Technology used in social care

The important contribution technology can make to helping people live independently at home is being highlighted by Angus Health and Social Care Partnership during national digital health and care week.

AHSCP said it uses technology-enabled care to provide assistance to around 3,000 people using a range of telecare solutions.

They include community alarms, door exit monitors, fall detectors, smoke and gas alarms and phone call blocker units, with uptake of such items rising by 14% in Angus in the past year.

Shona Burge, partnership home mobile health monitoring development manager, said: “Advances in technology are helping us provide a range of health and social care solutions and in Angus we are trialling and developing a number of projects.

“For example ‘Florence’ or ‘Flo’ is a new technology being piloted across Tayside.”

The text messaging system uses supportive, motivational and interactive text messages to help people manage their medical conditions.

“People have benefited from using Flo to both gain and lose weight and help manage their heart condition. Flo has also helped young mums-to-be to quit smoking and is being trialled within a pain management programme,” she added.

The tech also includes Video Active, involving Angusalive sports centres beaming classes to care homes in real time via NHS Tayside video conferencing facilities.

The same technology can enable clinical conversations and observations to take place and the first case conference was conducted between a care home in Monifieth and the neurology department in Ninewells.

Dr Ian Morrison, consultant neurologist with NHS Tayside, said: “A virtual multidisciplinary team meeting of this type is a good chance to meet with colleagues in primary care and carers of patients whose complex needs make it very difficult for them to travel to hospital.

“It allowed me to maximise my time in Ninewells by attending meetings, clinic consultations and meeting with relatives before and after the teleconference. ”

Information events are taking place in Kirriemuir, Arbroath and Brechin this week.