Switchover: A digital "eye" for the elderly
- From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:01:26 -0400
Whitehaven News, Cumbria (UK)
Friday, October 12, 2007
Switchover: A digital "eye" for the elderly
Quotes: "County councillors on the Scrutiny Panel will follow the switchover in
Copeland. They will also look at the schemes available to assist those who are
elderly, disabled, blind or partially sighted." "Scrutiny will also be
monitoring how disabled and blind people cope and what support is being given
to them."
CUMBRIA County Council's Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel has launched an
investigation into the digital switchover in the Copeland area and the
mechanisms of help and support for older people.
The switchover in Whitehaven is the first in the UK and on October 17 BBC2 will
be switched off and digital will run through this channel.
All further analogue channels will be switched off on November 18.
The remainder of the Border Region will be switched to digital in 2008-09.
During the review, county councillors on the Scrutiny Panel will follow the
switchover in Copeland.
They will also look at the schemes available to assist those who are elderly,
disabled, blind or partially sighted.
Cumbria Care has already converted five residential homes and three day centres
in the area, so they are digital ready.
The upgrade in the residential homes has cost on average £2,500 per home and
has involved upgrading the aerial, installing five digiboxes in each home and
pre-tuning the digiboxes to the five main channels.
That is so residents can flick through the channels on the same televisions
they have always used.
Age Concern has also been working closely with older people in the Whitehaven
area to offer advice and support.
Coun Dave Clarke, chairman of the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel, said:
"Switching to digital can be a daunting prospect if you're an older person.
" I know that in some of our care homes just putting a digibox on top of each
TV simply would not work.
"Some residents have Alzheimer's, others are bewildered by the range of buttons
and choice offered on a digibox.
"Cumbria Care's homes have got round this issue, but we need to check that
older people are coping with the switchover.
"Scrutiny will also be monitoring how disabled and blind people cope and what
support is being given to them.
"Whitehaven is the first place in the country to switch over and it's important
to make sure this has been handled well."
Cumbria Trading Standards has also stepped up vigilance in the area to check
that companies offering aerial upgrades and digiboxes are not exploiting
vulnerable consumers.
The Adult Social Care Scrutiny Panel would greatly welcome any stories, both
good and bad, about the preparation for the switchover and the switchover
itself.
Anyone wishing to contact the Scrutiny Panel directly, should write to:
The Scrutiny Unit, Cumbria County Council, The Courts Carlisle CA3 8LZ
View this story and the latest newspaper in full digital reproduction, just
like the printed copy at www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/digitalcopy
http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=551890
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