TAPPI Cast – 6 November 2023

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Welcome to TAPPI Cast, our weekly update on the 'Technology for our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation' (TAPPI) project which aims to improve the way technology is used in housing and care for older people. Includes updates from our 6 Testbeds, Resources and Events of interest.

Before we dive in, you may have seen TSA's Business Pressures and Opportunities Survey 2023. Find out more and complete the survey here (opens new window).  

We also wanted to inform you about Tuesday's Digital Switchover - Housing Migration Workshop. Thanks to BT/EE for collaborating in cohosting a workshop with the Housing LIN at their London headquarters. The workshop aimed to examine the process of migrating analogue landlines to new digital technology for people in retirement housing. Find out more here

Updates from our Testbeds:

 


We are pleased to see Vikki Hiscocks, the Head of Research and Development at Pobl Group, discussing TAPPI and its significant potential for enhancing technology in housing and care for older individuals in a recent article published in Welsh Housing Quarterly. We look forward to publishing this article as a Housing LIN guest blog in 2 weeks time. 

 

Our TAPPI 2 pop-up show-apartment (opens new window) is now open at The Heriotts in Droitwich! Technology has been installed to show how it can help our older customers remain safer, independent and connected in their own homes for longer.

For a tour, email daniel.rock@platformhg.com

 


On Tuesday, Community based voluntary group ‘Coffee and Computers’ attended Brookside House to provide a session on scam awareness and how to stay safe online. This was an informative session in which residents of Brookside and TAPPI Participants received valuable advice on how they can spot the differences between fraudulent and genuine emails, texts, WhatsApp messages, and phone calls. As well as general advice on how to stay safe online, for example by the use of strong passwords.

 


5 tenants have agreed to trial a RIO for assistance when out in the community unsupported. The RIO allows the tenant to speak directly to the staff that know them from Spencer House which offers reassurance to the tenant.

So far the feedback has been good and the tenants have embraced their new devices and locations have been recorded accurately.

We have had one false alert where a tenant wearing a RIO jumped off a bus and the RIO recorded this as a fall, but we take that as a positive as it proves the RIO is recording the unusual movement. I have spoken to our AMBA representative and the sensitivity of devices can be adjusted if this becomes a common occurrence.

The RIO is proving easier for the people we support to use than the PEARL as there is only one button on the front so it is less confusing for people

Following an incident with a tenant going outside in the early hours of the morning, we have set up an alert on his door sensor to notify staff if he opens his front door between the hours of 10pm and 7am so they can respond in a timely manner, the alerts are working extremely well.

A pain check was used once at Westwood to support a tenant with symptoms of Dementia to establish levels of pain, the doctor enquired about this device as he was unaware of it. It helped him to change the tenant's medication as it showed that she was still in pain. The doctor was very impressed that we were using this technology especially as we are not a care home. The doctor was asking a lot of positive questions and was very interested in us using it. We were surprised we had no negative feedback.

 



This week, Bield has been part of a group working with the TSA to develop a case study on the integration of digital solutions. We have shared some of our findings and experience from the TAPPI project to inform the case study which will be from a tenant’s perspective.

Publications of interest:

Making housing work for older people

In light of the government establishing the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, Gavin Bashar, UK Managing Director at Tunstall Healthcare, considers how technology can be deployed to make all housing solutions work for older people. 

Living in an ageing society report (opens new window)

Home healthcare technology provider, BirdieCare has commissioned independent research to investigate the attitudes and behaviours of those who will soon enter their ‘golden years’, with concerning findings.

Forthcoming events of interest:

Click here (opens new window) for a list of all forthcoming TAPPI related events, including:

  • Tunstall Roadshows | Navigating the digital journey (opens new window) from 20/09/23 to 21/11/23
    Tunstall is taking to the road, connecting with their customers and pairing up with partners to bring you all the latest on IP! Join their interactive workshop sessions for all the latest news on the digital transition, with top tips for planning and delivering your strategy, practical best practice examples, and actionable insights to help you make the most of the new communication era.
     
  • The Future of Technology in Health & Social Care: Creating Partnerships & Changing Lives (opens new window) - 08/11/23 9:00 - 15:30
    TSA invites you to attend this free one-day event taking place at the iconic Kia Oval, Surrey County Cricket Club in Kennington, London. The day will commence with an opening by TSAs Chief Executive Alyson Scurfield. Her words will set the stage for a series of engaging talks, including a heartwarming and insightful session by Debra Edwards, a Tenant Champion from the London Borough of Haringey. This will provide attendees with an invaluable perspective from a person with lived experience, and the impact of technological advancements on real lives.
     
  • ITEC Conference 2024 (opens new window) (Delegate Tickets Now Available To Book) - 18/03/24 - 19/03/24 
    TSA are excited to announce the return of the International Technology Enabled Care Conference, taking place on the 18-19 March 2024 at the ICC in Birmingham. Set against the backdrop of our overarching themes for the conference: Enabling Personalised Outcomes, Harnessing the Power of Data, and Transforming Knowledge into Action, this promises to be an exceptional gathering for forward-thinkers in our industry.