Shropshire Star

Shropshire Council testing out benefits of technology to social care

Technology is being used in a series of projects led by Shropshire Council to find out how it can support social care and housing services.

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Shropshire Council is working on a series of technology-based projects that aim to support social care and housing services

James Warman, assistive technology and telecare co-ordinator for housing services at Shropshire Council, outlined the scheme to members of the council's health and wellbeing board during a recent meeting.

Some patients who are discharged from hospital are being offered telecare equipment, which can monitor their wellbeing, in a 13 week trial period.

The trial will assess the benefits of such a scheme, the effect it may have on reducing hospital re-admission rates and on any ongoing care and support costs.

It has been run initially in the central Shropshire area but Mr Warman said it is beginning to be rolled out to the rest of the county.

Another project, being piloted with volunteers over the age of 65 in Broseley, is testing how technology such as the Amazon Echo Dot and fitness trackers can support the health and social care needs of vulnerable people.

Mr Warman said it aims to find if it can combat social isolation, as well as detecting and preventing falls.

He said: "This technology isn't here to replace human interaction but to facilitate it.

"The initial stage is to see how the devices work and how people will get on with them."

Using a shared community calendar, the Echo can remind and prompt people about events taking place in their community, and fitness trackers can record if someone has ascended a staircase as well as measuring steps taken over a set distance.

It is intended to test if these functions can be repurposed to detect a fall.

Meanwhile, two bungalows in Ludlow have been kitted out with assistive technology which can be used to support people after they are discharged from hospital.

Mr Warman said there is also an opportunity to use these bungalows as a demonstration and training site, supporting staff and individuals to make better informed decisions about longer term care options.

Lisa Wickes, head of out of hospital commissioning and redesign for Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, also told the meeting a new ‘care closer to home’ model, which is being drawn up for the county, is now entering the next phase.

A hospital at home service, a health crisis response team and ‘step-up’ beds are included in a vision for future healthcare in Shropshire.