Technology supplier wins prestigious award for innovative use of telecare and telemonitoring systems in care homes
Tunstall Healthcare took home the ‘Technology in Care Homes’ award at last week’s Leaders in Care Awards for its use of telecare and telemonitoring systems in care homes, which has seen a reduction in emergency hospital admissions from care homes by 33 percent.
As part of the initiative, Tunstall Healthcare worked with NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group and its Quest for Quality in Care Homes programme.
The ‘Technology in Care Homes’ award category recognises how the growing use of technology in the care home sector is paramount to driving efficiencies and providing person-centred care, with the shortlist highlighting some of the most innovative technology suppliers serving the UK care home industry.
Tunstall’s three-times award-winning initiative has involved 1,300 care home residents across 38 homes since 2013, with a multidisciplinary team and care home staff working to improve care and prevent avoidable emergency hospital attendances and GP visits – typically for urinary tract and respiratory infections, falls and fractures.
The programme uses Tunstall’s telecare and telemonitoring systems and technology to support individual care plans for residents, enabling a more preventative and integrated approach.
Evaluation of the first two years of the programme (2014-16) showed:
- Emergency hospital admissions from care homes reduced by a third
- Cost of hospital stays reduced by £1,255,727
- GP care home visits reduced by 45 percent
The latest results show how telecare is helping to prevent falls in care homes. In the last year (2017/18 to 2018/19), admissions to hospital related to falls as a result of fractures have reduced by 18.6 percent, resulting in savings of more than £300,000.
Gavin Bashar, UK & Ireland Managing Director at Tunstall Healthcare, commented on the award win: “To be recognised as a leader in the care home technology space is a huge honour for our team, alongside NHS Calderdale CCG, who have worked tirelessly to monitor and improve the lives of elderly residents living in care.
“The project has created a new model for care delivery which is replicable and scalable, and addresses the challenge of care home residents being disproportionate users of health services.”
Programme Director Angus Honeysett added: “We’re delighted to win this award, it recognises the hard work that we do in the industry. But it’s not just about us – it’s about the people we work with on a day to day basis that make our job easier and help us make the Quest for Quality in Care Homes one of the most successful services of its kind in the country.
“It has not only generated efficiencies in terms of staff workload and reduced the impact on primary and secondary care, but it has improved the quality of care delivered, changing the lives of thousands of residents for the better.”
Tunstall Healthcare works with social care providers, healthcare services, retirement living providers, and nursing and care organisations in 38 countries, improving the lives of millions of people, including those living with dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and long-term health conditions.