It was 'snow' joke for Invicta Telecare staff as they battled to get into work in
treacherous weather conditions to keep the life saving Telecare service up and running as they were
inundated with more than 4000 calls on Saturday, nearly four times the number received compared to
the two previous weekends.
The band of trusty staff at monitoring centres in Borough Green and Larkfield respond to
emergency calls triggered by an alarm or sensor activated in elderly and vulnerable peoples
home.
Wendy Turner, Invicta Telecare's Operations Director, said: "Its at times like this during
severe weather conditions that we are quite literally a lifeline for many older people, every
minute counts when a frail person falls at home, often wearing just a nightdress and exposed to the
cold. Others can be just frightened and need reassurance or may be having problems with their
heating which needs to be quickly sorted out.
"Our staff really rose to the challenge getting in against all the odds to make sure we had
enough people to keep our service running. As many of the roads were impassable and motorways
partially closed many trekked in by foot, some walking two hours in deep snow to get into work
whilst others stayed on overnight to help cope with the extra calls. Everyone really went over and
above the call of duty and did a simply wonderful job and without them we certainly would not have
been able to continue this vital service that so many people heavily rely upon."
Another important service Invicta Telecare provides is out of hours call handling on behalf of
housing associations and local authorities. As many organisations were unable to cope due to staff
opting to stay at home, Invicta Telecare stepped in and managed their calls as hundreds of people
rang to report emergency repairs or asking for help owing to the adverse weather.