Technology’s Convenience

While technology continues to haul in new possibilities for independent living, there is no substitute for the human touch when it comes to delivering personal care or services. Technology can however help make the use of carers’ time more efficient, help make them more responsive and provide them with greater quantities of relevant, up to date, information. It can aid them in menial tasks, giving them more time for the important stuff, like face to face communication.

Meanwhile the widespread use of apps is helping organisations deliver qucker and more personalised services.  They can help spread information, and ultimately empower the user. These are innovative ways of using existing technologies to enhance independent living.

A CarersUK report explains that “there are already an estimated 1.56 million people working in the adult social care workforce, and by 2025 it is estimated that an additional 400,000 to 1.3 million staff will be needed to support demographic demands”. The demographic demands are a reference to the UKs ageing population. So any aid the carer can receive in doing menial tasks, such as paperwork, that allows them to continue focusing on the one needing care is vital.

CARE

Telecare and Telehealth help you live more independently and also give relatives and friends comfort in the knowledge that you are safe. Both are independent monitoring systems that obviate the need for regular hospital visits and routine checkups.

Telecare is a system which ensures the user that any incident is acted upon immediately. The basic form it takes is a personal alarm, on a pendant or a wristband, which, when pressed, alarms a monitoring centre. This centre is staffed 24 hours a day by “trained operators”.  It could also be pressure sensors on a bed, so if you were to get up during the night, it would alert the monitoring station should you not return to bed. Alternatively the alarm could be linked to family or friends should you not want any intrusion from outsiders, or receive care off your loved ones.

http://www.telecare.org.uk/consumer-services/what-is-telecare

Telehealth is similar, but rather than an alarm system, it is a health monitoring system. Vital health information can be measured in your home or on the move, allowing your doctor to make real time health decisions. The Telecare website explains, “Evidence that vital signs are outside of 'normal' parameters, which may indicate deterioration in health, instigates an appropriate response.” The CarersUK report mentioned in the introduction, found that, properly used, telecare can “reduce mortality, reduce the need for admissions to hospital, lower the number of bed days spent in hospital, and reduce time spent in A and E”. This allows users to stay at home should they please, reduce stress on carers and therefore freeing up time for both carer and user.

http://www.telecare.org.uk/consumer-services/what-is-telehealth

SERVICES

Through the use of “Apps” (applications on iphones and other smart phones), some companies and service providers are able to deliver quicker, personalised and widely available services.

Whizz Kids are one such example of this. They are a charity that provides mobility equipment to young people. Their app teaches the user how to conduct measurements so they can get the best fitting and most comfortable equipment. Through the app, the user can apply for the equipment, dramatically cutting out needless journeys and paperwork. Further, the website notes you can “view mobility equipment available from Whizz-Kidz, discover additional Whizz-Kidz’s services, such as wheelchair skills training, and find out how they can get involved in fundraising and volunteering.”

http://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk/news/2013/06/whizz-kidz-launches-free-...

Finally, CarePair. Though we have featured this before, we were very impressed. In brief: it is an app that matches you up with a carer that has similar interests. As I started by saying, face to face communication and the human touch is vital for any care, and even better if you enjoy each other’s company!

http://www.bespoken.me/forum/topics/carepair

Do you think this is a trend of convenience? Will the widespread use of technology (smart phones etc) make independent living more easily achieved? And have you had an experience with telecare?