Our technology partner (www.west30.com) has been researching what home technology is currently available and whether it offers any benefits when it comes to caring for the elderly.
In short, some add convenience, some are really useful, but others are an expensive waste of money!
Deckchair Care are a domiciliary care company helping to look after the elderly in Cheshire and South Manchester. Read more about our independent care service on our website here.
New technology is helping patients reduce apathy – which is a symptom of dementia – and increase physical activity.
The device projects images on to a table and creates simple games that offer a mental challenge, help to relieve boredom and gets people more active.
The systems is relatively expensive (c£7) but has been installed in a number of dementia clubs and care homes in the UK.
Watch the video from the BBC here:
About Deckchair Care
Deckchair Care are a domiciliary care company helping to look after the elderly in Cheshire and South Manchester. Read more about our independent care service on our website here.
“What we want to do is give people that extra bit of boost, to maintain their independence as long as possible.”
British researchers think the future of improving mobility for the elderly lies in wearable soft robotics.
They’ve developed robotic muscles; air-filled bubbles of plastic that can raise a leg from a seated to a standing position. It is set to give that added boost to our ability to stand and walk when we need it most – although it may take a number of years before people start to benefit.
The next phase of the team’s work is going to involve working with clinicians, charities and prosthetic device companies.
There has been growing concern over the cost of providing care for older and disabled adults. Spending on social care in English councils has shrunk by £7bn since 2010.
Research suggests there is going to be an explosion in social care requirements for Britain’s ageing population.
A recent study has concluded that health and social care services must adapt to the unprecedented needs of an older population with complex care needs, and warned the state should not rely on family carers as a sustainable solution to the problem.
“In the next 20 years, the English population aged 65 years or over will see increases in the number of individuals who are independent but also in those with complex care needs. This increase is due to more individuals reaching 85 years or older who have higher levels of dependency, dementia, and comorbidity. Health and social care services must adapt to the complex care needs of an increasing older population.”
Those who have dementia and at least two other major health conditions, such as obesity or diabetes, will double over the next two decades, it estimated, suggesting an extra 500,000 people will need complex forms of care.
The government has promised a green paper on social care funding will be published in the autumn.
Social Care Trends
The study also highlighted different trends for men and women, with the latter likely to experience higher levels of care dependency than their male counterparts by 2035, and fewer years of later life spent free of care needs.
Prof Carol Jagger of Newcastle university’s Institute for Ageing, and a co-author of the Lancet paper, said the gender differences highlighted the importance of focusing on disabling long-term conditions such as arthritis that were more common in women than men.
Simon Bottery, a senior fellow in social care at the King’s Fund thinktank, said: “This study is further evidence of the scale of pressure building up on social care services from an ageing population, which is compounded by growing demand from working age adults with disabilities.”
Plans have emerged of a new ISA that the UK Government is considering to help people save to fund the cost of care in later life, and solve the country’s social care crisis.
The new Isa – would be exempt from inheritance tax.
Criticism has already been voiced from the Conservative back benches. ‘This won’t solve the care crisis at all. It only works for a small minority of wealthy people’, warns Sarah Wollaston
Sarah Wollaston, the chair of Commons Health and Social Care Committee, has said the plans were a “colossal mistake” and she claims that they would not solve the crisis “at all”.
It is understood that the Treasury has been reviewing proposals to include the new Isa in the social care green paper due to be announced by the government.
4.3m people over 70 have an average of £40,000 in Isa wealth. Meanwhile more than 12 million over-50s have saved tens of thousands of pounds in Isas.
Research shows it’s never too late to adopt and reap the health benefits from a more active lifestyle.
For example, older adults who are active will reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke to a similar level as younger people who are active.
If people have been inactive for a while, they can gradually build their activity to reach recommended levels.
Physical activity and exercise can help you stay healthy, energetic and independent.
Many adults aged 65 and over spend, on average, 10 hours or more each day sitting or lying down. This inactivity comes at a high cost with higher rates of falls, obesity and heart disease.
As we get older, it becomes even more important to remain active if we want to stay healthy and maintain our independence.
There’s strong evidence that people who are active have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, depression and dementia.
It is reccommended that people aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week, for example 30 minutes on at least 5 days a week.
Examples of moderate activity include:
walking fast
playing doubles tennis
pushing a lawn mower
water aerobics
riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
Even if people aren’t very active there are ways to safely increase the heart rate and start benefiting from the health benefits.
The NHS has some great resources to encourage the elderly to exercise, find out more on their website here.
For help looking after the elderly and more about how Deckchair care can help, see our main website https://www.deckchaircare.co.uk
According to a Department of Health report, there will be up to 28,000 fewer care workers in five years.
In a worse case scenario, the reduced service could mean people quiting jobs to care for relatives.
The report, a response to the call for evidence issued by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), says women in particular will be forced to take up the slack.
“Considering rising life expectancy, population structural changes (significant increases in those aged 85 and over) as well as increases in the number of people living with one or more long-term conditions, there are significant demand implications for the health and social care workforce,” it says.
“Unless we ensure such demand is met, there is a wider risk to labour market participation more generally, especially when considering increasing social care needs. If we fail to meet social care needs adequately we are likely to see a decrease in labour market participation levels, especially among women, as greater numbers undertake informal care.”
The report says there are already 90,000 vacancies in the sector.
Deckchair care are a Cheshire-based care agency helping relatives look after loved ones. We currently have capacity to help in a number of areas and are always happy to talk to people wanting to move into the caring profession.
Our Home Care Management Software helps clients, relatives and carers all work together to provide the best possible care experience.
Since opening in 2017, the team at Deckchair Care have been working to design a UK domiciliary care software package that helps manage scheduling, care planning, invoicing, communication, payroll, mileage and reporting.
Domiciliary Care Software (UK)
By replacing paperwork with an efficient online system, recording notes is quicker, simpler and less time-consuming. Everything previously recorded on paper can be replicated by the system. Including: medication records, visit notes, care plans and more.
Client Care plans are as flexible as a paper-based system, just much quicker to set up, change and manage. Care plans are made up of a schedule of appointments. Each appointment has an associated task list that needs to be carried out on attendance.
Home Care Scheduling Software
The main benefit of the software is that it allows client relatives access to the care notes. We find this builds trust and confidence and provides peace of mind.
“We have invested a lot of time in developing this software and the result is we save time and money and deliver a great service.”
The software is securely accessed via the internet so requires no downloads and works on every connected device. The core system has managed thousands of appointments so has everything needed to run a care agency.
Our domiciliary care software is especially useful for clients whose relatives live some distance away and want to keep up-to-date with the care being provided.
With the recent announcement that the government is investing £20bn in the NHS (which is obviously good news), the spotlight has again turned to social care funding – or lack of.
“Putting money into the NHS without putting it into social care is like pouring water down a sink with no plug in”
There is an estimated £2.5bn social care funding shortfall, but at least the government green paper on how to fix/fund it is due in the next few weeks.
