Care technology
Why the care sector should get TECS for success
Zillah Moore, director at Tunstall Healthcare, discusses the role of technology-enabled care services (TECS) in facilitating collaboration between health and social care providers
The pandemic has placed a significant spotlight on the need for greater collaboration between the UK’s health and social care system. The pre-existing challenges faced by care providers such as staff shortages, an ageing population and a lack of funding have been exacerbated by the pandemic and previously limited collaborative action, which have placed social care under more pressure than ever before. The first wave of the pandemic saw
an extraordinary number of excess fatalities among care home residents, and the scale of mortality in care homes presented significant challenges for care providers and the social care workforce. Increased collaboration between service providers and an investment in technology is crucial to combatting this; supporting people to age well, enjoy quality care, and avoid hospital admissions. Technology-enabled care services
(TECS) underpin the concept of person- centred care and their implementation will safeguard our services for the future, and consolidate care between GPs, care homes, local authorities and hospitals. The government’sWorking together
to improve health and social care for all white paper published in February sets out legislative proposals to build on the collaborations generated during the pandemic, and shape a system that’s better able to serve people in a fast- changing world. Integrating care during the pandemic
has meant more people are seeing the benefits of a collaborative health and social care system, and digitally enabled care. For staff, it has enabled them to work outside of organisational silos and deliver more user-centred care. The experience of the pandemic has
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made the case for integrated care even stronger, and has emphasised the need to ensure that public health, social care and healthcare is more closely aligned as we move into a post-pandemic society.
The impact of Covid Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on the viability of care provision, with many care home operators and their workforce struggling to meet the ongoing health and care demands of residents, while caring for Covid-19 patients and mitigating the impact of the virus. Infection control and isolation in care
homes has been particularly challenging for staff as it is much more difficult than in the controlled and clinical environment of a hospital. Residents and staff are used to socialising and taking part in activities together and staff often have to provide
physical support with aspects of daily living, making complete isolation very difficult. Both staff and care home residents
have experienced numerous stresses beyond the virus. Many care home staff needed to isolate, leading to absences that put extra pressure on those still able to work. Staff had to continue working, potentially putting their own families at risk should they contract the virus from a resident or other staff member. Furthermore, the restrictions on
friends and family visiting dramatically impacted the health and wellbeing of care home residents, with many experiencing reduced mental and physical wellbeing as a result of no longer able to see their loved ones, which can be especially difficult for people living with dementia who may not understand the
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • December 2021
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