A Yorkshire family is the first in the world to benefit from the new Lifeline Vi. The first unit has been delivered to Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) and installed in the home of WDH Care Link customer, Anthony Weaver, to provide essential support for him and his family.

Lifeline Vi enables personalised care and risk management for older people and those with long-term needs, allowing them to live independently at home for as long as possible. Developed with extensive input and insight from Tunstall customers including many of the UK’s leading local authorities and housing associations, it reflects the demand for an advanced, flexible yet easy-to-use telecare solution.

With its comprehensive range of sensors, Lifeline Vi monitors home environments unobtrusively for any events or emergencies. If a problem is detected, the unit raises a local audible alarm, and communicates with a 24-hour monitoring centre so that the appropriate response can be quickly taken.

Martyn Durant, Service Director for WDH, collected the first Lifeline Vi from the production line at Tunstall's Whitley Bridge factory. He said: "We've worked in partnership with Tunstall to develop the Lifeline Vi for our Care Link customers and I’m delighted that they will be the first people to benefit from the new product. Lifeline Vi's new functions will help support the needs of our customers even further, helping them and their carers to feel safe, confident and in control of their day-to-day lives. The new innovative technology will also help us to work better with our partners in health and social care to modernise the way services are provided."

Anthony Weaver, 35, has had the first Lifeline Vi installed in his home. A shrapnel injury he received while serving in the armed forces means that Anthony has some mobility issues and suffers seizures. He has been using a Tunstall Lifeline and personal alarm pendant for the past two years, so he is able to raise an alert if his family are not in the house.

He said: "Telecare has changed my whole family's life, not just mine: my kids have a better understanding of my illness, and my wife has been able to return to full-time work. It's given me and my family real peace of mind, knowing that there's always support on hand if ever I have any problems. I'm really pleased to be the first in the world to have a Lifeline Vi installed, it’s new design and features make it even easier to use than before."

Chris Claydon-Butler, General Manager - Assisted Living and Service of Tunstall said: "Lifeline Vi embodies all of Tunstall's 50-plus years of innovation and experience in developing solutions that help people to live more independent, fulfilling lives. This company started in Yorkshire and has its headquarters and manufacturing base here, so it's fitting that the first of our next generation solutions is benefiting a Yorkshire family.

"The Lifeline Vi's advanced design and features were informed by listening and responding to our customers' insights and feedback. The solution has been realised through a tremendous collaborative effort by all our staff, and investment in specialised new production facilities. I believe it will prove to be even more successful worldwide than its predecessor."

Lifeline Vi has an integral ambient temperature sensor with configurable high and low range settings, to help ensure that a comfortable, safe temperature is maintained in a person's home. The unit also features a built-in 'reminder' facility, which prompts the user about key information, such as the correct time to take medication, through automatic messages. Users can tailor each message and catalogue them as daily, weekly or monthly reminders.

The unit's enhanced Virtual Sensor functionality - a Tunstall market first –enables a proactive, intelligent response to any alerts raised by telecare sensors in the home. For example, if a person gets out of bed in the middle of the night and doesn't return in a pre-set time interval, the unit can interrogate other sensors in the property to establish if the person is simply making a hot drink, or if they have fallen and need urgent help.

The unit also includes a range of advanced features to ensure the safety of users, and to reduce maintenance and running costs for service providers. For full details of the Lifeline Vi, visit: http://www.tunstall.com/solutions/lifeline-vi

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About Tunstall
Tunstall Healthcare Group is the market leading provider of telehealthcare solutions, with over 2.5 million users globally. Tunstall's solutions support older people and those with long-term needs, helping them to live independently by effectively managing their health and well-being. Its solutions have been proven effective in the world's largest telehealthcare trial. Tunstall provides technology, expertise and advice to millions of people enabling them to lead independent more fulfilling lives.

About WDH
WDH was established in April 2005 and became the largest single transfer housing organisation in the country when it took ownership of homes from Wakefield Council. It manages 31,000 properties occupied by over 60,000 tenants and has a workforce of over 1,400 people, making it one of the largest local employers. WDH became the first housing organisation in the north, and the third in the UK to achieve the top rating of three stars from the Audit Commission in October 2007. The rating was awarded in particular for WDH's progress in delivering major repairs, the range of ways tenants can access services, and the high standards of customer care. WDH were also commended for their clear focus on delivering value for money services, catering for vulnerable people and impacting on the regeneration of the area.

WDH has been awarded Gold status by SHIFT (Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow), which recognises housing organisations' environmental sustainability and commitment to preventing climate change.