Technology Enabled Care (TECS)

What is Technology Enabled Care?

Technology Enabled Care (TEC) covers a breadth of services including the use of telehealth, telecare and telemedicine in providing care for people that is convenient, accessible and cost-effective*. Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT) are developing the use of all of these services; for the purposes of this webpage we are primarily looking at telecare.

Telecare is the continuous, automatic and remote monitoring of real time emergencies and lifestyle changes over time in order to manage the risks associated with independent living.

It uses technology to support people to live safely and independently in their own homes, access their community and it can be helpful to people at risk of falls. TEC can play a significant role in supporting carers and family members who are balancing caring with managing the household, an additional household, childcare, work commitments or are elderly themselves and require support.

Terms which you may be familiar with are: pendant alarm, community alarm, assistive technology, telecare, and falls detectors. TEC can also include personalised sensors and apps that can support fitness, health, care and wellbeing for individuals and carers.

Technology Enabled Care:

Can	Cannot
Increase your independence and confidence	Replace hands on care
Assure family, friends and carers that their loved ones are safe when they cannot be there themselves	Stop something from happening
Support carers as they look after others	Fix the underlying problem
Send help quickly when it’s needed, whether alerting family and friends or even emergency services
Be cheaper than having a carer visit *

* A standard pendant alarm costs approximately £385 per year. If a carer visited for 30minutes daily, you would have paid £385 after 6 weeks.