Cardiff Council ARMED image

Following advice from health and social care professionals in the UK to switch to remote interaction where possible during the pandemic, Cardiff Council has provided residents with innovative wearables that can help to identify certain health risks early on.

Developed by HAS Technology, the ARMED (Advanced Risk Modelling for Early Detection) wearable software has been implemented by Cardiff Council as part of its telecare response service. This service helps to put preventative health measures in place for Cardiff residents and identify risks remotely.

ARMED allows users to quickly access data for better self-management, while healthcare professionals can be quickly alerted of potential issues or risks.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ARMED software was adapted so that it could be implemented remotely, thus reducing risk of spreading the virus by removing face-to-face contact, while still facilitating identification of health issues and risks.

Aaron Edwards, Implementation and Delivery Manager at Cardiff Council, and Chair of the Assistive Technology Network for Wales, commented: “I was worried that the pandemic would increase falls further. Research shows a clear link between those who fall frequently and serious injury or entry into residential care.

“With this assistive technology, our residents are able to monitor their daily health and mobility, and our professional support network will be alerted to any potential risk trends.

“As this point, we may speak to their GP, the Independent Living Service, or Community Rehab physios and put a plan in place to manage falls prevention.”

Cardiff Council has identified twenty residents as having a potential ‘falls risk’, who have now been provided with ARMED’s smartwatches, so that their sleep and mobility data can be monitored remotely.

Brian Brown, Director of HAS Technology’s ARMED service, said: “We are delighted to be working with Cardiff Council on their Telecare project. ARMED has not only shown how assistive technology can be of benefit during a time of crisis, but also how it can support the sector as we move forward to a new normal way of working.

“We are all anticipating additional pressures as the pandemic progresses and our wearable technology really highlights how having remote but real time access to data can support preventative measures. The goal is to ultimately improve the life of the end user and help them to age well.”

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