How digital technology is revolutionising care

It’s no secret that technology is an inescapable part of modern day life – both in our personal lives and at work – and this is no different in the care sector.
 

As an aging population puts more strain on our social care system, care professionals are under enormous pressure to deliver more on smaller budgets. Digital technology has the potential to revolutionise the way we look after those in care, and save money along the way. Of course it will never replace the hands-on care and dedication of staff, but it is playing a significant part in improving the efficiency of operations, and improving the quality of life for those in care. 
 

Examples of electronic care management applications making dramatic improvements can be found across the country, from monitoring patient nutrition and medication, to sharing information across practices and preventing admissions to hospital.
 

• North Tyneside CCG and North Tyneside Local Authority identified that improving the management of hydration in care homes was a main priority for them, and so they introduced an app to monitor and reduce the risk of dehydration. They saw a 50% overall reduction in hospital admissions after 1 year.
• Quest for Quality in Care Homes introduced system alerts if changes are seen in a patient’s observations, and enabled care home staff to monitor incidents such as falls. Introducing this technology saved £456k on hospital admissions in the first year.
• County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust introduced a full digital management solution that integrates patient data into existing GP systems, provides patient monitoring services, and introduced an undernutrition service with a Red, Amber, Green (RAG) scoring system to measure the severity of a person’s undernutrition. So far the service has reduced the care pathways from nine months to four months and has stopped 183 outpatient appointments within nine months.

But digital technology isn’t just for the care-givers, it can also improve engagement and make life easier for those receiving care. The most accessible and cheapest technology to introduce is mobile applications, and there are a whole host of apps that are simple to use.
 

• MindMate is specifically designed for people with dementia. The developers say the goal of the app is to ‘keep people independent for as long as possible and to have fun doing it’, and to do this it has everything from daily reminder tools and advice on nutrition, to interactive games and puzzles to keep the mind active. It can also be used to monitor progress by keeping track of scores on a daily or weekly basis.
• Seniors Phone can be downloaded to make an Android phone easier to use, including enlarging buttons for calling and texting, and emergency SOS template messages for family and care givers. If they are unsure what a button or app does, they can hold their finger down on it for 2 seconds and an explanation of what it does and how to use it pops up.
• Skype video calls are a fantastic way for people in care to keep in touch with family and friends. It’s simple to use and can be used on phones, tablets and laptops.

More information:
 

• NHS England has a quick guide for implementing digital solutions in care homes and has some more interesting case studies. Take a look here.
• Age UK have a fantastic guide ‘The digital inclusion of older people in care homes’ if you are interested in implementing a new program for older people.
• The Social Care Institute for Excellence also have some great guidance on ICT activities for people with dementia.