Boots UK is committed to helping people to lead healthier, happier lives and is pleased to announce collaboration with Tunstall Healthcare to launch a new service called ‘Home Assist’. Providing round the clock support, Home Assist aims to fill a much needed gap in the provision of telecare services to the “non-public funded” market.
Research shows that there are 10 million people in the UK who are over 65 years old1. The latest projections are for 5½ million more elderly people in 20 years’ time and the number will have nearly doubled to around 19 million by 20502.
Currently 3.5 million aged 65 plus3 live alone in UK. This is 36% of all people aged over 654 and up to 2 million people over 755 are currently living alone; 1.55 million of these are women. By offering 24/7 remote monitoring at home support, the Home Assist service helps reclaim some of the independence and confidence that can be lost as a person gets older. It provides reassurance and peace of mind for family members and friends by knowing that support is always available.
The service, developed using Boots customer feedback offers three different service packages which can be customised according to the key needs of the user including remote monitoring for falls, smoke detection and winter chills all which alert a member of Tunstall’s support team as soon as help is needed and is the only service to offer incoming reassurance calls as an option.
Exclusive to Boots UK and delivered by Tunstall Healthcare, a global leader in connected care, Home Assist is the only privately available remote monitoring service which is installed by professional engineers at no extra cost. The service includes a face to face demonstration session for the customer and their family after installation to give confidence in using the technology and comes with a three year guarantee.
The Home Assist Service works in three simple steps:
1) Press the button on the pendant
2) Talk to the Tunstall support team through the speaker on the base unit hub (the pendant can connect to the hub from a distance of up to 50 metres)
3) The Tunstall support team will call a key holder other emergency services if required
The initial trial of the service started in February across targeted Boots UK stores and is also available UK wide over the phone and online at Boots.com.
Jamie Kerruish, Category Director for Healthcare at Boots UK comments; “Our pharmacies support people through all life stages, and we understand the needs of those as they get older, and the importance they place on feeling secure in their own homes. We are delighted to be working with Tunstall Healthcare to offer the new Boots Home Assist Service to our customers and patients. We hope that the service not only increases accessibility to products that help all of our customers but also brings added support and reassurance to individuals living alone and to their loved ones.“
Simon Arnold, Chief Customer Officer, Tunstall Healthcare added “Many of us struggle with the day to day pressures of work, family commitments and supporting older relatives. We have heard time and time again that awareness of new models of support is low and knowing where to go to purchase it easily, is often problematic. Our partnership with Boots UK, an extremely well known and trusted high street brand name, aims to solve some of these issues with a cost effective, easy to understand solution that can be invaluable for families who are struggling with their caring responsibilities.”
More information can be found at www.homeassistuk.com
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For further information please contact the Boots UK press office on 0115 959 5995 or emailClaire.stuart@boots.co.uk
About Boots UK
Boots UK (boots.com), the UK’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, is part of the Retail Pharmacy International Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. With 2,510* stores in the UK, Boots UK is committed to providing exceptional customer and patient care, be the first choice for pharmacy and healthcare and offer innovative 'only at Boots' exclusive products such as the UK’s leading skincare brand No7, all delivered with the great value customers love. Created over 165 years ago, the Boots brand is still at the heart of the communities it serves.
*As at 31 August 2015 excluding equity method investments
About Tunstall
Tunstall Healthcare Group offers a range of Connected Care and Connected Health solutions across each of its main regions - UK, Nordics, Southern Europe, Central Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. Through the use of smart technology underpinned by high quality, high touch services we support older people and those with long term needs to live as independently, securely, healthily and happily as they are able. As the market leading provider of technology-enabled care, we have been working with health, housing and social care partners for nearly 60 years. By effectively supporting health, independence and well-being, our Connected Care and Connected Health solutions improve outcomes and deliver efficiencies when compared to traditional models of hospital or residence-based care.