FRIDAY, 17 NOVEMBER, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Technological advances help support health and social care

During national Digital Health and Care Week (20 – 26 November), Angus Health & Social Care Partnership is raising awareness of how the latest technology is supporting people to live independently at home.

Angus Health & Social Care Partnership uses technology enabled care to provide assistance to approximately 3000 people using a range of telecare solutions which can be installed to support an individual's care package at home.

Examples of telecare equipment include community alarms, door exit monitors, fall detectors, smoke and gas alarms and phone call blocker units. Use of these types of equipment can help maintain people’s independence and reduce carer anxiety and uptake of telecare equipment has risen in Angus by 14% in the last year as more people realise the benefits it can provide.

Shona Burge, Home Mobile Health Monitoring Development Manager at the Partnership, said, “Advances in technology are helping us provide a range of health and social care solutions and in Angus we are trialling and developing a number of projects.

“For example ‘Florence’ or ‘Flo’ is a new technology being piloted across Tayside. ‘Florence’ is a text messaging system that uses supportive, motivational and interactive text messages to help people manage their medical conditions at home or on the move.

“People have already benefitted from using Flo to both gain and lose weight and help manage their heart condition. Flo has also helped young mums-to-be to quit smoking and is being trialled within a pain management programme.

“Technology is also being used to help people stay active for longer. We know physical activity can improve quality of life and maintain good physical and mental health, however, as people reach a certain age, it can often be more difficult for them to take part in activities.

“Video Active, another technology enabled initiative, has made this a lot easier for residents in some care homes in Angus. Video Active involves various Angus Alive sports centres beaming out classes to care homes in real time via NHS Tayside video conferencing facilities. The residents can then take part in the classes without having to travel to the centre.

“It's great that residents can join in a class at the leisure centre from the comfort of their care home without having to worry about how to get there. It gives a window to the outside world for the care home residents because they can see the participants at the leisure centre and vice versa. Although seated, the activities can still be quite taxing and the coach is really noticing the progress participants are making.”

The same video conferencing facilities can enable clinical conversations and observations to take place at a distance. The first case conference using this technology was conducted between a care home in Monifieth and the neurology department in Ninewells.

Dr Ian Morrison, consultant neurologist with NHS Tayside said, “I thought the video conference meeting was very useful. A virtual multidisciplinary team meeting of this type is a good chance to meet with colleagues in Primary Care and carers of patients whose complex needs make it very difficult for them to travel to hospital.

“It allowed me to maximise my time in Ninewells by attending meetings, clinic consultations and meeting with relatives before and after the teleconference. It would not have been possible to do this otherwise.”

To raise awareness of the use of telecare equipment in people’s homes, the Partnership is holding a series of information sharing events during Digital Health and Care Week where people can ask questions of expert advisors.

• Tuesday, 21 November in the Co-op Store, The Roods, Kirriemuir, from 9am until 12

• Wednesday, 22 November in B & Q, Arbroath, from 9am until 12

• Thursday, 23 November in the Co-op Store, Brechin, from 9am until 12

• Friday, 24 November in Morrisons, Arbroath, from 9am until 12

For information on Flo, Video Active or video conferencing, please contact Shona Burge on shonaburge@nhs.net. For information on telecare equipment, please contact Glenda Hunter on HunterGL@angus.gcsx.gov.uk

Contact:

Gaynyr Dickson

NHS Tayside Communications

01382 424138

gaynyr.dickson@nhs.net