TECHNOLOGY IN CARE
Improving Visibility
Gavin Bashar, UK Managing Director of Tunstall Healthcare, discusses the important role of technology enabled care (TEC) and how it can be used to enable social care to become more visible.
In the UK our health and social care systems were already facing fundamental challenges with lack of funding and staffing shortages prior to the pandemic. Since the COVID-19 outbreak was first reported and official lockdown in the UK commenced on 23rd
March, caring for the vulnerable became fundamentally challenging.
The role of care providers and caregivers has experienced an increase in positive perception by the public and government during the COVID-19 crisis, however the support of vulnerable people will continue to present challenges unless matters are addressed to reshape the industry for the future. It’s undeniable that the pandemic has thrust the role of social care into the spotlight and we must work hard to keep it visible beyond this period.
Caring can have a significant impact on daily life and many carers report feelings of isolation and that their role is hidden or lacks appreciation from society. This is exacerbated further by crises such as COVID-19 where loss of funding and significant death rates has led to a decrease in support, and there is the increased worry of protecting vulnerable people from infection and hospitalisation.
Caring without the right information can be difficult, therefore carers must have constant access to the necessary guidance and support they need to continue caring successfully, whilst also maintaining their own health and wellbeing. Health and social care leaders must therefore work together to avoid being overwhelmed by the rapidly changing landscape, and to ensure social care workers feel supported.
MAKING SOCIAL CARE VISIBLE
The COVID-19 crisis has led to a rapid growth in the understanding of the potential of TEC to address current care challenges. Service providers are also beginning to recognise that technology can offer significant benefits and many have
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invested in TEC to move towards a more person-centred and remote style of care delivery. Investment in TEC is vital to ensure social care is visible and the workforce has access to the help and support they need.
Smart solutions and assistive technology help to protect the safety of individuals, especially those who are particularly frail or vulnerable, providing 24-hour reassurance. This can in turn improve quality of life, whilst also enabling the provision of efficient high quality care therefore also benefiting caregivers and providers.
Technology has a key role to play in increasing the capacity of our health and social care services, and enabling flexibility in the way care is delivered. Technology is an enabler and allows daily monitoring to be delivered more effectively so that vulnerable people can live independently and be kept out of hospitals, even when caregivers are having to navigate a pandemic.
Various stakeholders such as GPs, employers, care providers and local governments are all also crucial in ensuring the social care workforce is healthy and happy by offering much needed support and raising awareness of their important role. Ensuring they understand the technology available, taking a break from caring or securing the right equipment to care safely can all provide benefits and connect carers to a range of support which provides up-to-date information and advice.
Progress in technology will benefit a huge number of people and allow care provision to continue, even under extreme circumstances. As we live longer, demands on public services will increase and the impact of the changing health and care landscape needs to be considered. Industry leaders must continue exploring how they can improve the support they deliver and the visibility of social care as we begin looking to the future.
www.tunstall.co.uk/covid-19-solutions www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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