KeyInsightsFromUsersAndCarers

Key insights from users and carers

Users

• Edith – Highlights the problem of living on your own with having no one to check she is ok.
• Elaine – sees her father most days. Does not feel she can leave him for more than a day. He has a pendent alarm, often leaves it places. Not sure he would be able to activate it. Her father worries about falls.
• Brian – likes regular contact with his daughter when she rings to see how he is. He would not like an automatic system if it ment she would call less often.

Carers

• Karen (AHH) – story about a client forgetting to wear their pendent.
• Karen (Age UK) - Out of bed sensors can give false alarms if the person gets out of the bed to go to the toilet. Technology that can help people stay in their own home is a good thing. People deny they need some assistive technology until a crisis occurs. The technology should not be seen as being something for someone with a disability. People will use their mobile phones instead of assistive technology. We should aim for a target price of £30 to £50.
• Jan (Selwood) – People with dementia forget how to use technology. Bed sensors – link to carer or call centre. Set times or delayed activation so the person has time to go to the toilet. Under sheet or under mattress bed sensors 36 x12 inches, activated by weight. Wire goes to a box under the bed, radio link to main unit. Problems with sensor sliding around if there is a double bed need two sensors. Change sensor yearly, batteries every 6 months. There are a lot of false alarms if the response time is set too short. It may need two or three visits to set up the sensor properly. Jan would like to see a double bed sensor and one that is not made of plastic. Jan would also like the ability to remotely set the alert time and latency.
• Aiden - Installation problems, getting a power source, installing wires. People are sensitive about what goes into their homes. Often they will initially accept something and then not use it.