- Date: 04/06/2020
Revival’s Independent Living Service has supported over 430 customers with welfare calls, arranging community alarms and helping people who have fallen in their homes, saving calls to the NHS and valuable ambulance time during the Covid – 19 pandemic.
The service, known as DILS for short, covers Erewash and the Derbyshire Dales and provides practical help and housing related support. The team also arrange for community alarms to be fitted into homes so people can get help if they need it urgent and if they have fallen in their home but are not injured, The falls recovery service runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, the team would visit clients in their homes to see what help and support they need. Since lockdown, they have switched to calling customers of DILS service instead. Emily Fee, Team Leader at Revival, said: ““Every customer has commented on how these calls have kept them positive and it is lovely they have been able to keep in regular contact with us and someone different to talk too. We have still managed to support people over the phone and action any support needs.
“The demand for the falls recovery service has increased which has been a great help to the East Midlands Ambulance service, making them able to attend critical patients faster.
“Myself and the teams favourite part of the job is seeing what a difference our work has made to an individual’s life. The thanks we receive and compliments made, have been lovely and are very much appreciated by us all..”
Julie Russell, Support and Wellbeing Manager at Revival, said: “The staff have provided an incredible service – being out in the community 24/7 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They are helping people who have fallen, get back on their feet and avoided both an ambulance deployment and potentially an unnecessary attendance at A & E at this most difficult time.
“They’ve also been there in the community supporting the most frail and vulnerable to feel safer by arranging Community Alarms and doing telephone welfare calls. They’ve made such a difference, I’m very proud of the team!”