Technology showcase to help residents stay safe at home

The future of keeping residents independent and safe in their own homes for longer was at the centre of a Reading Borough Council showcase of technological devices.

Technology Enabled Care, or TEC, ranges from the more unusual like the lifelike robot cat which can combat loneliness, to the more obvious pendant alarm which can be pressed to get help if the wearer falls.

TEC includes familiar devices like an Alexa and smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, which can also be linked to a monitoring and response provider, as well as motion sensors to make sure a resident is performing normal tasks like making a hot drink or opening the curtains. Devices can also be used to prompt residents to take medication at the right times and have a drink to keep hydrated which is crucial to overall health, and small devices to wear to track a resident who may get lost when out and about.

It means residents can be independent without constant family or service contact but have a safety net of notifying the right person to help if something does happen.

The devices can bring peace of mind to the families of people who are facing the challenges getting older brings, as well as for residents with learning disabilities, autism and mental health challenges.

There are so many options available to keep up to date with and the Council’s Adult Social Care TEC team shared its knowledge with the borough’s charities, voluntary organisations, and colleagues in the health service.

The Council’s Occupational Therapists, Social Workers and other Adult Social Care colleagues were joined at the Civic offices on Monday 9 September by technology companies we work with to explain their uses. These included NRS Healthcare, Lilli and Howz, all of which specialise in monitored devices, and the University of Reading’s Henley Business School and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

They also heard from a young man with multiple health conditions who uses smart devices to improve his life and documented how relatives feel more secure about his independence and safety.

Councillor Paul Gittings, Reading Borough Council’s lead member for Adult Social Care, said: “Keeping people in their own homes as safely and independently as possible is one of the key elements of our Adult Social Care policies here in Reading.

“It’s a really important addition to our service and the future which Reading is at the cutting edge of.

“The showcase here at the Civic offices was an important way to get more people who work with our residents through the health service or voluntary organisations to know about what is out there to make peoples’ lives easier.

“It also gives families peace of mind knowing their loved one is living independently while knowing they can see if they require help, or they can get assistance if they need it.”

The Council is delivering the Independent Living Technology Enabled Care project working with TEC providers Howz and Lilli, which installs sensors in participants' homes which collect information on daily routines, such as sleep patterns, bathroom visits, and meal preparation. Once standard patterns are established after two weeks, the system can generate notifications if any deviations from these patterns occur, such as increased bathroom visits during the night or decreased signs of meal preparation. Family members can also access the information via a friends and family app.

This project aims to evaluate the impact of sensor-based technology, particularly for individuals who have been discharged from hospital or are living with long-term health conditions.

More about TEC and the project here - Assistive technology - Reading Borough Council.