Information on the analogue to digital switch over for West Lothian Council Careline customers - what you need to know.
Q. What action has West Lothian Council taken to transition to a digital telecare service?
a) West Lothian Council Careline upgraded their call handling software to a digitally capable platform in November 2021.
b) In March 2022 a programme to replace the telecare alarms commenced.
c) As of October 2023, approximately 1000 service users have received the new digital alarm.
d) It is anticipated all service users will have a digital alarm by December 2024.
Q. How does the digital alarm operate?
When you press your pendant, or any of your sensors activate, your new digital alarm will connect to West Lothian Council Careline allowing you to speak to the operator as you have always done, the only difference is, the alarm will connect using an inbuilt SIM card instead of your landline.
Q. Will I have to pay for a new digital telecare alarm?
No, currently telecare equipment is provided free of charge, the weekly charge you do pay includes the connection to West Lothian Council Careline and the 24-hour monitoring service.
Q. I don't have or want any kind of phone line or broad band; can I still use the telecare service?
Yes, as the new digital alarm operates using a SIM card and not connected to a phone line, there is no requirement for you to have a phone line, unless you choose to.
Q. West Lothian Council Careline's telephone numbers have changed, why is that?
When the call handling software was updated in 2021 the technology used to support the service changed and is now hosted differently. The result of this is a change to telephone numbers.
Now, when West Lothian Council Careline make an outgoing telephone call the number shown on caller ID will be either 0118 3583800 or 0118 3587700. We advise service users and their keyholder to save these numbers to their contacts so they recognise the caller.
Please note, these numbers do not accept incoming calls, if you need to telephone West Lothian Council Careline you can do so on 0330 6782396.
Q. What are the benefits of digital telecare?
The transition to digital technology is an exciting opportunity and brings many benefits including:
· faster connection to West Lothian Council Careline
· better audio quality
· safer - digital alarms are more reliable and can tell us if there is an issue such as loss of power
Q. Will there be any other changes with the introduction of digital alarms?
The manufacturer and supplier of the digital alarm have changed some of the functionality which was available on the older style alarms. These changes are out with the control of West Lothian Council. Please note, only a portion of service users have the following functions which will change:
Inactivity monitoring - This function will continue to be provided with the digital alarm however will be simplified. The digital alarm will raise an alert if there is no movement within the property after 12 hours.
All service users who currently utilise the inactivity monitoring function will be contacted directly to arrange a 'digital review'. During the review it will be discussed what appropriate technology or alternative sensors could meet the health and wellbeing needs of each individual.
Intruder function - The new digital alarm does not support the intruder function. This function is historic and has not been available to new customers for many years, however, it is acknowledged that there are a minority of service users who still have this function operating on older style alarms, this will cease with the move to digital alarms.
Q. I have heard scammers are targeting telecare users - what should I do?
Scammers are telephoning individuals asking for payment for their new digital telecare alarm. Please be aware that West Lothian Council will provide the new digital alarm free of charge. If you think you have been a victim of a scam please report this to your bank and any fraud to Police Scotland on 101.
Q. I'm not sure what I need to do next?
Please consider each of the following scenarios and take the action noted, if you are still unsure, please contact us using the details at the bottom of the page.
a) I do not yet have a digital phone line - what do I do?
You do not need to take any action right now, when you move to a digital phone line, press your pendant and let West Lothian Council Careline know.
b) I have a digital phone line but have not yet had my telecare alarm changed - what do I do?
Please press your pendant and West Lothian Council Careline that your phone line has changed. You will be prioritised to receive the new digital telecare alarm.
Your old alarm will have been plugged into either your digital phone line directly or into your broadband router (this will depend on what type of phone/broadband package you have) and will still be capable of sending alerts to West Lothian Council Careline.
c) I have a digital phone line and have already received a digital telecare alarm which uses an inbuilt SIM card - what do I do?
There is nothing you need to do; your telecare system is up to date.
