Telecare to help older or vulnerable people to live independently for longer

The Issue

The demand for acute hospital beds is forever increasing. Some of these beds are occupied by patients who cannot be safely discharged without reablement care packages, which could require daily care visits. They may occupy a bed for several days until Social Services can commission domiciliary care and visits from family who live nearby.

When people are living alone, possibly with mild cognitive impairment, they are at risk of falls, dehydration, malnutrition, hypothermia and other chronic medical conditions. Many vulnerable people do not have family or social networks that can undertake daily checks of wellbeing. Without prompt medical attention, they may have to be readmitted to hospital with consequent poor health and wellbeing outcomes. Readmission increases the probability that patients have to be discharged into costly residential care homes.

Percentage of correct use of pendants, DistanceLab study

A secondary problem is with traditional pendant alarms. Most people do not wear them continuously and they may have falls when unable to reach their push button or a telephone to call for help. As many as 30% never wear them, often leaving them on bedside tables.

The Solution

You can commission portable K-Sockets that monitor service user kitchens every hour of the day. After the first week of reablement, Kemuri automatically alerts major changes to patterns of daily activity. Family or carers receive email or text alerts before deciding what action, if any, is needed. Additionally, Kemuri can send alerts to 24/7 alarm response centres that are commissioned to respond a wide range of alarm calls.

Secondly, you can trial our prototype K-Fobs. Unlike traditional pendant alarms, they also monitor movement and temperature. Families or carers can be alerted that K-Fobs are not being worn and that there is a risk of hypothermia. No competitive products that can do this with a five-year battery life.

Neither product requires any installation skills. People can be discharged with a reablement packages that contain portable K-Sockets and K-Fobs*. * Note: K-Fobs need connection to the Sigfox network, which is being rolled out nationally.

What Next?

Plan a project for adding Kemuri technology into local health and care pathways. Start with discharge and reablement processes to assess the impact on health and care budgets and outcomes.

After reablement and assessment, offer service users long-term wellbeing monitoring. Under Care Act Guidance , everyone whose needs are met by local authorities, must receive personal budgets as part of a care or support plan. Following the financial assessment, the overall cost must be broken down into the amount people must pay and the remainder of the budget that councils will pay.

Recommend fixed K-Sockets for wellbeing monitoring. They replace double power sockets in kitchens, permanently connected to mains power supplies. Service costs are lower, but subject to an installation cost. K-Fobs are suitable for both reablement and wellbeing periods. Encourage families and friends to organise first response to alerts. This could reduce demand on contracted 24/7 alarm response services.

Please email hello@kemuri.io to arrange a call to discuss local needs for Kemuri’s innovative telecare services.