Role of Assisted Living Technology for Specialised Housing Addressed in new Report from Housing LIN
A new report from Housing LIN, focusing on the role of assisted living technology as an integral part of specialised housing, was launched this week at the National Housing Federation's Housing Care and Support Conference and Exhibition 2012.
The report, 'Specialised housing for older people: The application of assisted living technology to support independence' looks at the role of technology within sheltered and supported housing schemes to assist older people. Housing LIN has developed the Board Assurance Prompt in partnership with Nigel Appleton of Contact Consulting and the GGI (Good Governance Institute),
The intended audiences for the BAP are those developing specialised housing for older people, in addition to the leaders and decision-makers within organisations that manage specialised accommodation. Specialised housing includes established forms such as sheltered, and retirement housing, and newer facilities such as Assisted Living, Extra Care Housing and Close Care.
It aims to encourage decision makers to better understand the use of telehealthcare as a means of supporting independence. It also demonstrates the proven benefits of assisted living technology for residents, increasing confidence and ensuring safety and security, whilst providing high quality and cost effective management solutions for providers.
Jeremy Porteus, Director of Housing LIN said:
"We welcome the launch of this new paper which suggests six key assurance questions that Board Members and Senior Officers might ask of their organisation, taking into consideration the financial viability and potential risks that housing providers might encounter when developing accommodation for older people. At a practical level, the BAP also provides a Maturity Matrix to support the development and improvement in implementing assisted living technology from a basic level to exemplary, using technology to enhance support and care delivery at home.
The paper also demonstrates how assisted living technology supports the role of housing in health and social care, enabling integration of services to manage proactive intervention and prevention, and reduce admissions to hospital and residential care. For residents, it is about supporting independence to ensure they can stay at home for longer, improving quality of life and preventing any further intervention. For providers, it enhances their competitive edge by expanding their service offering, enabling them to win new contracts and generate savings that can be applied to other services."
Andrew Corbett-Nolan, Chief Executive of the Good Governance Institute said:
"Telecare has long been supporting older people in specialised housing, providing the means by which residents can be supported with minimum intrusion. Providing a modern, fit for purpose system of technology supports independence and offers a flexible, unobtrusive and cost effective solution that responds to the needs of residents, carers and management alike.
With the Board Assurance Prompt, housing providers are able to identify benefits to their health and social care partners, demonstrating a reduction in the level of dependence on formal care and delaying or avoiding admissions to residential care and hospital."
Supported by an educational grant from Tunstall, the BAP includes case studies that demonstrate the positive impact telecare has had on care services and resident outcomes across the UK.
The report is available from http://www.tunstall.co.uk/resources/evidence (opens new window) or on our website under the link below