Nov 17, 2020
Connected care and health solutions provider Tunstall Healthcare launched its Carecom Care Assist System to the UK market in early 2020. It’s use became even more notable when the COVID-19 crisis hit and the product was utilised to support care homes to keep residents and staff safe.
Carecom has been developed to meet the demands of modern care delivery in residential and nursing care homes, moving beyond traditional fixed call points using wireless technology to enable care to be more efficient and responsive, and allow for straightforward, non-obtrusive installation.
Park View Nursing Home in Halifax is a 41 bed home offering comprehensive and individualised 24 hour care, and was the first home in the UK to use the new technology. Jason Sharpe, Operations Manager, said: “The new system has made such a massive difference to everyone’s lives – residents, staff and relatives. Residents feel much safer knowing how quickly they can get help at the touch of a button. It’s enabled us to improve the way we deliver care in ways no traditional system ever could.”
As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the dedicated staff at Park View isolated at the home for nine weeks. The Carecom Care Assist System was configured to enable care to be delivered in bubbles – the staff were split into three teams and were allocated to care for specific residents, reducing the risk of any cross infection and enabling residents to be isolated should this be required.
Jason Sharpe added: “Without Carecom it would have been so much harder to protect our residents during the pandemic. It’s made such a difference to staff, residents and families already, but during the last few months it’s been absolutely invaluable. I don’t know how other care homes are managing without it.”
Care home residents are offered a high degree of security and freedom, with receivers placed around the building and locatability beacons placed at strategic locations, which interact with smart pendants. These products allow users to raise alarm calls but also offer benefits including cancel at source, access control and geofencing. The system also supports numerous telecare integrations and sensors, and offers automatic alarms, along with actionable data insight that can help to detect changes in the behaviour of residents.
Working across a number of devices, including mobile phones, carers are able to manage the system from anywhere onsite at any time, securing rapid responses and enabling person-centred care delivery. The mobile application can be used to manage workflow to create a more effective care delivery team whilst the customisable reporting platform supports management in making better informed, data-driven decisions.
Gavin Bashar, UK & Ireland Managing Director at Tunstall Healthcare, commented: “Technology has never had greater potential to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Products like Carecom, which already supports over 60,000 residents across Europe, enable care to be tailored to suit the individual, and accommodate their changing needs, as well as keeping them as independent as possible. It also supports staff, giving them the information they need to provide timely, dignified and person-centred care, and work in the most effective way.
“As it appears we may be managing the challenges presented by the pandemic for some time yet, Tunstall can provide advice on the ways technology can help care homes to protect their residents, and create a resilient platform for future care delivery.”
