FEATURE A Digital Helping Hand
Here
telmenow.com founder, Norman Niven explains how technology can help dementia sufferers live more independently.
Nearly half of over 65s in the UK currently need some form of care and the number of people aged 85 or above is set to double in the next 20 years. With this in mind the realities of an older, longer living population, combined with the spiralling costs of care, make it an issue that we all have a vested interest in tackling.
As we’ve seen in other sectors, technology could hold the answer. More and more products are being developed that enable individuals to proactively manage their care in later life and remain at home, in a familiar setting, for a longer period.
The decision about whether a loved one should move into 24-hour care is
an extremely difficult one. With the average annual cost for a resident now more than £40,000 per year, it’s no surprise that this cost can be a crippling and daunting, not to mention emotional prospect. The huge lifestyle change associated with moving home can also leave individuals feeling unsettled.
One of the groups hit hardest by the costs and emotional impact of full time care is those living with dementia. The onset of dementia can occur at any age and for a number of reasons, but for the over 65s the major cause is Alzheimer’s, with the Alzheimer’s Society predicting that there are more than 520,000 people in the UK living with the disease.
Alzheimer’s is a cruel and progressive condition with symptoms worsening over time. Typically as memory becomes more impaired, everyday tasks around the home become increasingly difficult, particularly for someone living on their own. Someone with dementia faces a wide range of challenges and potential dangers in their own home, as well as out of it, a fact which can cause a great deal of anxiety for themselves and their loved ones. Tasks such as cooking, running a bath or taking medication can fall into the dangerous category when the stove gets accidentally left on, a bath overflows or pills aren’t taken properly.
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www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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