Caledonia Housing Association’s Servite House first in Scotland to move to modern solution to reduce resident loneliness and support digital inclusion.
Caledonia Housing Association has invested in Appello’s digital telecare solution to support its digital inclusion strategy for older people. Aiming to promote social inclusion and combat loneliness, the innovative housing provider is introducing Appello’s Smart Living Solutions (SLS) in one of its flagship retirement housing developments in Monifieth.
Replacing the analogue call system, Appello’s digital solution gives tenants all of the modern benefits of apartment to apartment and resident to manager video calls, video door entry and Wi-Fi in communal areas. It also reduces connection times to Appello’s monitoring centre from minutes to just a few seconds, making a significant difference to emergency or life-threatening situations.
The integration of the Appello system with ‘Connect’, Caledonia’s online self-service portal and app, gives tenants greater independence to maintain their tenancy with the ability to report issues, view bills, pay rent, schedule repairs and keep their details up to date from a user-friendly tablet.
Andy Dorrat, Team Leader for Older Person’s Housing Services, Caledonia Housing Association says, “We wanted to move on from the old fashioned ‘big red button’ and looked for an innovative solution with better functionality, improved security and faster connection times.
“The Appello system ticked a lot of the boxes for modernising our current system especially with the speed of Appello’s digital connection. The integration with Connect, our self-service portal and app, supports our digital inclusion strategy, empowering tenants to take control of their own requests and remain as independent as possible. Many tenants don’t have smartphones, so the larger screen on the Appello LivingHub is perfect for them to navigate.”
Linda Nairn, Scheme Manager at Caledonia’s Monifieth development says, “The quick response time from the Appello monitoring centre has been very impressive and has given me complete peace of mind that if I am offsite or supporting another resident, resident calls will go straight to the help they need in seconds.
“Appello’s SLS is so easy to use, giving me instant visibility across the development. The tenants are delighted with the attractive wristbands that have replaced the heavy cumbersome pendants, which most never wore. My new handset used during development visits is far more modern and never goes out of range. Importantly, the tenants are delighted at being able to contact one another socially via video call and are reassured by the extra security the cameras give via the video door entry.”
Tim Barclay, CEO of Appello says, “We are so pleased to see Caledonia’s Servite House in Monifieth become the first scheme in Scotland to embrace a fully digital telecare solution. Caledonia’s innovative approach to digital inclusion is forward thinking in an industry that still relies heavily on less safe and outdated analogue technology. We are proud that Appello Smart Living Solutions offer such great support to scheme managers whose time is often stretched across multiple developments, while improving the lives of tenants who can enjoy the benefits of digital inclusion.”
Caledonia Housing Association currently has around 5,000 properties in Scotland, providing a mixture of general needs, amenity, retirement living and very sheltered housing for affordable rent throughout Scotland.