Date issued: 28 September 2018
Colchester-based response and monitoring service Helpline has recruited extra staff following an increase in demand for their invaluable support services, as the cold weather draws in.
Over 3,500 customers across the borough and north Essex rely on the emergency alarm, response and monitoring service. Helpline’s 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week service is the only one in Essex responding to and lifting hundreds of residents each month, enabling people to stay at home while relieving pressures on Emergency Services.
However, Helpline’s users are not exclusively older people. Some have a physical disability or suffer from a chronic condition such as epilepsy or arthritis or are recovering from illness. Other customers are simply concerned for their personal safety and security, if they are perhaps prone to falls or have a condition such as dementia.
Colchester Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Commercial Services, Cllr Nick Barlow, commented on the importance of the service: “Helpline provides invaluable equipment and support to help elderly and vulnerable people in and around Colchester to live independently in their own homes for longer.
“The increase in staffing is not only a positive for existing customers, but in addition has created a number of new jobs in the borough, in line with both the opportunity and wellbeing aims of Colchester Borough Council’s Strategic Plan.”
To find out how you, a friend or family member could benefit from the Helpline service, visit www.helplineplus.co.uk
Page last reviewed: 28 September 2018