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A new report from technology-enabled care (TEC) specialist TakingCare has revealed how much money telecare could save the NHS each year, as forecasts predict the UK’s population of over-75s could double in the next 10 years.

The report analyses the impact that falls and the UK’s increasing ageing population will have on the NHS. It also considers how telecare could play a large part in preventing falls-related hospital admissions.

Currently, there are over 5.5 million people aged 75 and above in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is eight percent of the total population.

Yet, forecasts from Projecting Older People Population Information (POPPI) reveal that there will be 7.1 million people in the UK aged 75 and above by 2035. This equates to 15 percent of the total population, doubling the number of over-75s in the UK in the next decade.

TakingCare analysis reveals that an elderly person aged over 80 falls every 10 seconds in the UK. This means around six elderly people fall every minute in the UK, which is around 8,500 falls a day, it says.

According to the report, one in three over-65s have at least one fall a year. However, the risk of falls increases to one in two for people aged over 80.

One in five falls experienced by people aged over 80 result in hospital visits, according to POPPI. For people aged over 70, one in 10 falls result in a hospital visit. This shows that as people get older, the chance of a fall requiring hospital admission dramatically increases.

The report goes on to mention that National Library of Medicine data shows that between 10 and 25 percent of ambulance callouts for those aged 65 and over are due to falls.

Falls are classed as a category three ambulance callout, meaning they are considered urgent calls that are not immediately life-threatening but require treatment to relieve suffering, such as pain management as well as transportation or clinical assessment.

This could be costing the NHS as much as £350 million per year to respond to older people who have experienced a fall, particularly if the older person requires A&E triage and an overnight stay in hospital, the report emphasises.

Factors that can increase the likelihood of a fall include bad weather, poor lighting, uneven or slippery surfaces, poor vision, dizziness or loss of balance, and trip hazards around the home.

To help alleviate a lot of this pressure and prevent hospital admissions, the TakingCare report highlights that personal alarms could help save the NHS over £200 million in ambulance- and falls-related costs.

Personal alarms often call either a nominated person, such as a carer or family member, or an alarm-receiving centre to notify that someone has had a fall. This helps remove the need to call an ambulance immediately, as a professional can see the person who has fallen to assess if there are any injuries or serious health risks that require hospital attention. Overall, if more people used personal alarms, this would alleviate significant pressure off the NHS, the report argues.

Last year, TakingCare worked with telecare manufacturer Chiptech to launch an innovative digital personal alarm that works during network outages through using two multi-network SIMs. The device is also designed to combat the impact of the digital phoneline switchover that is due to be completed by 2025. Find out more about the digital personal alarm here.

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