The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced further support for a selection of digital care technologies under the Digitising Social Care programme.
It has highlighted the potential for 4D mapping technology - which can track people's movements in a space, prevent falls and automatically alert carers to a medical issue - could soon be rolled out in more care homes across England.
Named Whzan Guardian, it uses discreet wireless sensors placed around the home and connected to Wi-Fi to keep track of residents' movements.
DHSC has reported that pilots of the solution in several care homes led to a 66% reduction in falls and around a 97.5% reduction in ambulances called or required post-fall.
When combined with Vayyar imaging in two integrated care system (ICS) areas they saved the local authorities and the NHS £29,945 and £272,850 respectively.
Further testing of Whzan Guardian is set to begin in out in Redbridge ICS after the Northeast London Integrated Care Board received a £1 million from the Adult Social Care Technology Fund.
Three more
The department has also announced positive progress on three other projects.
One is the development of a medication management system by Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB). This will receive £1.2 million for monitoring the dispensing of tablet and liquid treatments.
Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB will receive £1.1 million to develop pain assessment tools and robotic pets to support adults with communication difficulties, dementia, low mood, anxiety, cognitive impairment and problems that make it difficult to live independently.
DHSC said these will help reduce avoidable admissions or readmissions to hospital and improve the quality and safety of care.
Thirdly, the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham will receive £1.1 million to roll out a range of digital technologies to older people. These include video and communication devices, smart home tech and sensors for fall detection.
These will support 300 people in domiciliary care and measure the impact that personalised digital care can have on people, care provider efficiency and the wider health and care system.
Better care and savings
Minister for Social Care Helen Whately said: “Older and more vulnerable people are at a significant risk of falls. Technology plays a crucial role in preventing them, avoiding ambulance callouts and hospital admissions and reducing pressure on the NHS.
“The Care Tech Fund has identified technology with major potential to improve the quality of care while helping people live safely and independently. The technology will deliver savings for taxpayers, as falls cost the NHS around £2 billion every year.
“Scaling up this technology is a vital part of our 10-year vision for social care reform. As the care needs of our population grow, technology will play an increasingly important part in social care that gives people the independence, freedom and security they deserve.”
Two other technologies have been identified as having the potential for roll out. One is the Miicare Cube, a digital health coach to help older adults with self-care using conversational AI.
The other Informetis, which combines a smart sensor with AI to monitor home appliances and overall power consumption to map out routines and activities of the user. Once mapped, the sensor will recognise any deviation from normal routines, potentially identifying when there has been an incident to alert carers.
