FHN worked with its members and a number of other organisations to address issues of providing more care outside the hospital in particular how technology can help people live more independently. The Preventative Technologies grant helped to make some of this possible.
There are a number of existing schemes and technologies which allow people to continue living independently in their own homes, but these tend to be isolated clusters or small scale projects rather than mainstream national programmes. Stakeholders need to coordinate their efforts to have maximum effect.
These are the key areas we looked at:
Housing and Neighbourhood Design
This is important in allowing people to take control of their lives, and can include 'preventative' and 'therapeutic' elements. Getting the location right may compliment or even negate the need for new technological additions.
Care Outside Hospitals
The health system in England is under pressure to reduce emergency care and provide more care in the home using fewer people than at present. There are pilot projects but understanding and engagement is patchy.
Technology
There are 4 generations of technology; 1. Community alarms, 2 Automatic detection, 3. Predictive technology linked to lifestyle 4. Preventative technology. Technology can be used to enable, entertain, watch over, connect, and validate people; it can support their carers and it can help them help each other.
The DH report: Research and Development Work Relating to Assistive Technology 2006-07 can be viewed in Information Exchange Issue 45.
Environmental Design
Design of neighbourhoods and public facilities can affect whether, and for how long, people leave their homes and venture out into the community. See our briefing on healthy sustainable neighbourhoods.
Voluntary sector
The voluntary sector can play a significant role in implementing the use of both new technology and new ways of healthcare service delivery.
See Information Exchange Issue 49 for the DH Consultation on adult social care.
As FHN is now closed, these pages will no longer be updated.
