Home Aware – using technology to enhance care

As a brand Home Instead Senior Care are committed to remaining at the forefront of developments in the home care sector and then sharing new ideas across their franchise network.

They are focused on complementing the services they provide through innovative technology. Their aim is to take a ‘high tech, high touch’ approach. Technology will never replace Home Instead’s personal approach; however, it can be used to enhance their care, particularly in the hours when CAREGivers are not with their clients.

Home Instead recently launched ‘Home Aware’, a new technology service that helps older people to stay in their homes for longer.  This uses a range of smart sensors in the home to build a picture of the activities of an older person, such as their sleep patterns and the frequency of bathroom visits.

The sensors can alert care teams that an older person has been less active than usual – or even whether a kettle has been turned on and off repeatedly – a common sign of dementia.

This information helps franchisees to adjust the care they provide so that it matches their clients’ individual needs more closely. By understanding meaningful changes and patterns in the home, franchisees can plan and deliver a more personalised care service.

Actively making a difference

To ensure new initiatives are effective, Home Instead pilot them with their eager and willing offices. Home Aware was trialled throughout 2018 within a number of Home Instead franchises.  The franchisees involved in the trial and their CAREGivers found that the insights helped them to design better care plans.

In one instance sensors told the team that the client had been in bed for longer than usual for them, prompting the team to contact the client prior to their next scheduled visit. It turned out that the client was, indeed, unwell and an additional visit was arranged that day and a visit to the GP arranged.

For the client this early intervention meant they received treatment swiftly.

The technology is now being rolled out across the Home Instead network, providing an enhancement to the care their franchisees are able to deliver.

It’s no surprise that Home Instead Senior Care franchisees hold over 50 ‘Outstanding’ ratings from the CQC (Care Quality Commission) the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England, for the care they provide – more than any other home care provider.