NHS Digital is sharing the findings from its innovation projects designed to develop and share technology in adult social care.
In collaboration with the Local Government Association, the £1m Social Care Digital Innovation Programme and £470,000 Social Care Digital Innovation Accelerator Programme delivered funding and support to 49 projects involving 69 council teams across England.
One project in Hampshire - Cobot technology for carers – collaborative robots (cobots) provided exoskeletal support to carers while lifting and handling people being cared for without the need for hoists or resorting to double-handed care.
In North Somerset, meanwhile, an app for care homes was used to monitor residents’ hydration levels and record the drink preferences of individuals.
The programmes concluded at the end of March and information on the products developed is available online so that other local authorities can use them.
More social care organisations are now being encouraged to adopt the technologies, which reduced hospital admissions, increased people’s independence and saved social care staff time and resources.
“Digital technology can make a huge difference to people’s lives and the projects funded through these programmes have improved social care as well as empowered people by giving them more control over their own wellbeing,” said NHS Digital social care programme lead James Palmer.
“Front line staff have worked incredibly hard to make these programmes successful and we now want to ensure these fantastic innovations can be adopted by more social care providers, local authorities and charities so that as many people as possible can experience the benefits they bring," he added.
