Care innovations: wearable technology for the elderly
As healthcare improves, life expectancy rises and people are opting to stay at home for longer. Families are having an increased responsibility in the care of their older relatives and many opt for domiciliary care. It is crucial that older people are given as much freedom as possible to live an independent and active life whilst being comforted by the knowledge that help is available as and when they need it – families and carers cannot always be around, but wearable technology can. Wearable technology can give more and more freedom to elderly people and their families to stay independent and active whilst allowing their families, carers and healthcare professionals to be able to monitor their health whilst they are with them – and also remotely. Technology is also being used to improve the care that is being given to older people. According to 24-hour care experts at Helping Hands Home Care “the ability to track and manage home care visits effectively is so important to providing a safe and efficient service”. Technology is certainly changing the way that we are able to care for our elderly relatives, whether it is delaying the time that it takes for them to need more full-time care, the monitoring of certain health aspects or giving family peace of mind. Wearable technology for elderly people In a similar way that we can monitor certain aspects of our health through wearable technology, such as a Fitbit, there is now more and more technology becoming available for elderly people. Here are some of the best and most effective pieces of technology that you might wish to consider to be ensured of their safety and monitor existing health conditions with ease and accuracy: Lively Mobile Plus GreatCall’s Lively Mobile Plus is an excellent option for family members who are worried about their elderly relatives having a fall. As people get older and frailer, the possibility of falling becomes greater and the consequences of falling also become potentially more serious. The Lively Mobile Plus consists of a wearable pendant or clip that is waterproof and connected to agents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It can be worn in the shower and by simply pressing a button your loved one can speak to an agent whenever they need to. It is also fitted with a GPS meaning that should your loved one get into trouble when they are out and about, they can easily be found. Users pay a monthly fee for the monitoring services. Alert-1’s Mobile + Home Fall Detection System Another option for those who are mainly concerned about family members having a fall is the Alert-1 Mobile + Home Fall Detection System. There are two systems – a small and light, portable device with fall detection technology, GPS and two-way voice calling. A separate sensor unit can be worn at home giving the portable device time to charge, available either as a pendant or a wristband. If the sensor detects a fall, a call is put through to the Alert-1 call centre, the staff of which can then send help if it is needed. Care Touch Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor Blood pressure is a concern for many older people. The Care Touch Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor is worn as a wristband, battery operated and can give you quick and accurate blood pressure readings. The monitor is much less bulky than other machines and will give the results in a bright and easy to read display – as well as being able to store up to 60 readings. The monitor will also alert the wearer if they have an irregular heartbeat, but it does need to be fitted properly and calibrated to get accurate readings. ActiveProtective Airbag Smart Belt Soon to be hitting the market is the ActiveProtective Airbag Smart Belt. Breaking or fracturing a hip during a fall is unfortunately very common, and the consequences of this can often be even more serious. The Airbag Smart Belt is fit just like any other belt but incorporates technology to detect when a person is falling, triggering the belt to inflate and protecting the hip. It takes the belt 60 milliseconds to inflate and also includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to be able to alert caregivers that someone has fallen. The belt is lightweight and comfortable to wear but offers an extra layer of protection – which is much needed as our loved ones get older and frailer. Although many of us can be reluctant to embrace everything that technology has to throw at us, some technological advancements can be highly beneficial to us. With wearable tech, we cannot only see the quality of life for our loved ones improve, but we can also have more peace of mind ourselves.
Partnership to develop innovative wearable technology for residents at risk of falls
Essex County Council (ECC) and global innovation and transformation consultancy PA Consulting (PA) announce that they are working together to explore the potential of a new service using wearable technology – like socks and slippers – to help residents at risk of falls. ECC and PA aim to use this innovative technology for the first time in the UK with residents in Essex. The annual cost of falls in Essex is forecast to be over £46m in 2019, with almost a third of the population of Essex ‘at-risk’ of falling. Falls are often a preventable health issue and the partnership between ECC and PA will explore how technology can help to prevent them. The project, funded by the Local Government Association (LGA) through its Social Care digital innovation programme, will explore how wearable technology such as smart socks and slippers can collect real-time data on the movements and vital signs of a wearer’s lower limbs – their gait, strength and balance. This would then alert the wearer or a health or care professional to warning signs that a fall is imminent. Preventative action could then be taken to avoid the fall, such as taking some rest or drinking some water. Throughout the first discovery phase, ECC and PA will speak to organisations across the health and social care system in Essex. This will include professional and informal carers, health and care practitioners with specialist falls expertise, fallers and service delivery providers. Working with these stakeholders will help ECC and PA to establish the viability of the solution from a user, technical and service perspective. Once this is complete, the partnership’s aim is to give smart socks or slippers to Essex residents at risk of falls. Robert Turnbull, local government and care technology expert at PA Consulting, says: “It’s tremendously exciting to be working in partnership with ECC. The wearable technology innovation that we are exploring has the potential to be truly lifechanging. “PA has unmatched experience in bringing ingenuity to life in the care sector. We have a proven track record of innovative uses of technology to improve the lives of vulnerable adults, building a positive human future. We’re excited to be working with ECC on this project. ECC and PA share a passion for care technology and its ability to make a real difference to vulnerable people and their carers.” John Spence, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Essex County Council, says: “The impact of falls on individuals and their families can be devastating and can severely impact both their quality and length of life. Reducing falls and fractures is important for maintaining health, wellbeing and independence among older people and their carers.” For more information about wearable technology and care technology please visit PA Consulting
