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Technology enabled care for the elderly

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<p style="text-align: left;">Our NHS is under increasing strain due to the vast number of delayed discharges, with many patients remaining in hospital despite being medically fit to leave. A major factor of this is the need to coordinate adequate support at home.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Elderly care technology, such as Canary Care’s remote home monitoring system, is stepping in as a vital solution – enabling quicker, safer discharges while promoting independent living. These tools not only improve outcomes for patients, but deliver cost-effective benefits for the NHS, offering a path toward a more resilient and effective healthcare model.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Impact of Bed Blocking on Hospitals and Patients</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A significant challenge facing the NHS is that an increased number of patients are experiencing delayed discharges – whereby someone is deemed medically fit to leave hospital but is not yet discharged.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Many organisations, hospitals, and NHS Trusts are looking to find new ways to reduce admissions and re-admission after discharge. Recently, in the 2024/25 Winter Letter, Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock, set out key priorities to empower the operational resilience of adult social care this winter. He highlights an “absolute focus” on the prevention of avoidable hospital and care home admissions to support independent living where possible and a better patient care experience.</p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong class="h5">Reasons for delayed discharges</strong></h2>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/delayed-discharges-from-hospital">Nuffield Trust &amp; The Health Foundation</a></p>
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<p>In May 2024, the primary reason for delays among patients hospitalised for seven days or longer was the need to arrange further support at home after discharge (23%), which can be coordinated by NHS community or adult social care services.</p>
<p>The total number of delayed patients in acute hospitals ready to be discharged had increased by 43% from an average of 8,545 patients per day in June 2021, to 12,223 patients per day in June 2024 – peaking at 14,096 in January 2024.</p>
<p>While social care is undoubtedly crucial in enabling older and vulnerable individuals to transition from hospital to home, additional measures can be taken to support both them and their carers within the community.</p>
<h2><strong class="h5">Technologies supporting elderly care</strong></h2>
<p>Technology-enabled care (TEC) devices, such as Canary Care’s <a href="https://www.canarycare.co.uk/products/">remote home monitoring system</a>, can play an enormous part in getting people home, and keeping them at home. We know that independent living for the elderly and vulnerable is important to them and, if they are well enough, being at home, feeling safe and confident, has a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.</p>
<p class="">Information plays a vital role in helping us care better and more effectively – not just to provide the much-needed cost savings, but to ensure people receive the right care, at the right time. Technology can provide this information – the insight, for example, that someone isn’t going into the kitchen at mealtimes, or that they are not putting themselves to bed or getting up several times in the night.</p>
<p>By gathering this information, we can understand a person’s individual needs better – and look after them better. Makes more sense, doesn’t it?</p>
<h2><strong class="h5">Cost-benefit analysis of elderly care technology</strong></h2>
<p>Elderly care technology provides a cost-effective alternative for both local authorities and the NHS. Despite the fact initial costs can be expensive, the long-term cost benefits, when technology-enabled care is implemented correctly, can make it incredibly worth it.</p>
<p>For the financial year 2024/25, the <a href="https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/data-and-charts/key-facts-figures-nhs">Department of Health and Social Care</a> recorded that the individual cost of an A&amp;E visit could vary from £91 to £445 – with the estimated cost of an ambulance attending an emergency costing between £287 to £417. In October 2024 alone there were over 2.3 million visits to A&amp;E for both minor and major admissions, with 34.5% of ambulance callouts being made up of people aged over 75 years old on average.</p>
<p>Stephen Kinnock notes that the NHS should be making the most effective use of same-day emergency care and virtual wards to prevent unnecessary time spent in hospital. The <a href="https://healthinnovationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Virtual-wards-benefits-and-sustainable-business-cases-WEB.pdf">Health Innovation Network</a>, South London, indicates that with the support of technology-enabled care systems, a virtual ward stay can cost up to an average of £1,958 less per patient than a typical inpatient hospital stay (the range being £357 &#8211; £4,500).</p>
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How elderly care technology helps unblock hospital beds

<p>Caring for a loved one or working in social care can be rewarding, but the physical and emotional demands – especially during later hours – can lead to recurring sleep issues.</p>
<p>For carers, ongoing sleep deprivation impacts daily functioning, causing constant fatigue, trouble concentrating, and feelings of discouragement. Over time, lack of sleep can significantly affect your wellbeing, increasing risks for conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression.</p>
<h2><strong class="h5">What causes sleep issues?</strong></h2>
<p>There are several pressures that can contribute to ongoing sleep issues, including:</p>
<ul data-rte-list="default">
<li>
<p class="">Financial worries.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="">Emotional strain.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="">Feelings of isolation.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class="">Heightened anxiety.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Learning how to support yourself through your sleep troubles is essential. This can include recognising the importance of self-care, establishing a sleep routine, seeking support from your wider support system, or using a remote <a href="https://www.canarycare.co.uk/products/">home monitoring system</a> to ease pressures. Let’s explore these further.</p>
<h2><strong class="h5">What can you do to improve your sleeping habits?</strong></h2>
<p><a href="https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advice/your-health-and-wellbeing/getting-enough-sleep/#:~:text=If%20your%20lack%20of%20sleep,to%20your%20peace%20of%20mind.">Carers UK</a> offers several effective techniques to help restore your sleep pattern, including:</p>
<ul data-rte-list="default">
<li><strong>Maintaining a Consistent Sleep Schedule:</strong> Establishing a regular bedtime and wake-up time supports a healthy sleep rhythm, which is crucial when caregiving disrupts your natural rest patterns.</li>
<li><strong>Limit Exposure to Bright Lights / Screens:</strong> Avoid looking at bright screens or harsh lights just before going to bed, as they can stimulate your brain making it harder to fall asleep.</li>
<li><strong>Relax Before Going to Bed:</strong> Engage in calming activities before bedtime, such as reading, listening to music, or by taking a long shower – to prepare your mind and body for a restful sleep.</li>
<li><strong>Start Journaling:</strong> Keep a notepad or journal nearby to jot down thoughts and feelings, allowing you to process them later without carrying the weight of worries into your sleep.</li>
<li><strong>Invest in Technology-Enabled Care (TEC) Devices:</strong> Using TEC devices, such as motion detector sensors, to support your care journey could help take some of the stress out of your day-to-day demands.</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong class="h5">How can a smart home monitoring system help to prevent sleeping troubles?</strong></h2>
<p class="">There are several benefits that technology enabled care devices offer to care providers during their day-to-day routines &#8211; helping promote healthy sleeping habits. With Canary Care’s <a href="https://www.canarycare.co.uk/products/">smart home monitoring system,</a> caregivers can stay informed about the safety and wellbeing of the ones they care for.</p>
<p class="">Our <a href="https://shop.canarycare.co.uk/">multifunction sensors</a> provide 24/7 insights into activity in key areas of the home such as the living room or bedroom, while also tracking temperature and light levels. When paired with our <a href="https://shop.canarycare.co.uk/">door magnets</a>, users can monitor when people are exiting or entering the property and track when a loved one has opened a kitchen cupboard or the fridge to prepare food. All activity data is sent to the <a href="https://www.canarycare.co.uk/products/">Canary Care portal,</a> triggering real-time updates with SMS or email notifications, ensuring swift action can be taken if anything out of the ordinary is detected.</p>
<p class="">Leveraging smart care technology can support independent senior living but also support carers and their sleeping routines – offering a reliable system that helps to reduce pressures, stressors, and anxieties that would usually disturb a good night&#8217;s sleep.</p>
<h2><strong class="h5">Where can you seek extra support?</strong></h2>
<p class="">As a carer, feelings of isolation can be common, but sharing your concerns with someone can have a positive impact on your peace of mind. Several support systems are available to help you regain control over your sleep habits, especially if managing them alone feels overwhelming.</p>
<p class="">Speaking with your GP can be a great first step to address stressors affecting your sleep, such as anxiety, depression, or physical pain. They can help you identify any undiagnosed issues like sleep apnoea or chronic fatigue, which might be impacting your quality of rest. If you have specific health concerns, your GP is the ideal starting point for getting personalised recommendations.</p>
<p class="">Connecting with family or friends can also offer emotional relief. Even if they can’t change the situation directly, knowing that they’re there to listen can reduce stress, provide comfort, and allow you to take time for yourself while they take over some of the care duties.</p>
<p class="">Local support groups and services for unpaid carers can provide valuable assistance, such as sitting services, respite care, and emotional support to relieve daily pressures. If you haven’t already, consider obtaining a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/social-care-and-support/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-assessments/">carers assessment</a> from your local council or trust. This can open the door to a wider range of essential resources; from practical help and training to specialised care equipment &#8211; helping you better manage caregiving and sleep.</p>


Managing your sleep as a carer

<h2 class="blog-item-top-wrapper h5">How can setting rules for your sensors enhance safety and support for independent living?</h2>
<p class="blog-item-title"><span style="font-size: 16px;">The Canary Care home monitoring system transforms home care for loved ones by providing real-time activity data that supports their safety and independence discreetly and effectively. Our </span><a style="font-size: 16px;" href="https://shop.canarycare.co.uk/">multifunction sensors</a><span style="font-size: 16px;"> offer a wide variety of valuable insights including:</span></p>
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<li>Movement.</li>
<li>Door Activity &amp; State.</li>
<li>Temperature.</li>
<li>Light Levels.</li>
</ul>
<p class="">Our sensors offer a significant advantage over traditional wearable devices, such as an alarm necklace or pendant alarm, by providing round-the-clock, non-intrusive monitoring that also supports the <a href="https://www.canarycare.co.uk/news/home-first-how-the-new-labour-government-can-use-technology-to-protect-social-care/">UK government’s ‘Home First’</a> approach to adult social care.</p>
<p class="">Through Canary Care’s <a href="https://mycanary.co.uk/mycanary/">online portal</a>, you can easily configure “rules” to a motion detector sensor to monitor specific activities within certain time periods and detect abnormalities in daily habits. Setting rules can help identify various situations, such as potential falls, if a loved one has gotten out of bed, property entry and exit, or temperature changes that may indicate hypothermia, cardiovascular, or respiratory risks.</p>
<p class="">By setting up sensors throughout the home, you’re able to monitor activity unique to your loved one’s routine and adapt your assistance to their care needs. Let’s take a look at these rules in more detail.</p>
<h2 class="sqs-html-content"><strong class="h5">How do I configure a new rule?</strong></h2>
<p class="">It’s simple:</p>
<p class="">1. Log into the <a href="https://mycanary.co.uk/mycanary/">Canary Care portal</a> via a web browser, either on a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile phone.</p>
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<p class="">2. Select ‘Rules’ from the ‘Configure’ menu on the left of the portal dashboard.</p>
<p>3. Select which multifunction sensor you wish to add a new rule for, then click ‘Add New Rule’.</p>
<p>4. Add a ‘Rule Type’ you want the sensor to detect and fill in the required fields.</p>
<h2 class="sqs-html-content"><strong class="h5">What ‘rules’ can I configure?</strong></h2>
<p class="">It’s important to identify rules that will best suit the needs of the person you’re caring for. For example, if they often leave the house during later hours of the day, wake up frequently during the night, or are at risk of falling without assistance, tailored rules can help monitor these activities and alert you when necessary.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rule Type: ‘No Movement Detected’</strong></span></p>
<p class="">The ‘No Movement Detected’ rule lets you track your loved one’s routine by notifying you when expected activity doesn’t occur in areas of the home where you’d usually expect activity to be registered.</p>
<p class=""><strong>Suggested Use &#8211; Monitoring Usual Activity: </strong>If your loved one typically starts the day around the same time, let&#8217;s say at 7:30am, you can set up a ‘No Movement Detected’ rule for a sensor placed in the hallway or landing between 7am and 9am. This way, you’ll be alerted if they don’t leave their bedroom in the morning as expected.</p>
<p class=""><strong>Suggested Use – Monitoring Regular Eating Patterns: </strong>The ‘No Movement Detected’ rule can also be used to monitor whether your loved one is eating at regular mealtimes. Place a sensor and door magnet either in a fridge or cupboard door and set the rule to be active between 11:30am and 1pm.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rule Type: ‘House Unoccupied’</strong></span></p>
<p class="">The ‘House Unoccupied’ rule helps you monitor if your loved one has left the property. This rule functions in two stages:</p>
<ol data-rte-list="default">
<li>
<p class=""><strong>Arming: </strong>The rule will ‘arm’ when the specified door sensor (e.g. Front Door) detects the door opening or closing.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class=""><strong>Triggering: </strong>The rule will then ‘trigger’ if no movement is detected on any other sensor within the home during a set timeframe, such as 15 minutes or an hour – indicating the home may be unoccupied.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p class="">This rule can be used on any exit routes from the home, whether it be the front door, back door, or side entrances.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rule Type: ‘Remained Too Long’</strong></span></p>
<p class="">The ‘Remained Too Long’ rule functions as a <strong>passive </strong>fall detection system, helping you monitor prolonged inactivity in specific areas of the home. While Canary Care <strong>is not </strong>an emergency falls alarm system, this rule can serve as a useful compliment to a personal fall alarm, providing added reassurance.</p>
<p class="">The rule operates in two stages:</p>
<ol data-rte-list="default">
<li>
<p class=""><strong>Arming: </strong>The rule will ‘arm’ when movement is detected by a specified sensor entering an area of the home.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p class=""><strong>Triggering:</strong> If activity isn’t detected on any other sensor from arming within a set time frame, such as 30 minutes, the rule will trigger, signalling prolonged inactivity and a potential fall.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p class=""><strong>Suggested Use – Potential Fall in the Bathroom: </strong>If you’re concerned about falls in the bathroom, you can set a ‘Remained Too Long’ rule on a sensor. This will trigger an alert if no activity is detected elsewhere in the home in a 30-minute period throughout the day after initial movement is registered.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class=""><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Rule Type: ‘No Movement For’ (X minutes in period Y)</strong></span></p>
<p class="">The ‘No Movement For’ rule is ideal for monitoring areas of the home where your loved one typically spends significant time and where you’d expect to see regular movement, such as the living room. Unlike the ‘Remained Too Long’ rule, which helps detect extended stays in less-frequent areas like the bathroom or hallways, this rule operates in a single stage.</p>
<p class=""><strong>Suggested Use – No Movement in the Living Room: </strong>The rule will ‘trigger’ if no movement is detected by the specific sensor within a set period (e.g. 60 minutes) over a larger timeframe. If your loved one usually spends mornings in the living room, configure a ‘No Movement For’ rule on the living room sensor, active between 8am and 1pm. The rule will trigger an alert if there is no movement for any continuous 60-minute period within that time frame.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="">Each of our ‘rules’ offers unique capabilities to support the safety and independence of your loved ones, helping them stay confidently at home for longer.</p>
<p class="">Explore all the available ‘rules’ in the <a href="https://mycanary.co.uk/mycanary/">Canary Care portal</a> or <a href="https://www.canarycare.co.uk/contact/">get in touch</a> with our team to learn more.</p>
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Configuring sensor rules

<p class="">A year on from the 75th anniversary of the founding of Britain’s National Health Service, the Labour Government has once again underlined its proposals to create something along similar lines for adult social care.</p>
<p class="">One of Labour’s five driving missions is to build an NHS fit for the future, an ambition which has. social care reform is at its heart.</p>
<p class="">This includes a principle of ‘home first’ care that supports people to live independently for as long as possible.”</p>
<p class="">In his <a href="https://labour.org.uk/updates/press-releases/wes-streeting-speech-at-labour-party-conference-2024/">first speech as Health Secretary to the Labour Party Conference</a>, Wes Streeting stated his belief that the healthcare of the future will be “more predictive, more preventative and more personalised than ever before” and that making it a reality would requiring “new technologies at scale”.  We agree.</p>
<p class="">Recently, Stephen Kinnock, the new Minister of State for Care, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-social-care-winter-letter-2024-to-2025/adult-social-care-winter-letter-2024-to-2025">wrote to the chief executives of all local authorities and directors of adult social services in England</a> (Scotland and Wales have devolved responsibility for these services).</p>
<p class="">In the letter, the Minister said he looked forward to working with “local government and the adult social care sector as we embark upon an ambitious long-term programme of reform with a view to creating a National Care Service”.</p>
<p class="">Kinnock added that one of the key pillars for both the short and long-term vision of social care is “a ‘home first’ approach that supports people to live independently for as long as possible”. This is important for both quality of life and to keep costs down.</p>
<h2 class="h5">Benefits of tech‑enabled care for local authorities and care providers</h2>
<p class="">In the most recent year for which data is available, the total cost of adult social care in England was £28.4 billion and the number of people seeking social care support has been steadily increasing year-on-year, exceeding 2 million in 2022/23.</p>
<p class="">The system is under huge strain. For a National Care Service to be a success, it must include an assisted-living component or risk collapse.</p>
<h2 class="h5">How technology supports a home‑first approach to care</h2>
<p class="">Technology will be the enabler for this home-first approach to social care. Canary Care is already spearheading this. We provide our smart technology to more than 100 <a href="https://www.canarycare.co.uk/local-authorities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local authorities</a>, NHS organisations and care providers to support families.</p>
<p class="">The most commonly used tech in assisted-living settings today, such as wearable pendants, is becoming outdated in the face of new innovations. Canary Care uses a sophisticated yet easy-to-install and use package of technology to monitor the activity of vulnerable people in their own homes, including bathroom visits, sleep, temperature and visitors to the home. Unlike some intrusive systems, Canary Care does not use microphones or cameras, giving people dignity and privacy in their own homes.</p>
<p class="">Easy access through a web portal means people are able to leave hospital, reducing the number of blocked beds, and live in an assisted way in their own home for as long as possible.</p>
<p class="">The Canary Care system helps ease the pressure on finite public resources, saving hundreds of thousands every year.</p>
<p class="">But don’t just take our word for the benefits.</p>
<p class="">The Local Government Association (LGA) believes that investing more in supported accommodation, like the independent, assisted living enabled by Canary Care, could yield <a href="https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/investment-supported-accommodation-would-mean-vital-savings-public-purse-councils">significant savings to the public purse</a>. The association has published a series of case studies ahead of the Autumn Budget including a scheme in Bradford that showed savings of £47,000 per person savings to the NHS.</p>
<p class="">The LGA is calling on the Labour government to use the Autumn Budget to review how they fund supported housing and consider a specific housing support fund so that long term investments can be made by councils and savings can be made across the public sector. It says that previous analysis has suggested that investing £1.6 billion in supported housing would have savings of over £3.4 billion.</p>
<p class="">Given our proven track record, we are in a prime position to help local authorities deliver on these potential savings.</p>
<p class="">Social care is certainly close to breaking point due to increasing demand. Yet we show on a daily basis just how money can be well spent. As the new Government considers how to implement its proposed National Care Service, Canary Care is happy to contribute findings from our own successful implementations.</p>


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