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Digital Telecare Benefits & Opportunities

The benefits and opportunities of digital telecare

By Blog

Technology enabled care services are currently facing one of the biggest changes in service delivery since telecare was first introduced. With the analogue to digital switchover, caused by the PSTN switch off, many local authorities, health care, social care and housing providers are being urged to adopt new digital care technologies to ensure the continuity of vital telecare monitoring services that help over 1.7 million people in the UK to stay independent and safe at home. 

The introduction of digital telecare systems brings a range of benefits and opportunities to both organisations and citizens who rely on these services. With greater choice, mobility and societal benefits for citizens, and increased efficiency, data sharing, resilience and operational benefits for organisations, the introduction of digital telecare will transform the sector and bring people into a new digital era of care. 

Digital Telecare Benefits & Opportunities

What are the benefits of Digital Telecare?

Societal Benefits

The introduction of digital telecare into the lives of citizens presents many societal benefits, one being increased resilience, reliability and safety. Currently, a majority of telecare users will have experienced analogue technology enabled care (TEC) devices and peripherals, usually placed in the home. Existing analogue TEC is known to be unreliable, with slow call connection speeds and high call failure rates that ultimately put vulnerable users at even greater risk, and without switching, there is a risk of lives being lost.  

With digital TEC in place, citizens can benefit from high quality, reliable and enhanced services that are tailored to their specific needs. With digital TEC comes faster call connection speeds, improved audio quality and reliable alerting through an increased choice of new digital technology including home based TEC, wearables, mobile phones, GPS enabled devices, IoT equipment, ambient monitoring sensors and more. Citizens can also benefit from audio and video based equipment, such as the Amazon Alexa service and tablet based services, to stay in touch with friends, family and carers, and receive video based consultations from their own homes.

With increased choice of more reliable TEC that is more discreet and attractive for citizens to use, digital telecare provides an opportunity for citizens to be safer, confident and more independent at home and in their communities, using technology that can help monitor and improve their health and wellbeing, whilst reducing other prevalent issues, such as social isolation.

With digital TEC, citizens and their families can benefit from increased access and visibility to data that matters. Through a blend of home, mobile and IoT based telecare equipment and a digital monitoring system, family members, care and service providers can stay up to date with the health, safety and activity of loved ones and service users, whilst using data to proactively plan and deliver care.

In 2017, Communicare247 supported Sanderson High School Additional Support Needs (ASN) students to travel independently using our location-enabled digital telecare device called the Freedom Device. The Freedom Device enabled Sanderson High School teachers to know the whereabouts of pupils, and enabled two way communication when pupils needed help, support or extra reassurance.

Service Provider Benefits & Opportunities

Through the implementation of digital TEC, local authorities, health, care and housing providers and others who deliver these essential services can take advantage of new opportunities that can improve the delivery of care and services. This can be achieved  through new efficient models that provide more visibility, data, integration and resilience. 

Here is a breakdown of the different benefits that digital can bring to your organisation: 

Resilient Equipment and Service Delivery

Digital Telecare DevicesWhilst increased resilience and safety is a benefit for citizens, the same benefit can be echoed for service providers. Digital TEC delivers more reliable and high quality equipment for the use of monitoring citizen health, wellbeing and safety, and provides efficiency for providers through over the air configuration, updates and self installation methods. With digital TEC, devices report their statuses automatically, enabling providers to efficiently spot and resolve signs of failing equipment to continue delivering a resilient service. 

Through digital TEC, providers can adopt more resilient connectivity methods to stay in touch with citizens. Through the adoption of GSM/mobile technologies fitted with roaming SIMs, citizens can connect to the most resilient network based on their location. Service providers can also adopt low power and greener solutions, such as LoRaWAN, to power elements of their telecare service. LoRaWAN delivers a low power, long range alternative to WiFi enabled devices and provides accurate, real time and actionable data to support the delivery of care. 

Service providers can also stay resilient by partnering with digital Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) services. As we adopt digital technologies for telecare, Alarm Receiving Centres must also adapt to handle digital-enabled alarms and communications. Through the adoption of a digital monitoring system, such as Communicare247’s Archangel® system, service providers can benefit from the flexibility of how alarms and calls are routed. This flexibility in alarm monitoring and call handling enables service providers to re-route calls to another ARC if there is a particular spike in calls, and similarly, enables the re-routing of calls in disaster recovery and business continuity scenarios. The flexibility of ARC services can also enable remote working for service providers who no longer need to rely on physical ARC buildings and infrastructure.

Data Sharing, Integration and Prevention

Data Sharing in Digital TelecareAnother clear opportunity that digital TEC presents is the ability to drive citizen data through shared, open and interoperable platforms, enabling greater service integration across health care, social care, housing and more. Through adopting this whole system and partnership approach to care delivery, powered by digital TEC, care providers can benefit from shared data that supports a shift towards a more proactive, preventative and person-centred model of care. 

The shift towards this model of service delivery will enable service providers to have a fuller picture and understanding of an individuals health and care journey. Using digital TEC, such as home based ambient sensors, 4G imaging technology and GPS enabled mobile technologies in a telecare world can enable the continuous reporting of citizen health, wellbeing and activity in the home and in the community. 

This essential data can help report on how a person is choosing to live independently. This can present data insights, such as: how often they visit their kitchen, how many times they visit the bathroom, how many hours of sleep they are getting each night, and how well their home environment is functioning in terms of light levels, humidity, temperature and other safety measures, such as Co2 levels and fire alarms. By collecting this data, service providers can receive rule based alerts that can predict indicators of health risks which can result in preventative steps and health and housing interventions that will keep citizens safe and will result in lower hospital admissions.

Operational and cost efficiencies 

Whilst digital telecare can offer significant benefits to health and care outcomes, it can also deliver operational and cost efficiencies for health, care and housing providers. 

Through the valuable insights that digital telecare can deliver, service providers can begin to effectively plan and prioritise service capacity and delivery to citizens where attention is needed most. 

By moving towards a complete end to end digital model of care, providers can decrease their operational costs. Existing analogue equipment and services are currently demanding for service providers to manage, with manual testing and upgrades, physical installation and implementation costing much more in comparison to digital alternatives that offer plug-and-play options and over the air configuration. Through the adoption of these technologies, coupled with a digital cloud monitoring platform, providers can deliver a future-proof service that can adapt to changing technology and service needs that can be effectively deployed through interoperable cloud systems. 

Operational costs and efficiencies can also be delivered through the adoption of cloud based ARCs. Service providers no longer need to rely on physical ARC buildings and monitoring centres when it can all be delivered remotely via the cloud. 

Summary

Through the adoption of a complete end to end digital telecare service, including digital equipment and cloud monitoring platforms, health, care and housing providers can see a range of benefits for both citizens and their overall service delivery. 

Switching to digital telecare enables citizens to choose from a wide variety of discreet monitoring options that help them live independently, whilst communicating essential health, wellbeing, activity and environmental data to family, carers and service providers to support predictive and proactive person-centred care. 

Digital telecare offers complete flexibility for service providers, delivering interoperable and future-proofing service options that drive efficiencies and positive impact to service delivery. 

Migrating to digital with Communicare247

Communicare247 is a digital service provider, delivering a suite of solutions for housing, health and social care providers. Our products and services are designed to support & empower greater personal freedom and independence. We enable our customers to make proactive, informed decisions, which means service providers can predict & proactively support their clients to live independently in their homes and communities for longer. 

Through our Archangel® cloud system, our customers can integrate a choice of digital home and mobile equipment, IoT devices, ambient sensors and monitoring tools to protect and respond to the needs of citizens. 

Archangel® delivers complete flexibility and functionality, enabling providers to migrate to a digital system their own way, securely. Through Archangel®, service providers can access our Interoperability Gateway, a secure middleware cloud technology which enables the two-way exchange of data between analogue and digital devices and IoT systems. Featuring open APIs, connectivity plugins and our Analogue to Digital Bridge, the gateway supports providers by integrating existing analogue devices and social alarms, enabling existing devices to work with a fully digital system. This supports the smooth migration of services, and consolidates multiple data silos into one complete system. 

To find out more about Archangel, our Interoperability Gateway, and how we can support you in the transition from analogue to digital, please download our brochure below, or get in touch with our team.

Archangel Brochure

Download the Archangel® brochure

Communicare247 Logo

About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

PSTN Switch Off

PSTN Switch Off: Overview, Impact and Next Steps

By Blog

In 2017, BT Group announced that they will be suspending and switching off the PSTN (Public Service Telephone Network) in 2025 in favour of an all-VoIP network, marking the biggest change in the British telecoms industry for over 30 years. 

With this switch off comes great challenges for health, housing and care providers who currently rely on these services to deliver essential telecare and telehealth services to over 1.7 million people in the UK. But what does this switch off mean for you, and how will it impact your business and services? 

In this article, we outline the timeline for the switch off, the potential impact it will have, and the next steps you need to take to ensure continuity of services. 

PSTN Switch Off

What is PSTN?

The Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) is the existing infrastructure that enables people to communicate from different locations by voice using analogue phone signalling. Commonly known as ‘traditional telephony’ these analogue signals are sent through copper and fibre telephone lines. 

The PSTN currently supports a number of Openreach products which Communication Providers (CPs) purchase and distribute to businesses and consumers via line rentals, broadband and call package deals; this includes Wholesale Line Rental and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) which will also be withdrawn by 2025. 

PSTN has been used as the primary method of transmitting phone calls for many years across a range of consumer products and services, including telecare and telehealth. For many telecare service providers, PSTN is the foundation of their communications – with many telecare alarm devices and peripherals relying on this network, health, housing and care providers must act to avoid threats to the continuity of their services. 

What is the PSTN switch off?

In 2017, it was announced that the PSTN would be switched off by BT Openreach by 2025. This means that everyone using this service, including hundreds of thousands of businesses and millions of consumers will need to migrate to a new service by that time. 

As part of the switch, customers will be switched over to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP facilitates voice-based communication using an internet connection instead of the traditional telephone lines used by PSTN. 

VoIP has many benefits for both businesses and consumers, which is why the switch off is taking place. As PSTN became more expensive to maintain, VoIP offers a notably cheaper solution that also delivers faster call connections, is more resilient and enables service providers to update the service more efficiently. 

For telecare and telehealth providers and users, the switch off and migration to a fully digital service creates new opportunities. With more choice of new technology enabled care services, speedier alarm connections and the use of a more resilient and efficient service, telecare users can benefit fully.

What is the timeline for the switch off?

The PSTN switch off was originally discussed in 2015, and by 2017, a 2025 deadline was set. Since then, BT Openreach has been involved in several trials in Salisbury and Mildenhall to upgrade the existing PSTN network to a fully digital service. As part of the timeline for the switch off, BT Openreach has announced several ‘Stop Sells’ which stops the sales of some of their products, including PSTN based services including WLR and ISDN by 2023. A full timeline of the switch off can be found below. 

PSTN Switch Off Timeline

1

November 2017 - BT Openreach announces its intention to switch off the PSTN in 2025.
2

June 2019 - Trial sites in Salisbury and Mildenhall announced, and Openreach strengthens the fibre network.
3

December 2020 - Openreach starts the process of retiring PSTN and ISDN. Stop sell notice of legacy services in Salisbury trial site.
4

May 2021 - Stop Sell notice of legacy services in Mildenhall trial site.
5

December 2022 - Salisbury and Mildenhall trial sites -withdrawal of legacy products and services.
6

September 2023 - STOP SELL notice issued. No new line installations, line conversions or ISDN channels.
7

December 2025 - PSTN and ISDN switch off

What impact will the PSTN switch off have on my business?

Around 2.4 million businesses, local authorities and public organisations currently operate on PSTN or ISDN, and through the withdrawal of these services, these organisations will face significant disruption through the loss of connection and communication lines if their services aren’t upgraded by the 2025 deadline. Services that will be impacted include: 

  • ADSL Broadband 
  • FTTC Broadband 
  • Digital Telecare Systems operating over ADSL and FTTC
  • Analogue Telecare and Critical Care Systems
  • Analogue Fire Alarm Systems
  • Analogue Payment and Card Processing services
  • Analogue Security Systems, including CCTV

Impact on telecare and critical care systems

For housing, health and social care providers who deliver essential care services supported by telecare, the PSTN switch off provides significant cause for concern. If local authorities, housing associations and other care providers fail to address the switchover in a timely manner, vulnerable adults may be left without the emergency assistance they rely on. 

Within the telecare space, there is a misconception that analogue telecare units will still work within digital telephone networks, such as VoIP. However, research has already shown that analogue telecare equipment will not work within the digital requirements, and will cause an influx of call failures, which could be fatal for service users in need.

Next steps – get ahead of the PSTN Switch Off

To get ahead of the PSTN switch off, businesses and service providers need to act now by upgrading to VoIP. Migrating from PSTN to VoIP requires careful planning and checks to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. Organisations should consider the following steps: 

1. Audit your current systems

The first step in migrating to VoIP is to audit your current networks and set up. This will involve creating a catalogue of everything your organisation has that operates via PSTN, including all hardware, software and processes. Some considerations could include:

  • Understanding your existing phone service, including the number of telephones you have, how you answer and take calls, how you record voicemails etc. 
  • Existing broadband connectivity 
  • Existing health and safety systems, including fire alarms, Co2 alarms, building security, CCTV 
  • Any telecare hardware and software you rely on, including Alarm Receiving Centre software 

For many small businesses, this audit process may not take long. For larger local authorities and housing associations, you must take into account all hardware provided to your customer base. It’s important to start now and not risk delaying this process until you are close to the deadline.

 

2. Create a defined plan of action

Once you have created a catalogue of existing hardware, software and processes, you must create a clear strategy and plan on how you will replace these systems and who will be involved. In this process, you should consider:

  • Service Offering – What kind of digital service you wish to provide. Should you replace systems with like-for-like alternatives, or should you implement new and exciting services to provide your business and customers with more choice and flexibility? 
  • Technology – What technology do you want to use? What technology do you want to equip your customers with? 
  • Capacity/Resources – Who will help you transition? What capacity do you have internally to make these changes? 
  • Operational Procedures – Have you mapped out what procedures need to be altered to make the transition successful?
  • Business Continuity – Do you have a business continuity plan in place if things don’t go smoothly? 
  • Budget – Have you mapped out the potential cost of replacing your existing equipment and systems?
  • Digital Skills – Does your organisation and customers have the relevant digital skills to ensure success?
  • Communication – Do you have the communication plans in place to effectively communicate migration to your internal teams and external customers? 
  • Third Parties – Have you considered the readiness of third party providers? Is your Alarm Receiving Centre or monitoring partners equipped with the tools to handle digital calls or alarms? 
  • Cyber security – What measures do we and third parties have in place for cyber security for a new digital network? 

 

3. Partner with a VoIP provider/digital services partner

As part of the migration to a VoIP service, you should consider working with a company that can deliver everything you need identified in step 2 and help you to migrate smoothly. This should involve working with a VoIP provider that provides excellent support and security. Since VoIP operates from the cloud, a provider with high security credentials will be able to keep your network safe and secure from cyber attacks. 

 

4. Test, test and test again

When implementing new hardware, software and processes under a new VoIP service, you should ensure that all functions are tested. Depending on your organisation, this stage may involve testing communication lines, but for larger organisations responsible for telecare services for example, you must ensure that there is a secure and resilient line of communication in place, as without it, you could put vulnerable people in danger of not receiving emergency support. 

To test effectively, take a leaf out of BT Openreach’s book and create small trials and test beds to safely test your new hardware, software and processes with customers who aren’t high risk. Once you are satisfied that everything is working effectively, you can begin the process of implementing the system on a wider scale.

Migrating to digital with Communicare247

Communicare247 is a digital service provider, delivering a suite of solutions for housing, health and social care providers. Our products and services are designed to support & empower greater personal freedom and independence. We enable our customers to make proactive, informed decisions, which means service providers can predict & proactively support their clients to live independently in their homes and communities for longer. 

Through our Archangel® cloud system, our customers can integrate a choice of digital home and mobile equipment, IoT devices, ambient sensors and monitoring tools to protect and respond to the needs of citizens. 

Archangel® delivers complete flexibility and functionality, enabling providers to migrate to a digital system their own way, securely. Through Archangel®, service providers can access our Interoperability Gateway, a secure middleware cloud technology which enables the two-way exchange of data between analogue and digital devices and IoT systems. Featuring open APIs, connectivity plugins and our Analogue to Digital Bridge, the gateway supports providers by integrating existing analogue devices and social alarms, enabling existing devices to work with a fully digital system. This supports the smooth migration of services, and consolidates multiple data silos into one complete system. 

To find out more about Archangel, our Interoperability Gateway, and how we can support you in the transition from analogue to digital, please download our brochure below, or get in touch with our team.

Archangel Brochure

Download the Archangel® brochure

Communicare247 Logo

About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

Coping with Fireworks

Tips for coping with fireworks and other triggers

By Blog

Each year, celebrations involving fireworks are held across the country, usually throughout Bonfire Night (November 5th), Christmas and New Year celebrations. Whilst this is an enjoyable time for some people, for older people, autistic adults and children, and for people who live with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), celebrations involving fireworks are often unpredictable, unsettling and distressing. To help people cope, extra measures may need to be taken to help people feel safe and happy at home.  

Coping with Fireworks

Understanding why fireworks are distressing

Fireworks and events involving fireworks are often distressing for many people. For people who live with PTSD, the nature of fireworks can often remind them of traumatic experiences they have lived through in the past, including war, abuse or natural disasters. Due to the loud bangs and flashes, smell of smoke and usually large crowds who can be loud – the sight, smell and sound of fireworks can often be triggering for people with PTSD, and can also impact older adults and people with Autism who can experience sensory overload as a result of firework displays. 

As we approach the season where firework displays are more likely to occur, it’s important to make changes in your home and community to support these people.

Tips for coping with fireworks and other triggers

 

Understand the potential distress

For many people, fireworks may be a new or developing source of distress. If you care for someone who is older, has sensory issues, PTSD or you may suspect they will be distressed due to other experiences, it’s important to have a conversation with them to find out how they feel about fireworks and if they are likely to upset them. 

Understanding potential triggers for distress can help you put a plan in place to help your loved ones feel more comfortable and safe. 

Make a plan 

Many people may wish to get out and join in with celebrations, despite having a level of discomfort. If you find this is the case, it’s important to have a plan in place if and when a loved one feels uncomfortable due to fireworks or triggers relating to the event. 

If you do wish to celebrate events like Bonfire Night, Christmas or New Years with fireworks, it’s important to attend a professionally organised event. By attending a professionally organised event, you can check with the event organisers when to expect fireworks and you can find out more information about accessibility arrangements that are in place. 

If you attend an event, engage with those who support you to arrange a plan to help cope with your reaction to fireworks. This could involve spotting signs of discomfort, communicating when you feel distressed, planning a route back home, or arranging a place to go to calm down and escape from the distressing environment. 

If you are having your own fireworks or sparklers, have a plan of what they are going to be, what they will look like and sound like and when they will be set off. The National Autistic Society recommends that writing this information down, or communicating it through a visual story can help a person with autism understand what to expect from the event. 

Coping with Fireworks, man listening to music

Create a calm environment 

To avoid the impact of fireworks, it’s important to create a calming home environment. To help do this, you can close all windows, doors and curtains to help create a sound barrier between you and the fireworks. You can also try implementing existing comforts used to help you relax, such as putting on your favourite music, white noise, or your favourite television shows or films to distract yourself from the loud noises outside. 

To block the sound of fireworks, you can also consider using headphones (noise cancelling ones are best!) or ear defenders.

Communicare247 Logo

About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

Older adult falls over

Falls in Older People: Risks and Prevention

By Blog

Key Facts

Falling can happen to anyone, but for older adults, the risk is particularly high and the consequences can be severe. 

Falling can cause significant injury and psychological impact to older adults. Falls are the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries for older adults, and in 5% of cases, can cause fractures, leading to extended recovery periods in hospital. Falls not only cause physical injuries, but severely impact an older person’s confidence and levels of independence. Falls can cause older people to avoid physical activity due to fears of falling again, which in turn, can be detrimental to their health by leading to functional decline and decreased quality of life. 

There are around 255 thousand fall-related emergency hospital admissions in England among patients 65 and over each year – around 30% of these adults aged 65 and older will fall at least once per year in the UK, and for those aged 80 and over, 50% are likely to fall. Statistics show that falls are the number one reason older people are taken to A&E, and each year, can cost the NHS up to £2 billion and over £4 million in day beds. 

By preventing falls and reacting quicker to falls in older adults, we can improve the quality of life of older adults, and drive down costs faced by the NHS. 

Older adult falls over

What causes falls in older people?

Falls can occur for multiple reasons and are usually a result of the interplay of multiple risk factors. These risk factors can include:  

  • Existing medical conditions (including Parkinson’s, dementia, poor vision or frailty caused by a previous injury) 
  • Effects from commonly prescribed medicines or combined medication (polypharmacy) 
  • Physiological changes such as poor eyesight, loss of muscle strength and balance 
  • Environmental hazards such as ill fitting shoes, poor lighting, slippery surfaces
  • Lifestyle, including excessive alcohol or lack of physical inactivity 

How can you prevent falls?

As stated above, falls can occur due to a multitude of risk factors that often overlap. To prevent a fall in the home, it’s important to consider your environment and personal risks, and devise a plan to reduce these risks. Some tips to help prevent falls in the home include: 

Improving your environment

  • One way to reduce falls in the home is to improve your home environment. This can include:
  • Immediately mopping up spillages
  • Removing clutter, trailing wires and frayed carpets
  • Using non slip mats and rugs
  • Making sure all rooms, passages and stairways are well lit
  • Organising your home so that climbing, stretching and bending are kept to a minimum and to avoid bumping into things

Improving your clothing 

Clothing can be a major factor in the likelihood of falling. To reduce this likelihood, consider:

  • Not walking on slippery floors in socks or tights 
  • Not wearing loose-fitting, trailing clothes that might trip you up
  • Wearing well-fitting shoes that are in good condition and support the ankle

Improving strength and balance 

A major cause of falls are due to poor balance and muscle strength. Improving your own physical strength can help reduce falls. If you are able, perform a form of physical activity once per day – this can include doing things you already enjoy, such as going for short walks, or dancing. The NHS has some great guidelines to support you, click the links below to find out more. 

Falls
Implementing support measures

Another way you can prevent falls is by putting support measures in place. This can include getting more help from family and friends, or by implementing technology in the home. You should consider: 

Considering the impact of medications 

Medications can often cause drowsiness, confusion, visual impairment and more, especially when mixing doses with other medications. If an older adult has a fall and you think it may be due to their medication, consider: 

  • Reviewing medication to identify and review any medications that may be contributing to risk of falls. 
  • Alerting an older adult’s GP to changes in mobility, balance and coordination.
  • Encourage the person taking medication to avoid sudden postural changes, especially when getting up in the morning
  • Encourage the person to eat several meals per day 

Fall detection and alerting with Communicare247

At Communicare247, we champion independence and empowerment. By offering technology that can be used in and out-with the home, we help older adults by improving their confidence to live independently and safely with measures in place to oversee their safety at home and in their communities. 

Our Freedom Device is a comprehensive personal safety alarm that has SOS functionality, automatic fall detection and alerting, and GPS location monitoring built in, helping older adults to go outside with confidence knowing that help is only a button press away. With these features, older adults can improve their physical activity, helping to prevent future falls, whilst also providing the reassurance and immediate assistance needed in the event that a fall does occur. 

Click here to learn more about the Freedom Device
Woman holding the Freedom Device
Communicare247 Logo

About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

The impact of Covid-19 on older people’s health, wellbeing and independence

The impact of Covid-19 on older people’s health, wellbeing and independence

By Blog

Extensive research has revealed the impact of the Covid-19 on older people’s physical and mental health.

Conducted by Age UK, the research highlights how the coronavirus has severely impacted the independence, confidence and overall wellbeing of older individuals, with calls for the government to provide the NHS and social care services further resources to boost recovery. 

The impact of Covid-19 on older people’s health, wellbeing and independence

Impact of Covid-19 restrictions on Older People

Independence at home and in the community 

A number of older adults have seen a decline in their overall independence as a result of the pandemic. With prolonged periods of isolation, increased anxiety and deteriorating health conditions all impacting the general health and wellbeing of millions of older people, the pandemic has had a negative effect on levels of independence.  

Around 12% of older people in the UK (approximately 1.9m people) felt they were less independent since the start of the pandemic. A further 54% of older people felt less confident attending a hospital appointment, and 18% of people felt less confident leaving the house by themselves. 43% of individuals also said they felt less motivated to do the things they enjoy since the start of the pandemic. 

The impact of Covid-19 on older people’s health, wellbeing and independenceCognitive decline and mental health

Lockdowns, shielding and general anxiety surrounding Covid-19 has caused older people to spend prolonged periods of time in isolation, with reduced social contact and limited mental stimulation. Research has found that this level of isolation has accelerated cognitive decline for older adults, with 22% (around 3.2m) older people now finding it harder to remember things since the start of the pandemic. 

This distress also exacerbated existing symptoms with older people with existing mental health conditions, with many over 65’s now experiencing increased levels of anxiety, low moods and depression. 

Research conducted by Alzheimer’s Society (2020) found that people living with dementia had exacerbated symptoms due to the pandemic.  Increased memory loss, difficulty concentrating, agitation, restlessness, stress and depression were the most common impacts to people living with dementia. 

The impact of Covid-19 on older people’s health, wellbeing and independenceImpact on physical health and wellbeing 

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen more older adults experience adverse effects to their physical health, with older people with pre-existing health and care needs and lower incomes hardest hit. 

45% of older people living with a long-term health condition were living with more physical pain since the start of the pandemic, whilst 29% of older people on lower incomes lived with more physical pain compared to 20% of older adults with higher incomes. 

10% of older people also reported difficulty walking up and down stairs compared to their previous physical abilities, and 9% of older people were finding it difficult to walk short distances. 

It is clear that the pandemic has had a lasting impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of older people in the UK. Not only has this created challenges with living independently, but also highlights the long battle many of our older population will experience to regain the levels of physicality and positive mental health they once had pre-pandemic.

To read more about the report by AgeUK, click here.

Communicare247 Logo

About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

Carer uses Archangel to view citizen wellbeing and activity data

Archangel® care cloud approved in Scottish Digital Telecare Security Assessment

By News

After undergoing rigorous security assessments, the Archangel® care cloud has been approved and added to the Scottish Digital Telecare Security-Assessed Suppliers Scheme, marking an important step in Communicare247’s journey in supporting telecare service providers desire to achieve interoperability and their transition from analogue to digital.

Carer uses Archangel to view citizen wellbeing and activity dataAs an approved supplier, telecare service providers can be reassured and confident about the cybersecurity management processes and systems in place.  The Digital Telecare Security Assessment Scheme has been developed to support telecare service providers, including local authorities and housing associations, to evaluate cybersecurity risks of suppliers more effectively before integrating with new supplier digital solutions. This involves suppliers undergoing an assessment on its cybersecurity management processes and for a penetration test to be completed.

Andy Grayland, Chief Information Security Officer, Digital Office for Scottish Local Authorities said: 

“The Scottish digital telecare security-assessed suppliers scheme reviewed a submission from The Safe Shoes Group for their Archangel® system. The assessment panel was very impressed with pre-existing security culture and standards within Safe Shores. Both this assessment scheme, and Safe Shore’s positive response to it, will help ensure that vulnerable telecare users across Scotland are protected against the threat posed by cyber criminals when using these services.” 

Scott Gilmer, Technical Systems Manager at The Safe Shores Group said: 

“Communicare247® continually champions cybersecurity and data protection throughout its products and services, so we are delighted to have been the first platform gateway to receive such positive feedback from the Scottish Local Government Digital Office and their acceptance into their Digital Telecare Security-Assessed Suppliers Scheme. 

“With Archangel® included in the scheme, our customers and partners are assured of the cyber integrity within Archangel® and telecare service providers can be confident in the security and reliability of our system to support and protect individuals living independently at home. Furthermore, the Archangel® security and resilience can help to mitigate risk in adoption of new product choices, and offer time and effort saving, for both telecare service providers and suppliers.” 

About Archangel®

Archangel® is an independent, open, scalable, service delivery platform which is designed to seamlessly integrate a wide range of third party vendor home and mobile equipment, combine multiple data sources, and deliver proactive and reactive monitoring and reporting systems used to care for, and protect, individuals while living independently at home. 

Archangel® delivers flexible services, to mitigate the individual’s risk, and enables service providers to create personal and customised telecare services catering to the needs of an individual. 

The Archangel® monitoring system helps individuals to live independently in their own homes for longer, and a growing range of shared data insight portals will deliver proactive care management and response tools.

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About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

Woman with child

Key takeaways from the new landmark Autism Strategy

By News

The UK government has launched a new multi-million pound autism strategy to speed up diagnosis and improve support and care for autistic people. 

Autism Strategy

In the UK, it is estimated that around 700,000 people have a diagnosis of autism. Many people experience delays and long waiting times for diagnosis, followed by inadequate or ineffective support which can be a significant barrier to a child or young person’s development. Through this new strategy, steps will be taken to improve diagnosis, which is crucial to help people get the support they need, and improve society’s understanding of autism.

The 5-year strategy was developed following engagement with autistic people, their family and carers. It will support autistic children and adults through better access to education, more help to get into work, preventing avoidable admissions to healthcare settings, and training for prison staff to better support prisoners with complex needs.

 

Key takeaways from the Autism Strategy

The new Autism Strategy was developed with the views and experiences of autistic people provided in response to the government’s call for evidence in 2019. Running until 2026, the new strategy aims to: 

Help improve understanding and acceptance of autism within society

Adults and children with autism are often perceived differently by others, as behavioural expectations differ with age. There is a lot of stigma surrounding people with autism, who often feel forced into hiding their true selves. 

As part of the new strategy, the government aims to improve understanding and acceptance of autism within society by developing and testing an initiative to improve public understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This will be achieved by working with autistic people, their families and the voluntary sector to raise awareness of the strengths and positive traits of autism, including the challenges autistic people face in their daily lives. This new initiative aims to help people to recognise the diversity of the autistic community. 

Strengthen access to education and support for autistic people

In England, there are currently 646 state-funded or non-maintained schools approved to support ASD. As part of the new strategy, the government aims to improve testing by expanding a school-based identification programme based on a pilot in Bradford, which will expand from 10 schools to over 100 in the next three years.

By expanding this programme, more children will be diagnosed with autism earlier and will be able to access support sooner to support their development. 

Support for autistic people into employment 

Currently, 21.7% of adults with autism in the UK are in a form of paid employment. To help support more autistic people into employment, the Autism Strategy aims to improve the accessibility of job centres for autistic people to help them get the best help to find jobs or employment programmes. 

Tackle health and care inequalities  

Since 2018, there has been a nationwide rise in demand for autism assessments. In quarter two of 2020/2021, there were 9,868 referrals for suspected autism of which 15% had their first care contact within 13 weeks of referral. As part of the new Autism Strategy, £13 million of funding is to be used to reduce diagnosis waiting times and increase availability of post-diagnostic support for children and adults, addressing backlogs of people waiting made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Building the right support in the community 

To help build the right support in the community and to support people in inpatient care, the Autism Strategy will provide £40m funding as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to improve community support and to help prevent avoidable admissions of autistic people and those with learning disability. £18.5m is also to be used to help prevent crises and improve the quality of inpatient mental health settings. 

Improve support within criminal and youth justice systems

Prison holds particular dangers for people with autism, who are prone to anxiety, inflexible thinking and sudden outbursts, traits likely to provoke others who don’t understand, including prison guards, criminal justice workers and other inmates. 

To help improve support for autistic people within criminal and youth justice systems, the Autism Strategy will seek to develop a toolkit to educate frontline staff about neurodiversity, as well as introduce further support that people may need. 

The new Autism Strategy has the potential to impact the lives of hundreds of thousand of autistic people and their families and for the first time, includes steps to support children and young people. We hope to see the strategy unfold positively over the next few years, with local councils and NHS bodies across England reviewing their local services to implement the new strategy. 

If you would like to find out more about the strategy, click here. 

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About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

Paul Nelson, Business Development Manager, Communicare247

Communicare247 appoints new Business Development Manager

By News

Communicare247 is delighted to welcome Paul Nelson in the role of Business Development Manager. 

Paul Nelson, Business Development Manager, Communicare247

Paul is a respected industry professional, having been engaged with the Telecare & Telehealth sector since 2013, and who has held senior positions with leading security, personal safety, and assistive technology organisations including Chubb and most recently, with Doro. He will be responsible for spearheading growth in the awareness and sales of our connected care cloud system, Archangel®, plus our advanced and integrated independent living solutions, and for building long-term, successful relationships and partnerships.

Paul said “I am delighted to be joining Communicare247 where we enable our customers to make proactive, informed decisions to predict the support needed for people to live independently in their own homes for longer.

“Our capacity to achieve this is via our cloud care system, Archangel® is second to none since Archangel® enables interoperability and advanced care service delivery. This means that Communicare247 really is delivering on the vision for future telecare services, and it is leading the industry transition from analogue to digital systems.” 

“I am so excited to join at this time, the opportunities to make a real difference to many people’s lives are truly exceptional!”

Speaking of the appointment, Communicare247 CEO Tom Morton said: 

“Paul’s appointment is a significant leap forward for Communicare247. The analogue to digital telecare challenge and a massive human resource pressure is currently impacting our health, social care, and housing sectors. So, it is extremely important for us to recruit quality people who understand these customer challenges, and will help us to communicate the significant value and benefits of Archangel®. Paul will demonstrate it’s shared cloud systems and data insights, showcase its resilient infrastructure, and work collaboratively with our healthcare, social care and housing customers to optimise their device and software investment decisions.” 

“Paul’s significant industry experience and insights in the telecare and telehealth sector provides him with a thorough understanding of the innovations and trends shaping the industry. He joins our growing team with in-depth knowledge that will help us to create sustainable growth for the future and to establish Communicare247 as the leader in cloud-based assistive technology solutions.” 

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About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

Older woman feeling lonely whilst starting out the window

What is loneliness and social isolation and how does it impact you?

By Blog

Experiencing loneliness and being socially isolated is a prevalent issue in our society, even before the coronavirus pandemic. Pre-pandemic, the number of over-50s experiencing loneliness was set to reach two million by 2025/6. Latest figures suggest that we have exceeded expected 2025 levels, with 7.2% of the adult population feeling lonely (3.7 million people) as a result of a range of factors relating to the pandemic. 

As a universal human experience, loneliness and social isolation is both complex and unique to everybody. With different factors leading to both experiences, the prevention and treatment of this state of mind and physical experience can vary dramatically. 

In this blog, we will look at what loneliness and social isolation is, what the main causes are and the effects each feeling has on your physical and mental health. 

Older woman feeling lonely whilst starting out the windowWhat is loneliness and social isolation?

Loneliness and social isolation are often used interchangeably to describe the feeling of being alone. Whilst the two terms are closely related and denote a degree of social disconnection, they do not necessarily mean the same thing. 

Social isolation can be defined as an objective state where an individual has few or infrequent social contacts or interactions. Being isolated can mean staying at home for long periods of time with no one to talk to, having no community involvement or no access to services, and having limited or no communication with family or friends. 

Loneliness is the subjective and distressing feeling that can be caused by instances of social isolation and is often defined by the discrepancy between actual and desired levels of social connection. However, it is possible to feel loneliness even when you aren’t alone. 

What are the main causes of loneliness & social isolation?

There are many causes of loneliness and social isolation that affect all people from different age groups, environments and backgrounds. Sometimes, we may not know why we feel lonely, and that’s okay. 

For some people, certain life events and experiences can cause them to feel lonely. This can include:

  • Experiencing loss or bereavement 
  • Experiencing a relationship break-up or losing a friend 
  • Moving away to a new place without family, friends or a local community network
  • Retiring or moving jobs, losing the social contact you had at work 

Other research suggests that people who live under certain conditions and circumstances are more vulnerable to loneliness, this includes people who: 

  • Have no friends, family or support network
  • Are a single parent or carer who may find it difficult to maintain a social life 
  • Are excluded from socialising due to mobility issues or shortage of money 
  • Belong to minority groups without a local network of support, including people who face discrimination due to disability, gender, race or sexual orientation

Impact of loneliness and social isolation on your health and wellbeing

Loneliness and social isolation has a wide range of negative effects on your physical and mental health. Recent studies have highlighted that experiencing loneliness has significant health risks and found that: 

Impact of loneliness and social isolation inforgraphic

  • Social isolation increases a person’s risk of premature death, a risk that rivals those of smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. 
  • Social isolation was associated with a 50% increase in risk of dementia and cognitive decline.
  • Poor social relationships (characterised by social isolation or loneliness) was associated with 29% increased risk of heart disease and 32% increased risk of having a stroke.
  • Loneliness was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide. 

The same report also highlights that vulnerable adults from minority groups are at most risk of the negative impacts associated with loneliness and social isolation. This includes people who are immigrants, LGBT and victims of elder abuse. In the UK, loneliness has a large impact on the elderly community, with stats that show that well over half of those aged 85 and over and 35% of those aged 75 and 84 live alone. Half a million of older people have also reported going five or six days a week without seeing or speaking to anyone at all. 

Resources to support you

There are a variety of things you can do to help with your feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Remember, help is out there and support is available to help you feel better. 

Here are a range of resources you can use to combat loneliness and social isolation: 

NHS: Things you can try to help with loneliness 

NHS: Loneliness in older people 

Mind: Tips to manage loneliness

Leonard Cheshire: Guide to delivering an accessible activity for disabled people in your community 

National Autistic Society: Making friends – a guide for autistic adults 

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About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

TEC Trailblazer Programme

Communicare247 joins TEC Quality Trailblazer Supplier Programme

By News

Communicare247 (C247) is delighted to join TEC Quality’s Trailblazer Supplier Programme, a new program designed to support organisations currently completing the TSA’s Quality Standards Framework (QSF) to become an approved supplier of Technology Enabled Care (TEC).

TEC Trailblazer Programme

Going through this extensive audit process to achieve the QSF will see Communicare247 complete 10 core modules and 4 service delivery modules, showcasing evidence of how a range of standards are delivered within C247’s TEC service. This includes showcasing how C247 manages user and carer experience, service safety, information governance and business continuity, as well as service delivery covering TEC monitoring, telehealth monitoring and response services. 

Joining this new programme will allow C247 to expand its existing set of quality standards, which include ISO9001, ISO27001, BS5979, BS7858 and Cyber Essentials Plus to name a few. Built on collaboration, The Trailblazer Supplier Programme enables C247 to engage with other partners in the industry to learn, share lessons, collaborate and strive for shared excellence in the sector to deliver quality products and services for 1.5 million telecare users in the UK. 

Speaking of joining the programme, Communicare247 CEO Tom Morton said: 

“At Communicare247, we continually invest in the quality of our people, systems and processes and comply with the latest industry standards to ensure our customers have complete confidence in the quality of our service. We pride ourselves on our ability to deliver continuous improvement and collaboration, something the Trailblazer Programme helps to facilitate.” 

Helen Rudkin, Quality Manager at TEC Quality said: 

“TEC Quality’s Trailblazer Programme represents an evolution in the progression of the TEC sector, and I am delighted to have on board some of the industry’s most progressive supplier organisations to help drive innovation and standards based on the principles of quality, safety and continuous improvement to better the lives of people within their communities.”

To find out more about the TEC Quality Trailblazer Supplier Programme, click here. 

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About Communicare247

Communicare247 is a health and social care service provider which delivers connected care solutions. Using secure digital technology and monitoring services, we enable citizens to remain safe and independent in their own homes for longer. Cloud services and effective technology provide valuable reassurance for individuals receiving care and permits sharing of information with families and care providers. The service helps to support service commissioners in balancing their duty of care with practical efficiencies capable of meeting modern day audit and resource challenges.

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