Earlier this week, the Department of Rural and Community Development allocated €2.3 million for the renewed Seniors Alert Scheme, which comes into effect on November 1st.
490 local seniors in the county have availed of the service since 2015, with the scheme due to be extended to even more people.
All users have a base unit installed in their home which is connected to a national Seniors Alert Scheme helpline using landline or mobile telecommunications. When the user activates the personalised alarm it puts a call through to the national call centre which is open 24/7/365. The call centre operator talks to the person in their home and decides whether to alert a local volunteer responder or, in potentially serious circumstances, the emergency services.
Another technological development was launched this week: Advanced Mobile Location (AML) works by automatically finding a phone’s GPS co-ordinates when a 112 or 999 number is dialled. The co-ordinates are immediately passed to the emergency services in responding and dispatching emergency personnel to callers in need across Ireland.
Minister Ring said: “This new technology will have a major impact on people’s lives, particularly in rural areas.
“It will help if someone crashes or witnesses a crash on a remote rural road but does not know their location; or if someone gets lost or hurt while out walking or hiking. It will lead to quicker response times and potentially save lives.
Minister Joe McHugh is encouraging everyone who is eligible to avail of the scheme, and has given praise to the local community groups who are supporting this service.
A Donegal information session for the SAS scheme takes place on December 7th, click here to register for the free event: www.eventbrite.ie/e/seniors-alert-scheme-Donegal-information-session-tickets-39077076588
Click here to find your local SAS community group
Tags:More seniors to benefit from personal alarms under new scheme
