Hundreds of older Cumbrians are benefiting from an innovative community alarm service which helps people remain in their own homes for longer.

Cumbria County Council is well on the way to meeting its target of installing Telecare service in 500 homes by March 2008.

The Telecare scheme detects a person falling, smoke, extreme heat or flooding and has already been installed in more than 300 Cumbrian homes since its launch last year.

The alarms reduce the need for hospital or residential care and help give older people more independence, with the reassurance of emergency help.

The high-tech equipment provided as part of the system includes smoke alarms, panic buttons, emergency cords and movement detectors which are wired up to a call handling centre.

Individual Telecare packages are provided by the council's partners Tunstall, Carlisle Housing Association, South Lakes Housing, Eden Community Alarms and Eden Housing Association.

Coun Oliver Pearson, cabinet member responsible for adult social care in Cumbria, said: "We know that older people want to continue living in their own homes for as long as possible and Telecare is helping them to do that.