Smart technology could be the answer to our social care problems

Author: Steve Smith, Head of Smart Places at FarrPoint

Meeting the increasing demand for health and social care

The UK, like many other countries, has an increasing demand for health and social care as a result of people living longer, increasing population sizes and lifestyles. Services are already strained to breaking point, and without finding new and innovative ways to deal with these challenges, things will only get worse.

Smart technologies have the potential to revolutionise social care by providing new and innovative ways to support people who need care. These technologies can be used to widen the range of services that can be provided, improve the quality of care, make it more efficient and cost-effective, empowering people to live more independently.

A few examples of smart technologies and how they can be applied are the following:

• Remote monitoring: Wearable devices and sensors can be used to collect data on a person's health and well-being. From activity monitors to blood sugar level monitoring, such data can then be used to identify potential problems and intervene early or respond more quickly should an emergency incident occur.
• Home Care: Smart devices can help facilitate faster discharge from hospital by allowing patients to be monitored remotely within their own homes which can speed recovery times, lower the risk of unrelated infections, and free up beds for those most in need.

• Medication reminders: Smart devices such as voice assistants can be used to remind people to take their medications, which can help to improve medication adherence and prevent health problems.
• Video: Video conferencing and other telehealth tools can be used to connect people with care providers remotely, reducing the need for in-person visits. This can also be used by health services, which is especially helpful for people who live in rural areas or who have difficulty visiting the doctor's surgery.
• Social isolation: Smart devices can be used to connect people with friends, family or other social networks and activities, which can help to reduce social isolation and loneliness, which are linked to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and cognitive decline or an increased risk or impact of Alzheimer’s.
• Smart homes: Smart home technologies can be used to make it easier and safer for people to live independently. Sensors can be used to detect leaks and damp that may exacerbate health conditions and other potential hazards. Smart locks and thermostats can be controlled remotely, and voice assistants can be used to control appliances and to answer questions. Sensors installed in everyday appliances like kettles could alert family when patterns change in simple daily activities: if the kettle isn’t being used to make the daily cups of tea, something might have happened to the resident.

There are many smart technologies already available, and more are being developed all the time.

The examples above are just a small sample of how smart place technologies can be used to improve social care. As these technologies continue to develop and the use of AI increases to interpret the resulting data, we can expect to see even more innovative ways to use them to support people who need care.

And it’s not just social care that can benefit from these technologies, there are significant opportunities within the health sector too, for example by enabling the creation of virtual wards where patients can be monitored remotely during their recovery, freeing up valuable hospital beds and resources more quickly.

Data on its own without interpretation isn't a solution

However, simply having abundant data from smart technologies is not a solution; the benefits stem from interpreting and using this data and having the right processes and resources in place to take appropriate actions.

Data analytics can be used to identify trends and patterns in social care data, which can then be used to improve the quality of care and to allocate resources more effectively. With the rise of AI, utilising this technology it is possible to predict when assistance might be required or identify individuals at risk of a fall or an escalation of a health condition.

The other vitally important element is the security and governance of this sensitive personal data. Used correctly, it can be transformational, but this needs to be carefully managed to ensure it is only used for the intended purpose and is held securely to give users the confidence to allow these systems into their homes and lives.

By empowering users to engage with their health and social care data directly, similar opportunities to those achieved via the smart energy meter roll-out and in-home usage displays could be found, enabling users to make small adjustments to their daily routine in order to live healthier, happier and longer lives.

Of course all of this data and insight is useless unless organisations ensure that they align their operational processes and associated resources to act effectively on the insights the technology provides. Current systems are typically geared towards providing reactive support, with less focus on proactive or preventative intervention which smart technologies can enable, meaning significant cultural change will be needed to fully realise the benefits that these technologies can offer and this is probably the single biggest barrier to its potential success.

So, what are the headline benefits of using smart places technologies in social care?

• Improve the quality of care by providing more dynamic, personalised, preventative and responsive services
• Empower people to live more independently by providing them with the tools and resources they need to manage their own care and allowing people to live in their own home for longer, delaying admittance to hospitals and/or care homes.
• Help to make social care more efficient and cost-effective by avoiding or delaying use of other statutory care, and by reducing the need for in-person visits by automating tasks, something that can’t be overstated in light of the ongoing capacity constraints and stretched budgets.

And the best news is that a lot of this technology is already available and devices like smart watches, voice assistants and telecare devices can be purchased directly from retailers. And the more people use them and understand their additional benefits, the more can be achieved in enabling people to live better, safer, and independent lives.

And as technology advances, the benefits of smart place technologies in social care will only grow.

Find out more

To find out how FarrPoint could help you harness these advancements and tailor smart technology strategies and solutions to your specific needs, get in touch.