At NHS North East London we work really closely with our local councils to improve the comfort and safety of our residents who live in care homes and sheltered accommodation. They are usually older people, who are vulnerable to things like falls, and we have been embracing new technology to help prevent them. We have recently secured national funding from the Adult Social Care Technology Fund to help us support local people to improve their health and keep their independence.
Falls are the biggest cause of accidents in the home and one in three people over the age of 65 fall each year. This increases to one in two for people aged over 80. Falls can have a devastating impact on older people and can lead to further physical, mental and emotional consequences and can result in loss of independence, long term falls-related illness and death.
Of the 32 London boroughs, Redbridge has the ninth highest number of London Ambulance Service (LAS) call outs to care homes for falls. Those who experience falls can often need to be admitted to hospital to receive care for their injuries. The early detection of falls will help to ease the pressure on emergency services, reducing the number of avoidable hospital admissions and the number of 999 calls relating to falls which will benefit the wider local health system.
In Redbridge we are working on a number of projects to identify people at risk and intervene to stop falls. This includes working with Care City CIC to put technology in place to identify people at risk of falls in care homes using 4D imaging sensors and at home technology to prompt and support people with their medications.
This innovative technology builds monitoring around a person’s home. It includes 4D imaging sensors that constantly maps the room the person is in and their movement in it, to detect changes in walking patterns and falls. Wearable technology measures and tracks walking and gait patterns which can indicate the likelihood of falls will also be rolled out, alongside technology to monitor electricity use in the home and detect changes in routine that may indicate a fall.
We are working with GP practices to identify potential patients at risk of a fall, triaging their needs and then referring to falls classes or the dedicated falls team. We are also developing targeted training on falls prevention for care homes and home carers to support those caring for people who are most at risk of falls.
We are working with GP practices to identify potential patients at risk of a fall, triaging their needs and then referring to falls classes or the dedicated falls team. We are also developing targeted training on falls prevention for care homes and home carers to support those caring for people who are most at risk of falls.
My colleague at Redbridge Council, Umar Malik, People Programme Manager says: “This funding could make a real difference to some of the most vulnerable people in Redbridge, enabling them to have a better quality of life and to live independently. We’re excited to have this opportunity to explore the positive impacts of the technology and have the unique opportunity to back the change with real evidence to demonstrate hopefully a new way of working here at Redbridge.”
Colleagues in Barking and Dagenham have also received funding and will be working with partners to roll-out and review a wide range of digital care technologies, including video and communication devices, smart home technology as well as sensors for falls detection. All these new digital tools will help to support people in care settings to feel more confidence in their home surroundings, with the risk of falls being carefully monitored.
Care City CIC will also be supporting Barking and Dagenham with an evaluation of their project to understand the impact of these digital tools on people and the wider care system and reporting to the national Department of Health and Social Care team.
Lewis Sheldrake, Lead Commissioner for Innovation & Personalisation, Barking and Dagenham Council shared with me what this funding will mean for local people.
“This funding builds on Barking and Dagenham’s proud history of embracing innovation. By leveraging cutting-edge digital technology, we’ll empower residents to maintain their independence while creating a sustainable model for health and care in our community.”
The funding will mark a very important step for both north east London boroughs and our commitment to improve the quality of life for some of our more vulnerable residents.
Peter McDonnell, Head of Ageing Well, Redbridge, Place, NHS North East London
2
0
If you would like to leave feedback about how useful you found the content on this page, please complete the form below.
