TECHNOLOGY


CARE TECH THAT EARNS TRUST


Katie Thorn, Director of Innovation at Digital Care Hub, explains why care technology should start with the problem, not the product, and how providers can ensure digital solutions deliver meaningful benefits for residents and staff.


“Thirty years of reputation rests on one thing: families trusting us with the people they love.” That line from Oakland Care Group captures the real test for care home technology. Soſtware, sensors and AI should strengthen trust, not complicate care.


START WITH THE PROBLEM


When specifying care tech, the first question should not be ‘what should we buy?’ but ‘what are we trying to improve for residents, relatives and staff?’ The aim may be fewer falls, less paperwork, earlier signs of deterioration, safer medicines, better family communication or easier inspection evidence. Clear outcomes help providers choose technology that supports care.


WHAT TECHNOLOGY CAN DO


Digital records, eMAR, rostering, audits, smart sensors, acoustic monitoring, nurse call systems, video consultations and shared records can all play a role. Generative AI adds possibilities: draſting letters, summarising notes, simplifying information, supporting training, finding themes in feedback and making policies easier to search.


LESSONS FROM PRACTICE


Oakland Care Group shows how that approach can work. Its ‘pain point first’ method identifies gaps in care, defines what better would look like, and only then chooses technology. The group introduced an AI-supported workflow through CareSpace to make care planning faster and more consistent.


Before AI integration, creating a care plan could take four to eight hours. Aſterwards, it reduced to around 20 to 30 minutes. Oakland also wanted to move from reactive care towards preventative health management, using information to spot patterns that could suggest risks such as infection, deteriorating mobility or avoidable hospital admission.


Oakland also insisted on ‘Glass Box AI’ – audit trails showing what information went in, what prompts were used and what came out. That makes the example less about a single product and more about a disciplined, measurable approach that builds confidence.


BENEFITS, RISKS AND SAFEGUARDS


The benefits can be significant: less duplication, faster access to information, better trend spotting and more time with residents. But poor implementation can add workload. Monitoring can feel intrusive if people have not been involved. Generative AI needs particular care because it can produce wrong answers, invent information, miss context, reproduce bias or give unsafe suggestions.


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Care homes should set clear rules for AI: what it can be used for, who can use it, what information must never be entered, and how outputs will be checked. AI should support human judgement. Providers should ask suppliers how privacy is protected, how bias is tested, and what happens if systems fail.


CHECK THE VALUE


Evidence does not need to be complicated, but it does need to be clear. NICE’s Evidence Standards Framework says digital technologies should be assessed in line with their purpose and risk, including evidence of effectiveness and economic impact. In social care, that also means asking whether technology improves independence, dignity, choice, quality of life, staff confidence or relationships. Capture a baseline, then review changes aſter three, six and 12 months.


The evidence base is still developing. NIHR has awarded more than £5.4m to nine digital social care research projects covering AI, smart home technology, telecare, digital inclusion and technology- enabled care. Providers can help by sharing practical insight and honest feedback.


Value for money means more than purchase price. Include set-up costs, licences, devices, connectivity, training, staff time, maintenance, data migration and switching costs. Ask whether systems work together, whether data can be exported safely, what support is available, and how downtime or cyber incidents are handled.


The best technology supports judgement, strengthens relationships and makes information easier to use. If it cannot show how it improves life for residents and staff, it may not be the right solution – however impressive the dashboard looks.


www.digitalcarehub.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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