Wirral council to digitalise fluid monitoring across care homes in the county
Medical equipment supplier Aquarate and Wirral Council are working on a new project that is being rolled out to various care homes to reduce the number of UTIs, falls and constipation among residents across Wirral’s care environments, creating a safer and more comfortable life for them.
The use of Aquarate’s Hydracare system is also set to create a huge potential cost saving for Wirral through productivity savings and a decrease in antibiotics prescribed and unnecessary hospital admissions.
Michael Hanrahan, Telecare and Telehealth Manager for Wirral Council commented: “As commissioners of services for our most vulnerable people.
“Hydracare offers the opportunity to confirm that they are properly hydrated, resulting in better health for them, while reducing the workload on hard-working care home staff.
“Avoidable falls and urinary tract infections (UTIs) amongst older people remain a concern in Wirral.
“Correct hydration levels are fundamental to a person’s health and wellbeing, with clear and repeated evidence describing how falls and UTIs can be minimised by tackling dehydration.
“Increasingly, CQC requires evidence that good care is being provided. Hydracare provides evidence that hydration levels are monitored and appropriate action is taken if someone needs additional fluids or requires a restriction on fluid intake.
“Operationally, care home managers can be confident that care is being delivered, while relatives are reassured that their loved one is in receipt of the best care.”
The Hydracup features fluid intake measurements, measuring fluid volume round-the-clock so that carers can see exactly how much patients have had to drink. Spill detection, intelligent fall and impact detection alert carers via the Hydratrack app.
Carers and healthcare professionals can use the Hydratrack app for real-time fluid intake data, eliminating the need for paper based records to fill in, and carers can see personalised consumption data flow. Fluid intake history, a record of previous intake data. Spill alerts when accidents happen patients can receive immediate attention. And finally, restricted fluid management, the ability to check when patients or residents have surpassed their allowable consumption limit.
In addition, the device is engineered to be commercial dishwasher safe for easy and quick cleaning of up to 60°C, and also has a 5-day battery life and when the battery is low it gives a 24-hour notice with a red light.
Rebecca Taylor, CEO of Aquarate said: “It is fantastic to see the region coming together to tackle some of the serious issues seen within care.
“We aim to support Wirral’s digital transformation by providing a tool to track the very fundamentals of care. We look forward to sharing the results of our work in the coming months!”
For more information about the Hydracare system, improvements to care and potential cost savings, visit the Aquarate website.
The hydration project work is in partnership with Wirral Council, Wirral CCG, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and supporting groups: Wirral Antimicrobial resistance group and Wirral Bladder and Bowel Team.
Recently, NHS England began working with all seven regions countrywide to focus on improving hydration, for four of the seven regions, Aquarate’s innovative Hydracup technology was selected as part of the NHS hydration project.