One of the aspects of Holly Lodge which has made it unique is the huge amount of assistive technology which has been included. The supplier, Icom (www.telesupport.org.uk), worked with mcch’s Housing Team, the support team and families to ensure that they understood the needs of the individuals and could supply and deploy equipment creatively and effectively.
Four tenants have been at Holly Lodge for over a
year now, so we have had an opportunity to consider the impact of the
technology on the way that the tenants live and are supported.
The technology installed includes:
Panels in each property which feed alerts to DECT
(cordless) phones carried by staff. Staff also have alert pendants which help
to pinpoint them to within 1.5 metres when activated
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| PC management system |
A PC management system which
allows staff to manage the system and the supply company to dial-in remotely to
fix issues
Water management system which comprises sensors in the overflow of the
kitchen sinks, wash-hand basins and baths coupled with water shut-off valves
which stop the water supply if the water level reaches the overflow, thus
averting a flood.
This has allowed people to be left alone safely in their own
homes for periods of time, or use their own water supply or simply ‘play’ with
water when they would otherwise have to be supported or supervised.
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| Directional lighting |
Directional lighting from bedroom to bathroom. This is low level lighting
recessed in the ceiling and linked to the infrared door sensor. When someone triggers the infrared beam to the bedroom doorway the directional lighting is
activated to direct the tenant from their bedroom to their bathroom. As the
lighting is low it is intended not to wake the tenant as completely as normal
lighting, thus increasing their chances of being able to quickly return to
sleep. Staff report that after getting up during the night to go into the
bathroom, tenants are settling
more often than originally anticipated without staff support or intervention. It is not known for sure whether this lighting
has made a difference, or whether this is due to other factors such as staff
not being present, fewer stimuli than in shared accommodation and so on.
This lighting does not operate in reverse (ie
bathroom to bedroom) so it is unknown whether better/different outcomes could
have been achieved.
Infrared beams across the baths which alert
staff to tenants getting in the bath. There have been occasions when one tenant
has got in the bath whilst alone. Staff have been alerted to this and dealt
with the situation without further incident.
Passive
infrared sensors
which alert staff to periods of inactivity at times when they are expecting the
tenants to be moving around or activity during the night so they are aware of tenants’
movements in and out of these rooms. This allows tenants to be left alone to
sleep at night with a carer on site, but not in their homes.
Call buttons. One tenant has been using
the call button to tell staff that he needs attention. This is a major
breakthrough in his communication as he previously kicked the door. However, he
is not using the call button so much now as he has realised that he does have
free access to use his front door and to leave his home.
Door sensors are installed on the front
doors which alert staff when the door is opened/closed. One tenant has broken
his already, but the others are working and being used to advise staff of
tenants’ movements.
Small appliance
shut off devices
which can be programmed to deactivate appliances such as toasters and kettles
at specific times.
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| biometric (finger-print) reader |
Electric locks
which connect to biometric (finger-print) readers on the front and rear doors,
and also on the front gate. Staff report that the locks are slower to respond
than they had anticipated. However, they are still finding it quicker to access
the flats this way than having to find and then use one of a number of keys
that they would otherwise need to carry in order to access each flat. The
biometric readers also reduce the risk of keys being used as weapons or causing
accidental harm during physical encounters. They also eliminate the loss of
keys. Some of the biometric readers have been replaced with fobs which work on
a proximity sensor so that the door is unlocked by the time the person reaches
it. The biometric lock on the front gate had to be removed as the sunlight was
affecting it.
In addition to the package installed, the system
is also enabled for other telecare and telehealth devices to be integrated in
the future as people’s needs change.
Benefits and
cost savings
The assistive technology appears to have
benefited both tenants and staff. The tenants are able to have time by
themselves in their own homes and remain safe as technology sends various alerts
and reports to staff about their location or activities. Staff report feeling
safer because technology can pinpoint them to within a couple of metres so that
assistance can be summoned and arrive quickly.
It is very difficult to quantify direct cost
savings achieved as a result of the technology being present, although it is
clear that the tenants could not be supported in the same way without it. It is
likely that additional night time staff would have been needed to check on
tenants to ensure their safety or to be within their homes at night. Tenants being able to have time alone has
reduced some challenging behaviour which, in theory, may have otherwise resulted
in additional support costs. In the periods when tenants are in their own homes
alone, staff are able to catch up with paperwork and other indirect activities
which would otherwise have required additional time to be included in the
roster.
Anecdotally the managerial staff report fewer
instances of short term sickness in this staff group than at their previous locations.
Short term sickness can be an indicator of stress or unhappiness in the work
place and staff have reported feeling safer and happier working at Holly Lodge
due to the larger more flexible staff team, less ‘burn out, less sparse and
clinical environment and technology to help them summon assistance quickly.
