New healthy ageing technology is rolled out in Suffolk
A rapid roll out of a new care technology service, commissioned by Suffolk County Council, looks to enhance the safety and independence of elderly and vulnerable residents across the county.
The project is being lead by Rethink Partners, a leading transformation agency, in partnership with Alcove, an assistive technology developer based in the East of England. Alcove’s core focus is on intelligent care technology developed to enhance independent living and healthy ageing for older and disabled adults, helping to reduce the strain on care and support service providers.
The contract, worth c£15m, involves the roll out of key Alcove technologies including Alcove digital sensors (movement and access) linked to the Alcove hub, which allows practitioners, care workers and loved ones to supervise the service user remotely and collect data routinely on their well-being and daily living habits on the Alcove data platform.
Support for daily living and to enhance safety and independence is also provided through devices such as the Cassius Go Wearable; a device worn on a lanyard that allows the user to call for help in the event of an illness or call. One of the most notable devices is the Cassius Communicate Video Carephones, which were initially rolled out across the south east in huge numbers during the first lockdown (March-July 2020). The Carephones allowed vulnerable and shielding members of the community to stay in touch with loved ones and service providers during a distressing and isolating time. Alcove is really demonstrating the extra benefit that digital, IoT technology can provide to councils and local residents.
Sam Bassett, Digital Care and Innovation Lead at Suffolk County Council said: “We are so proud of the rapid progress and great results our partnership approach with Rethink Partners and Alcove has achieved already – and there is so much more untapped potential to come.”
We are really excited in Suffolk to be pioneering a truly digital and aspirational approach to care technology for local residents, and to be able to stand behind clear evidence of the immense impact that a groundbreaking digital offer and approach can deliver.
The roll out was implemented in an exceptionally short time frame, and in just 50 days Rethink Partners and Alcove have already delivered training to over 500 social care practitioners in the new Cassius technology. Rethink Partners believe that key to this fast-paced impact has been the work on changing the culture around the adoption of new technologies amongst staff. Rethink Partners shared that “Confidence in recommending care technology as part of a care package is increasing substantially too – by the end of training in Q3, there was a staggering 1500% increase in confidence (in those that felt ‘very confident’ in recommending and referring care technology and in assessing the impact of technology)”
