Award for Telecare monitoring

The lives of more than 3000 vulnerable people are being improved by an award-winning, hi-tech system which has been named the best in Scotland.

Telecare uses sensors to continuously monitor the homes of people in Renfrewshire who need specialist care, constantly checking for real-time emergencies and changes in personal habits which could indicate problems.

The sensors are discreetly placed around the home to monitor risks such as smoke, flooding or gas leaks.

Renfrewshire Council’s Care 24 Telecare operation won the first National Crystal Award from the Telecare Services Association.

Councillor Eileen McCartin, convener of the council’s Community and Family Care Policy Board, said: “Telecare is a vital tool for vulnerable people. It makes a real difference to their lives. Telecare installations are used to support not only older people but the youngest.

“For example, children with learning difficulties or mental health issues can be monitored through door sensors, allowing parents peace of mind to sleep at night knowing they will receive a call to alert them should the child wake up and start moving about the home.”

The system can creates a 24-hour picture of how mobile and active a person is, as well as any changes in daily activity, possibly caused by a fall or a stroke.

We need more extra care housing

Once again a report has highlighted the need for better health and social care integration. Today’s report by BUPA, discussed in the Telegraph, states that a shortage of residential care is resulting in the blocking of hospital beds.

The report “Who Cares? Funding Adult Social Care Over the Next Decade” predicts that the number of care home beds will continue to decrease.  The report suggests that this will result in more elderly people ending up in hospital, whereas they could have been treated in a nursing home.  Clearly there is a need for better coordination between health and social care commissioning.

There is a current trend for the elderly to continue to be cared for at home for longer, rather than entering care homes.  However for this to work there needs to be sufficient housing available, appropriate for those less able to care for themselves.  Smart homes, with telecare sensors to trigger alerts in case of accidents, and designed to make living easier, have been developed for many years, however there is a low availability of such housing in the UK.

We should follow the example of New Zealand, where there are many areas of specialised housing, in easy reach of care centres and healthcare facilities.  Those who are no longer able to care for themselves fully, but still want a degree of indepedence have the option of moving to such purpose-built homes.

One example in this country is that of the Lovat Fields retirement village in Milton Keynes, which has been deemed a success by the council.  Grouping those needing care has been found to improve efficiency of care – not only is there purpose-built housing to enable the inhabitants to do more for themselves, but with those needing care living closer together less time is spent travelling by the care staff. More facilities are now being planned in Milton Keynes along the same lines.

Security Company Pleads Guilty After Woman's Rape

 Garda Canada Security Corporation has pleaded guilty in a case where a lone female guard was raped on a work site. The lone worker, who cannot be identified, was sexually assaulted by intruder Renno Lonechild over a twenty minute period after she contacted Garda dispatch for assistance and was transferred to 911. The rape took place overnight at an unsecured construction site in the Calgary, Alberta area. The guard had only been on the job one week at the time, and was sent to the site when a co-worker called in sick. Lonechild has been convicted, and faces eight years in prison. Because a corporation cannot be given jail time for an offence, Garda will be fined instead. They are expected to pay $90,000, of which roughly $5,000 will go to the employee herself.

Failure to Ensure Employee Safety
 Under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) companies are required to conduct risk assessments, and to take measures to ensure employee safety, particularly in the case of individuals working alone. Security guards are among several groups of workers identified as being at greater risk when working alone. Experts say this case, which according to Crown prosecutor Alison McGill is the first of its kind in Alberta and perhaps all of Canada, highlights the need to tighten up enforcement in the area of lone worker safety and to prosecute employers that fail to conduct hazard assessments or ensure employee safety.

Another stage of sheltered housing project complete

A TOPPING out ceremony has taken place to mark the completion of external building work on a £9m care complex in Burton.

The Trent and Dove development in Anglesey Road will offer a mix of 67 one and two-bedroom new homes, 52 of which will be for rent and 15 for shared ownership.

The Chestnut Grange complex will include a restaurant, a small shop, a secure private garden, a hairdressing salon and health facilities.

It will also be wired up to high-tech computer and scanner systems to offer the latest in ‘Telecare’, which can sense risks such as smoke, floods and gas, remind occupants to take pills and call for help if they fall.

The complex will have low-energy heating and hot water systems to achieve lower running costs for residents.

The scheme was made possible following an agreement being reached with Staffordshire County Council concerning Horace Pritchard House Sheltered Scheme, which adjoined the site of Trent and Dove’s former Anglesey Court sheltered complex, and is expected to be completed towards the end of this year.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) gave the project a major ‘shot in the arm’ when it awarded a grant of £4.6m towards the cost of the development.

The property is designed to achieve ‘Lifetime Home Standards’, which provides for long-term adaptability and flexibility.

Construction is being undertaken by Walsall-based contractors, and work started in May. Local schoolchildren were involved in a demolition event that saw hundreds of balloons being released by them to mark the occasion.

The children are now involved in a competition to guess when the first residents move into their new home and were invited to the topping out ceremony last week to mark the milestone.

Ron Dougan, chief executive at Trent and Dove, said: “We’re pleased to be developing these new homes with our strategic development partners Matrix, who bring a wealth of experience in terms of best practice and expertise. This is a key milestone along the way and I would like to thank the county council, borough council and the HCA for their support, without which this scheme would not have been possible.”

County councillor Matthew Ellis, cabinet member for adults and wellbeing, said: “Chestnut Grange is a great example of how people can live life to the full with greater independence and safe in the knowledge that there is 24/7 care and support available on demand as their health circumstances change.”

All but one of the properties offered for shared ownership have been snapped up and anyone interested should contact Kath Jennings at Trent and Dove as soon as possible.

Ms Jennings is available by telephoning 01283 528528.

Safety concerns at quarter of Derbyshire waste sites spot-checked

Almost one in four Derbyshire skip-hire and waste transfer sites visited in spot checks were found to be potentially putting their workers at risk of injury.

Five of the 21 sites visited by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors during January were served with enforcement notices, which forced work to stop in the most serious cases. A total of ten notices were issued, with four of them at just one site.

Most of the notices were issued due to serious problems with the way vehicles are used on site and the associated risk to employees. In a number of cases there was little by way of controls to keep people away from moving vehicles, particularly those reversing.

At other sites visited, health and safety was found to be good, although some were given safety advice where there was room for improvement, such as ensuring adequate maintenance of equipment.

The waste and recycling sector has an overall accident rate around four times greater than the UK average and a fatal accident rate around nine times the average for all industries.

Inspectors from HSE aimed to raise the level of awareness of the serious hazards and risks associated with waste transfer sites including workplace transport, the operation of large, powerful, machinery and the hand-sorting of waste which often takes place in close proximity to large vehicles.

HSE inspector Edward Walker led the initiative. He said:

"It is totally unacceptable that lives have been lost and continue to be put at risk on waste sites. This is why we carried out the recent campaign targeting sites in Derbyshire.

"Our inspectors found that the majority of sites were operating safely, but the fact there were safety concerns on almost a quarter of the sites is just not good enough. The industry needs to continue to raise its game and ensure the safety of its workers is paramount."

Notes to editors
The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
Inspectors can issue -

- A prohibition notice is served where there is immediate danger and the work must stop immediately, while the issue is resolved.
An improvement notice that sets a timeframe for a particular situation to be resolved, but work can continue.
HSE enforcement policy is available http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/index.htm

Video conference consultants boost emergency stroke care

Dr Damian Jenkinson said that letting groups of hospitals share stroke consultants, who use videoconferencing to examine patients and view brain scans, increases the use of clot-busting drugs.


There are too few consultants to provide round-the-clock cover at every major hospital in person, he told the Mobile and Wireless Healthcare conference in Birmingham: "We need network solutions to make this happen."


Consultants aim to use the clot-busting drugs within three hours of a stroke taking place, as they help arrest the rapid death of brain cells caused by the condition.


Jenkinson, who is national clinical lead for the NHS Stroke Improvement Programme, said Lancashire and Cumbria had calculated that it would be able to provide the drugs to 400 patients from the 4,000 stroke admissions the area makes each year, rather than 20 as at present. In doing so it would save £2m annually, in return for one-off spending of £285,000 and annual costs of £115,000, with the savings including reduced hospital stays.


The NHS has already established several 'telestroke' networks, including a group of nine hospitals in the east of England and three hospitals in east Kent. Jenkinson is consultant stroke physician at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch foundation trust, which is not within any of the networks but does enable consultants to view brain scans remotely.


Research in Germany has shown that of the patients treated with these drugs by a group of networked hospitals, 56% are 'independent' after three months, having avoided death or debilitating injuries from their stroke. The Tempis research found this figure was just 46% at a control group of non-networked hospitals.


Jenkinson said the use of telehealth technologies could provide strong benefits in treating other serious conditions. The Veterans' Health Association in the US has found it reduced hospital bed days for patients over 65 by a quarter through the use of such systems.


But he claimed that telehealth systems, unlike telecare technology such as emergency pendants, are sparsely used in the UK. "We're lagging in global terms," he said.


Greater use of telehealth would help meet the government's Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention agenda, he said, adding that the Whole System Demonstrator projects in England will shortly start providing examples which should help justify the initial spending required.

CarelineUK successfully accredited to the new TSA Code of Practice

CarelineUK, the tried and trusted’ emergency call response service, has been accredited to the Monitoring Module of the 2009 Telecare Code of Practice.

This achievement is the result of CarelineUK’s sector leading customer service. A rigorous recruitment process and continuous training programme has resulted in excellent end-user feedback. Independent research conducted in 2010 found 97% of customers stated that their experience of CarelineUK either lived up to or exceeded expectations.

CarelineUK’s staff retention is also at an all time high, with retention rates over four times higher than they were three years ago.

The 2009 Code is the result of the widest stakeholder consultation exercise ever undertaken by the Telecare Services Association (TSA). Government bodies across the UK teamed up with TSA members to ensure telecare service providers ensure quality standards for service delivery to the 1.7 million people benefiting from telecare in the UK.

CarelineUK is the largest telecare response centre with over 121,000 connections and calls received during 2010 reached over 1.5m.

Carl Atkey, Head of CarelineUK, says: “As an employer we recognise effective training and development is essential for employees to deliver excellent customer service. We achieve this through performance development reviews, six-month training inductions and ongoing training programmes which can include external NVQs and diplomas. Our investment in training saw the company achieve Investors in People status in 2008, so we are thrilled to now receive the TSA 2009 Telecare Code of Practice.”

Award for lone worker protection

A SPECIAL alarm system to ensure the safety of staff working alone at Peterborough City Hospital has secured a prestigious national honour.

Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Bretton-based hospital, has won an award which recognises how the trust ensures staff safety.

The trust has won the Hospital Security award for its ‘lone worker protection system’ in the Health Business Awards, which recognises excellence in the provision of NHS facilities.

The ‘lone worker protection system’ comprises units for lone workers which use GPS-based technology and interacts with alarm receiving software, so the system lets employers know exactly where their lone workers are whenever they need assistance.

The hospital has 85 security units and are mostly used by community midwives but also by pathology technicians and respiratory nurses in the community.

A hospital spokeswoman said the system was implemented to enhance the protection of staff who had been assessed as being at risk of attack or not being able to access immediate support from colleagues if injured or taken ill.

It is used while staff are alone on duty both within the hospital campus and the wider community.

The award states that the trust has made “significant steps towards a safer environment for patients and workers”.

Ann Stansfield, health and safety adviser, said, “We are delighted to have won this award. We always ensure that patient and staff safety are paramount to what we do.”

Deane Helpline safe despite £156000 losses

ELDERLY and vulnerable people have been assured a council-run phone lifeline will continue – despite possibly racking up weekly losses of £3,000.

Taunton Deane Council’s Deane Helpline, which offers round-the-clock support such as a push-button alert system, could lose around £156,000 over the next year.

The authority has pledged to underwrite the losses and implement changes to ensure more financial stability in the future.

A council spokeswoman blamed the situation on “internal and staffing issues”, uncovered when new management and technology was introduced and which have now been addressed.

She added that there will be no disruption in the 24/7 support to the Helpline’s 2,000 clients.

Cllr Jean Adkins, executive councillor for housing services, said: “We are acting quickly to put the problems right and our clients can be assured they can continue to rely on the Helpline they value.

“The Deane Helpline has received very high levels of accreditation for its telecare services – providing equipment such as sensors placed in the home which alert the carer, or a monitoring centre if there is a problem in the home, such as a gas leak or fire, or if the person they’re caring for has a problem and needs help.

“The service also provides the emergency response team that can respond day and night to situations such as an elderly person suffering a fall in their home.”

What you need to know about Telecare and Telehealth

 Technological equipment and systems, known as Telecare, whilst not a replacement for one-to-one contact, can provide support and independence for older people. It may help them feel safer and it may help relieve some of the anxieties of their families and carers.

The Counsel and Care guide explains the support that older people, their families and carers can get from the technology. It also gives information abut how choosing the best solution and how to get the technology.

The use of Telecare is on the rise with more than 160,000 using it in the last year. Telecare is available from local authorities and offers personalised solutions to suit people’s individual circumstances.

The guide gives examples of how telecare has helped older people remain in control of the way they want to live their lives. The guide can empower older people, their families and carers to understand and use these technologies more easily and get access to the best care and support to suit their needs.

Telecare and Telehealth are popular with clients, families and professionals alike because they can allow people to stay living independently at home for longer, leading to reductions in hospital or residential care admissions along with offering security and confidence for older people and those with long term needs.

The Guide is available download

GPS Device Helps Students Learn To Travel

On Thursday I attended the press launch of our latest Telecare initiative.  The  Council has become the first local authority in Scotland to use GPS  technology to train pupils who have some special needs. Its success builds on previous pioneering Telecare initiatives, which have helped hundreds of older people in the Capital remain independent in their own homes.

Traditionally some pupils being taught to self travel are done so by teachers who have to accompany them over an average eight week period as they travel from their homes to school.

However, thanks to a GPS device, the need for staff to accompany them is eliminated and training is completed a lot quicker, with teachers able to train more pupils.

The pupil carries the hand held device whilst the teacher is able to rely on the computer system to tell them the exact location of the pupil, with the added reassurance of two way communication and an SOS facility.

This initiative is terrific. It helps the user gain confidence and Independence and really opens doors  for them as many people can't get college placements etc if they can't self travel.

The scope of what we can do with this technology can be  widened to help maintain the  independence of others such as people with dementia.  All in all it is  a very exciting time for our telecare team.

Original Article: http://pauledie.blogspot.com/2011/01/gps-device-helps-students-learn-to.html

Satellite Technology Helps Special Needs Pupil Travel Independently

(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) EDINBURGH, Scotland, Jan. 27 -- The City of Edinburgh Council issued the following news release: A 17-year-old Edinburgh special needs pupil has become the first in Scotland to learn to travel to school on his own using satellite technology.

Craig Nibloe, from Pilrig Park School, spent five weeks using the GPS device as he got the bus from his home to school and college.

He can now travel independently without the need for school transport, which allows him to have the opportunity to go to college to complete further education courses.

The City of Edinburgh Council has become the first local authority in Scotland to use the technology to train special needs pupils. Its success builds on previous pioneering Telecare initiatives, which have helped hundreds of older people in the Capital remain independent in their own homes.

And the success could lead to other schools in the Capital using the system. Traditionally special needs pupils are taught self travel by teachers who have to accompany them over an average eight week period as they travel from their homes to school.

However, thanks to the SkyGuard GPS device, the need for staff to accompany them is eliminated and training is completed a lot quicker, with teachers able to train more pupils.

The pupil carries the hand held device whilst the teacher is able to rely on the computer system to tell them the exact location of the pupil, with the added reassurance of two way communication and an SOS facility.

Craig said: "I always wanted to get the bus to school by myself but wasn't able to. I'm really pleased I can now do that on my own and go to college." Pilrig Park School head teacher Ellen Muir was full of praise for the GPS system. She said: "Self travel training is always time-consuming for our staff but this technology means we can concentrate on those pupils who need a higher level of support and train more children to gain more confidence and become independent.

"One of the biggest pluses is that students need to be able to self travel so they can attend college so now we should have more taking up further education with more career opportunities being opened up." Ellen also praised one of the school's self travel trainers, learning assistant Bill Lothian, who tutored Craig on his five week trial. She said: "Without Bill's support and enthusiasm for the project help I'm sure Craig wouldn't have made the remarkable progress he did." Councillor Paul Edie, Health and Social Care and Housing Leader for Edinburgh, said: "This Council has really embraced this new technology, which is transforming people's lives and making a real difference to them. There are hundreds of older people living safely and independently in their homes thanks to Telecare.

"Using this technology to help pupils make their own way to and from school is a natural progression and the amazing progress Craig has made shows how beneficial the system is." Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, Education Leader for Edinburgh, said: "Learning how to travel independently is so important for these pupils, yet can be challenging and frightening for them. This technology is giving youngsters and their families confidence and security in getting around." The City of Edinburgh Council has been pioneering Telecare technology in Housing and Health and Social Care areas since 2006, with hundreds of vulnerable and older people in the Capital benefiting.

The system allows vulnerable and older people to remain independent in their own homes, reducing the need for long term care or hospital admission and saving an estimated 3,000 hospital bed days and 3,000 care home days per year.

Devices include sensors and trigger alarms around the home, which alert a care team if the person has a fall, leaves a cooker accidentally on or goes out of the home.

Housing staff should learn more about Telecare

As the debate continues about how we will cope with caring for the growing number of older people in the population, it is clear that telecare or telehealth will be playing an increasing role.

“Telecare is the delivery of health care related services and information via telecommunications tools,” said Chloe Weatherhead, Head of Housing e-Academy.

“Many people working in the housing sector may not be aware of how widely it can be used, not just for residents in sheltered and supporting accommodation, but also by vulnerable general needs residents who could benefit from this type of support.”

Telecare supports independent living by providing health care services from a distance and there is an increasing need to lay the foundations for the rapid and widespread adoption of these solutions across the UK.

A recent report from the Centre for Social Justice on issues impacting on older people said ‘the provision of assistive equipment can be hugely beneficial on maintaining or improving an older person’s quality of life. Yet, as an Audit Commission report recently revealed, low importance is attached to such equipment. This is in spite of mass research finding it provides good outcomes and reduced costs.’

Chloe adds: “It is important that social housing staff have an increased understanding of how telehealth and telecare works, because by adopting these technologies, it will impact on the way they work and will guide them on how they should be preparing for the future.”

For more information about e-learning call 01943 885085 or e-mail info@housingea.co.uk.

NHS must embrace technology, says report

 A new report from the NHS Confederation has urged healthcare professionals to embrace the digital age or risk being left behind.

The publication, entitled Remote Control, cited several instances where the adoption of new technologies in the health service has "failed to truly take off".

It suggested new approaches such as telemedicine and telecare were constrained by "top-down initiatives" and stifled by a lack of engagement from clinicians and patients.

According to the report, the NHS remains too reliant on treatment provided through face-to-face contact.

Nigel Edwards, acting chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the health service should make a renewed effort to integrate digital resources as the role of technology in public service delivery continues to develop.

He suggested there is currently a "cultural barrier" that prevents the take-up of new technologies in the public healthcare sector.

Mr Edwards added: "The NHS, like any other sector of the economy, has to keep up with developments in technologies."

The report follows a recent survey from trade association Intellect, which found that 72 per cent of councillors expect their local authority to become more reliant on technology for the delivery of public services.

Odgers Berndtson is the UK's largest executive search firm working in healthcare, handling assignments globally for both public and private sector organisations.