Community equipment and housing adaptations: draft guidance - executive summary

Technology Enabled Care

Technology Enabled Care (TEC) is defined as "where outcomes for individuals in home or community settings are improved through the application of technology as an integral part of quality, cost effective care and support". Included under the definition of TEC, are community alarm and telecare services.

Telecare services support people to live safely at home with greater confidence, independence and freedom – often preventing or delaying admissions to care homes and hospitals, as well as supporting people on discharge from hospital. The service provides the person, their carers, and families with peace of mind and assurance of a rapid response should an incident occur.

In the context of the review of Adult Social care, and the proposals for a national Care Service, the provision of technology is acknowledged as an important mechanism to support the shift to more preventative services.

Overall strategy needs to be aligned with wider health and social care service objectives, in order to help maximise the potential of these services, to keep people safe and well in their own homes, preventing cost elsewhere in the health and social care system.

Key Actions

• Health and Social Care partners, with their Housing colleagues, should work together to maximise the opportunities provided by TEC, developing local strategy and policies, which help people to choose their own digital solutions as part of self-management and earlier intervention approaches, as well as utilising technology to address issues of isolation and frailty.
• This should include reviewing charging policies to ensure that these are not acting as a barrier in the system, preventing services from supporting those most vulnerable.