On 4 June, Monmouthshire County Council officially opened its assistive technology hub at Chepstow Community Hospital in Wales.

The assistive technology hub enables colleagues from the council and partner organisation Aneurin Bevan Health Board plus members of other external organisations to see what technological solutions are on offer for the residents of Monmouthshire.

Importantly, the hub may help professionals determine what equipment is available and beneficial for their service users prior to a referral being submitted to the Assitivetech Monmouthshire team.

The hub is made up of two interactive rooms – the Assistive Technology Bedroom and the Smart Technology Living Room – which showcase the various technological solutions available to support and enable people to live comfortably and securely in their own homes. Both rooms are located on the St Arvans ward of the hospital.

The hub was set up with four key aims in mind: falls prevention, rehabilitation, dementia care, and social isolation.

There are more than 30 assistive technology solutions on display in the rooms including smart screens that control curtain openers and smart plugs for appliances such as lamps or fans.

Smart doorbells give an increased sense of security, while video call software allows family members to easily keep in touch with loved ones. The video call software is designed to be a closed loop between the resident and their family to ensure privacy.

Outside of the home, GPS tracking devices are also a part of the set-up, allowing families to ensure their loved ones remain safe. A ‘safe zone’ can be created which represents the area in which the resident feels safe. Should they stray from that zone, the family will be notified and can take action if necessary.

There are also more traditional assistive technological solutions on display which link to the council’s lifeline service, which includes fall detectors and other environmental sensors.

A visit to the hub can be arranged through the Chepstow Smart Hub Booking System.

Medequip was recently awarded the Cornwall Community Equipment Loan Service contract by Cornwall Council.