People with dementia can be prone to wandering, leading to an increased risk of accident for them, and great distress for carers.

Ownfone Footprint is a wearable device that combines a tracker with a simple mobile phone, and can make a big difference to life with dementia.

It links with a smartphone, and includes both GPS tracking and a geo-fencing facility, to help keep the wearer safely in a predefined area.

You can read more details here

 

Medpage MP5 Epilepsy Alarms have been detecting night-time seizures for more than 20 years, and the range has proven successful and affordable ever since. It is still the bestselling seizure alarm, as it has been since it was launched.

The latest addition to the range is a seizure detection system with SmartPhone connectivity.

A free app is available to download, which will provide seizure alarms, seizure diary updates, set up control of the monitor, and an option for automatically dialling a stored in emergency contact, which is triggered by detection of a seizure.

Read more about it here

 

The respexi is a dedicated touchscreen tablet that provides isolated individuals in the home with the ability to stay in touch with family, friends and carers – through messages, reminders, face-to-face video calls, photos and radio.

It requires a broadband internet connection to function.

New features are being added all the time – for example, mHealth (mobile health) check results can be uploaded to a secure website for access by a GP or nurse, as necessary.

There is a case study involving a deafblind user, here

 

 

Centra Pulse is the largest independent provider of telecare services in Britain, and their Vega GPS watch extends the range of support for when the wearer is out and about.

The waterproof watch has a long battery life, and as well as GPS tracking, so that the wearer never gets lost, the easy-to-use alarm button on the side will put them in touch with emergency help using a two-way speaker connected to the company's call centre

You can read more about the Vega GPS watch here

 

Remembering to take the right pills at the right time can make the difference between someone being able to live independently in their own home, or not.

PivoTell, the specialist automated pill dispenser for complex medication regimes, was extensively trialled in a project in the East and West Midlands, which produced very positive results, including:

• fewer home visits to remind users to take their medication
• fewer hospital admissions because of over- or under-medicating
• clients feeling more confident, enjoying better quality of life.

There are four case studies here

 

The last product to be featured here is not strictly telecare, but very often provided alongside telecare packages, as an essential support.

The police-approved C500 KeySafe is a secure way to leave a spare key outside the home, so that authorised visitors can get access. It is permanently fixed to the outside wall, and is just large enough to contain a few keys. It is unlocked by entering the correct code on a pushbutton keypad. There are more than 4000 possible codes, and you can change the combination as often as you like.

More details here

 

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Until next time, when we will be looking at daily living aids.

All good wishes,

Frances