• Reshaping Care for Older People
• Care At Home
• Talking Points: User and Carer Involvement
• Commissioning
• Delayed Discharge
• Governance and Management
• Housing
• Integrated Transport with Care
• Intermediate Care
• Managed Care Networks
• Performance Improvement
• Rural and Remote
• Telecare in Scotland
  • Encouraging Innovation
  • Programme Board
  • Telecare Publications
  • Telecare Case Studies
  • Board Meetings
  • Programme background
  • Learning Network
  • Telecare Elsewhere

Encouraging Innovation

Introduction

An element of the overall Telecare Development Programme is used to facilitate innovation. The Telecare Programme Board have identified the following specific areas of activity as priorities.

• Investigate the potential impact of integrating Telecare & Telehealth within a local system
  
• Analyse and explore Contact Centre arrangements to ensure consistent, high quality, cost effective, initial response services across Scotland
  
• Integrate Telecare within Single Shared Assessment/Care Planning processes
  
• Demonstrate particular opportunities from Telecare/Telehealth for remote and rural locations

However this list is not exhaustive and partnerships may have their own ideas that would require support.

There is no formal process to identify and select "innovation projects", but we are keen to hear from partnerships that are interested and have the capacity to help take this agenda forward. Contact should be made with the Telecare Programme Manager to discuss – you can phone Moira Mackenzie on 0131 244 3366 or send an email via our contact us page.

Current Innovations being progressed

Telemetry-Supported Care for COPD

you can access the summary document Telemetry-Supported Care for COPD in Lothian Region here.

COPD Document [93Kb]

Using Electronic assistive technology to support people with dementia

The Joint Improvement Team (JIT) are pleased to support the launch of the Using electronic assistive technology to support people with dementia, by funding 400 free downloads of this practice guide. This publication is aimed at practitioners supporting the delivery of technology based support services to people with dementia. It seeks to inform the reader about the context in which technology can support a person with dementia and provide an education framework to train staff delivering these services.

To access all the information and access your free download click here.

Demonstrators of Older People's Housing, Support, Health and Care

JIT launched an initiative in December 2007 designed to identify the housing aspects of a managed shift in the balance of care for older people at a locality level; capture and disseminate the experiences of partners and develop practical tools to assist other local partnerships. Following a competitive bidding process, three health and social care partnerships - Highland, Inverclyde and West Lothian - have been awarded additional Telecare funds for "housing demonstrator projects". A brief synopsis of the three successful bids can be read here. Updates on progress will be provided at regular intervals.

Telecare Housing Demonstrator Projects [88Kb].

Further background details can be read for more information.

Demonstrator Application [262Kb]

Demonstrators of Home Based Telemonitoring to support Self Care in Long Term Conditions

Three health & social care partnerships - Lanarkshire, Lothian and Argyll & Bute - have been funded through the programme to implement projects aimed at supporting people with long term conditions to manage their symptoms and disease more effectively at home. The initial focus for all three projects is COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), but with plans to expand to support people with other conditions and within other home based settings, e.g sheltered housing.

Carers & Telecare

To better understand how telecare can be most effectively used to support unpaid carers, the Telecare Development Programme has entered into a partnership with Carers Scotland. A joint workplan has been agreed, which includes undertaking national research to analyse in greater detail the challenges and benefits of telecare for carers, making recommendations to the Telecare Programme Board for action where appropriate. The findings of the research were presentated at a Carers Scotland Conference, on 6 October 2009, a copy of which is available in the Telecare Publications section.

Visit by Princess Anne to Inverclyde Centre for Independent Living

Princess Anne spent 10 minutes discussing the merits of Telecare and its place in keeping individuals independent and safe in their homes, with Debbie Maloney and Alison Winter from Inverclyde Council. Debbie commented on how knowledgeable Princess Anne was about the use of Telecare and discussed some of the ethical issues around the equipment. The Princess was keen to hear about the role of Telecare for individuals who have dementia. The three then had a discussion about the Housing Demonstrator project and the Inverclyde perspective of support for older people and individuals with disabilities. The use of Telecare to support carers was also highlighted before going on to talk about Smart technology in mainstream housing.

Telehealth Award - Argyll and Bute

The telehealth team of Argyll and Bute recently scooped the coveted Innovation and Improvement Award at the Scottish Health Awards 2009 in Edinburgh. The award was presented by Nicola Sturgeon to Lynn Garrett Project manager, who said “I am thrilled to accept this award on behalf of the team and hope it will mean that telehealth work in Argyll and Bute will continue to go from strength to strength.