Best use
“Mrs X loves tech because it has helped her build connections in her community”
Bield Proactive Telecare Customer Case Study:
Introduction:
Mrs X, a 77-year-old woman, had been housebound for nearly five years due to deteriorating physical and mental health. She was a frequent faller, resulting in multiple family and funded responder services being called out each week. This case study will describe how Mrs X benefited from proactive telecare by focusing on the possible and what’s available to support and empower her to live the life she wants to live.
Background:
Mrs X lived in her own home, within her community. However, her physical and mental health had deteriorated to the point where she was housebound and required frequent assistance due to falls. This had a significant impact on her quality of life, as she couldn’t engage in activities outside of her home and was reliant on others for support.
Telecare intervention:
Mrs X agreed to the proactive telecare service, which focused on identifying what makes a good day for her and offered a tailored service, putting her at the heart of the conversation. With this approach, she was supported to contact ASERT, who arranged for an occupational therapist (OT) to visit her home. The OT referred Mrs X to a walker with a seat, which helped her build confidence to take small trips outside her home.
Mrs X was supported and encouraged to build on this progress over time.
Outcome:
After eight weeks, Mrs X had experienced no falls during a recent three-week period, resulting in no requirement for responder visits. This had a positive impact on both her mental and physical health. With the confidence gained from using the walker, Mrs X was able to venture on longer walks and engage in activities she previously couldn’t do. Mrs X joined her local gym to undertake swimming as a hobby with support, and signed up to a personal trainer to help strengthen her leg muscle. Mrs X also joined a social day club run by ROAR, after a successful referral route was identified via the proactive telecare team. This connected her to citizens in her community, building relationships.
Conclusion:
Mrs X’s experience with proactive telecare demonstrates the value of focusing on what’s possible and available to support and empower individuals to live the life they want to live. The telecare approach, combined with Mrs X’s determination and willingness to engage in new activities, led to significant improvements in her physical and mental health.
The success of this case study highlights the importance of telecare services as a valuable resource for promoting independence and improving quality of life for older adults, enabling them to live more independent lives, in their own homes for longer.
Resources
Near Me
Near Me Housing guidance and support is available here
In February 2021, SFHA ran a webinar to introduce Near Me to the Social Housing sector.