CARE PLANNING


Why should homecare businesses be footing the bill for things like 24/7 welfare monitoring and non-wearable fall detection devices? Is that not the customers’ responsibility?


This is an obstacle to progress, and 62% of our survey respondents cited up front capital cost as the main barrier to the uptake of new TEC.


SHARING THE BURDEN


The private and public care sector, and technologists such as Secure, are going to have to collaborate creatively in order to remove technical and financial barriers so that TEC has an opportunity to quickly realise its potential – and care receivers can feel the benefits.


When asked what they thought would be the two biggest benefits of 24/7 remote home monitoring, home care businesses overwhelmingly prioritised its ability to allow older people to live in their own homes for longer, and increasing a customer’s sense of safety and peace of mind.


“When technology is embedded


seamlessly into care and support services, it can be transformative, helping people to live happy, fulfilled lives in their homes and communities.”


When it comes down to it, aren’t these key outcomes for any home care business? Happy and confident customers who feel comfortable living at home and able to receive domiciliary care services as long as they can?


Yes, TEC improves people’s safety and lives, but it also has the potential to provide a better insight into their lifestyle and care needs.


This will allow care packages to be tailored and flexed as required, and, have a positive impact on the quality and financial viability of that care.


The Government is repetitively explicit on its ambitions for technology in adult care, the phrase ‘choice, control and independence’ appearing seven times in the Adult Social Care Whitepaper.


The Government aspires that a person who draws on care and support be able to say: “I can live in my own home, with the necessary adaptations, technology, and personal support as designed by me, to enable me to be as independent as possible.”


Secure has created a programme whereby care businesses can resell smart TEC solutions to customers, allowing them to recoup some, if not all, upfront capital expenditure and get real solutions into people’s homes.


twitter.com/TomorrowsCare HAS THE PANDEMIC ADVANCED


CARE TECHNOLOGY? The Government seems to think it has, claiming that during the pandemic: “Digital technologies transformed the delivery of care and helped people stay connected with friends and family. These digital tools supported people’s care through remote monitoring, ensured care teams had the right information at their fingertips and helped services to identify those in need.”


It is positive that acceptance of digital solutions has increased, and that older people are willing and able to adopt a variety of new technologies.


However, the good news stories are a drop in the ocean, and 76% of our respondents stated they had not invested in TEC to help with the delivery of services during the pandemic.


This discrepancy may be partly down to what people classify as ‘TEC’, because although free communications platforms such Zoom, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger became essential tools for maintaining safe contact with shielding customers, these aren’t examples of technology enabled care in its truest sense.


Personally, I think the advancement of TEC has been slightly exaggerated, particularly for SME home care providers.


Chronic staff shortages, exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic, combined with an overwhelming demand for services has made this a difficult time for many SME owners and managers to make strategic investment decisions.


Many care provider leaders want to innovate, but they are stretched beyond breaking point, with many senior managers and owners forced to deliver frontline services.


That said, if the pandemic has exposed increased numbers of older people to the value of basic web connected devices, this could help pave the way for them embracing more advanced solutions via home care providers, and our survey suggest 57% of home care businesses are now considering investing in 24/7 home monitoring technology.


To download the full market intelligence report Home Care Business & Innovation visit SecureMeters.com/HomeCareReport2021.


https://www.securemeters.com/uk/beanbag_services/report/ www.securemeters.com/beanbag_services/beanbag-care/ - 13 -


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