The Safe at Home project has enabled people with dementia to remain independent for longer, receiving the care and support they need in their own homes through the use of assistive technology, and has brought the local agencies in Northamptonshire equivalent savings of over £1.5 million over the 21 months during which research took place.
Care workers descended on Northumberland County Hall on Tuesday to protest against the possible closure of residential homes in Ashington and Morpeth. Workers donned black Save Our Services T-shirts and carried placards and banners to protest. The staff are backed by the GMB, Unison and the FBU, coming together under the banner of Defend our Public Services. The protesters are trying to persuade the council that care for the elderly should be kept in the public sector
Local councils will share £2.6million to set up systems and run the pilots for between 18 months and two years. Individual budgets will help vulnerable older and disabled people take control of their own social care budgets, manage their support and choose the services that suit them best.
Health staff and therapists at a Surrey PCT have launched a not-for-profit firm to supply their services to their former employer. Sign of the times…
A medical alert system and the quick thinking of an 82-year-old woman may have prevented a serious assault, police said.
Greater technological empowerment is the key to living arrangements for older people in the not-too-distant future. US article with ‘assisted living guru’ Craig L. Smith
The Motorola Homesight Wireless Easy Starter Kit has been generating interest.
The Partnerships for Older People £60m fund was originally announced by the Department of Health in March 2005, when councils were asked to bid for sums to fund local projects.
This ODPM report, published 2 November frequent references to telecare and telehealth scattered through it and will strengthen the hand of all those who understand the need to link the social services’ agenda with wider policy concerns.
In a pilot scheme, volunteer residents at The Oaks sheltered housing scheme have had the small monitoring systems fitted in their homes to identify potential emergent pre-critical situations. It is tailored to monitor the resident’s environment for pre-critical signs and provides an alert signal through a variety of media (SMS, mobile phone, web enabled PC, email).