Stephanie Stockwell, Joseph Wherton, Sara E. Shaw, Sonja Marjanovic
The social care system in England is under great strain, with rising demand, budget cuts and a shrinking workforce (PDF). In the last decade several technology-enabled care initiatives have been trialled to help overcome some of these pressures, with a key focus on helping people live independently, at home, for longer.
One of these initiatives is the use of sensor technologies, which monitor a person’s activity in the home (for example, physical movement and the use of kettles or microwaves) and their home environment, including room temperature and the opening or closing of doors. The sensors are used to detect changes in patterns of behaviours and alert people that the person being monitored requires help before they reach a crisis point. This approach is broadly described as “proactive telecare”, and if implemented effectively it could bring a range of benefits: to individuals by preventing the personal distress of crisis points and to the wider health and social care system by reducing the associated resource costs.
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