-Angel can alert to many of the circumstances which are indicative of a problem.

How it helps

TEC-Angel is comletely discreet, requiring no lifestyle changes for the person being cared for, with no buttons to wear or tracking bracelets for them to put on each morning.

In the event of an alert being sent, there is no indication at the home of the person being cared for and so alerts TEC-Angel raises can be discussed ‘softly’ with the person concerned without reference to the TEC-Angel. For example, an alert to the carers “Tanisha is late up” could be investigated with a phone call opening “Hello Tanisha, just thinking about you this morning”.

While all alerts are sent by text to carers when necessary, a single text message “Activity?” will make the TEC-Angel respond with the current position and last five rooms the person has been in and how long for, including if they are in or out. This is exceptionally useful if they do not answer the phone when expected to determine if they are out, or prior to a phone call to check they are not indisposed.

Independence for those living with a disability

There are over 11 million people in the UK with a limiting long-term illness, impairment or disability and the most commonly-reported impairments are those which affect mobility, lifting or carrying.* Over a quarter of disabled people say they do not frequently have choice and control over their daily lives* so TEC-Angel was created to help them regain control. Disabled people are significantly less likely to live in households with access to the internet than non-disabled people. In 2011, 61% of disabled people lived in households with internet access, compared to 86% of non-disabled people.* TEC-Angel sends text alerts via a SIM card installed in the hub which means neither Wi Fi nor internet services are required.
*Figures from the Dept of Work and Pensions, Office for Disability Issues January 2014

TEC Angel was created to help people living with a disability gain their independence and live in their own homes. Using discreet sensors around the home, TEC-Angel monitors door and room movements for unusual activity or activity at odd times; sending text alerts to carers should something occur outside of the everyday routine.

For less than the cost of one week’s stay in a typical care home, TEC-Angel can enable people, living with disabilities, to live an independent life in their own home; out of the care system or private care homes.

Examples of messages from TEC-Angel

TEC-Angel can detect and alert to many circumstances indicative of a problem, from being in a single room too long, not getting to bed or not getting up as usual, leaving the house at unusual times, late night callers, leaving an unattended door open, sitting in freezing cold rooms, power failures or simply not leaving the house at all.

People living with a disability

Tanisha’s Story – Safe at Home

How it works

How it helps

Independence for those living with a disability

Examples of messages from TEC-Angel