A group of local authorities, housing and care providers are to receive funding to involve older residents in shaping digital services under the Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation (TAPPI) project.
Haringey and Wiltshire Councils, Bield Housing and Care, Platform Housing Group, Pobl Group and Southend Care have been awarded between £65,000-£75,000 each to take part in co-producing new technology tools for adult social care over the next 12-15 months.
TAPPI is led by the Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN), the TEC Services Association (TSA) and funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust.
Each housing organisation will engage a diverse range of older people to test different devices, apps and systems across a variety of housing settings. Residents will be given shared responsibility, alongside staff, to make decisions about which digital support services to develop.
The TAPPI project team has appointed Co-production Works, a specialist consultancy that supports organisations to work in co-production with people who use services, to facilitate the process.
The Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research (CCHPR) – part of the University of Cambridge - has been appointed to evaluate the TAPPI project.
Independent living
Cllr Jane Davies, cabinet member for adult social care, SEND, transition and inclusion at Wiltshire Council, said: “It is important that older people who need support are given the opportunity to live their lives fully and independently. Harnessing the benefits of modern technology so they can enjoy this independence for longer is going to be a key part of all our plans for the future.
“Testing this new technology at one of our extra care homes is an exciting development which will help us understand more of how we can use technology enabled care to help people for the future.”
Tappi chair Professor Roy Sandbach OBE said: “We'll use the TAPPI principles and a co-production approach to develop digital services that address real life problems of older people. I’m very excited to work with our six new testbed sites.”
The Dunhill Medical Trust has previously called for ‘care ready’ digital infrastructure to be woven into the fabric of all new and retrofitted homes.
