Technology Enabled Care

Ideas and suggestions that can help anyone manage their health and wellbeing better.

Smart home assistants
A smart home assistant (like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Siri) can support people with mental health needs by providing guided meditations, relaxation techniques, and breathing exercises. It can also provide positive affirmations and motivational messages. Additional peripherals such as a smartwatch or fitness tracker can also be helpful. A user account and an internet connection will be required in order to use one of these devices.

Mental Health Apps
Sleepio, Daylight, and Silvercloud are NHS-accredited apps to help people struggling with poor sleep, anxiety, and their wellbeing. The apps are available to adults (18+) and can be accessed directly on a web-based or mobile device at any time of day. People create their own username and password so no-one can access any of their details and all data is stored in an encrypted database.

• Daylight (Anxiety)
• Sleepio (Poor Sleep)
• Silver Cloud (Mental wellbeing) (use access code Scotland2020)

Alcohol and Drug Recovery

• Online support groups: Online support groups can provide individuals with a sense of community and connection, even if they are unable to attend traditional in-person support groups. These groups can also offer 24/7 support and encouragement, which can be especially helpful during times of crisis or relapse. A list of alcohol and drug support resources is available on NHS Inform. 

Carers

• Jointly app: Jointly is an app supported by the charity Carers UK. It is designed to make caring a little easier, less stressful and a lot more organised. It combines group messaging with other useful features including to-do and medication lists, calendar and more.

Communication difficulties

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): AAC refers to the use of devices or tools to support communication for individuals who have difficulty speaking or writing. AAC devices can include speech-generating devices, communication boards, or software
  programs that allow individuals to select words or phrases using a keyboard or touch screen.
• Telecommunication devices: Telecommunication devices can allow individuals with communication difficulties to connect with others through video calls, instant messaging, and other forms of digital communication. These devices can include specialised telecommunication devices such as text telephones (TTYs) or video phones, as well as mainstream devices such as smartphones or tablets with communication apps.
• Speech therapy software: Speech therapy software can provide individuals with interactive exercises and activities to help improve their communication skills. These programs can be used to target specific areas of difficulty, such as articulation or language comprehension.
• Assistive hearing devices: Assistive hearing devices which can help patients with hearing impairments.

Dementia

• Section due to be updated

Frailty and Hospital Discharge

• Section due to be updated

Learning disabilities

• Section due to be updated

Mental wellbeing, loneliness and isolation

• Section due to be updated

Physical disabilities

• Section due to be updated

SSSC Technology Practice Guide – Care Inspectorate
The SSSC have produced a good practice guide to highlight best practice and support good outcomes. The guide provides some examples of how digital technologies are being used to support person-centred care.

Discover digital guide – ALLIANCE
The ‘Discover Digital’ series highlights digital tools that promote health and wellbeing. This resource aims to support people to understand more about where digital can help.

Human Rights Principles for Digital Health and Social Care – ALLIANCE
The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (ALLIANCE), Scottish Care and VOX (Voices of Experience) have developed human rights based guidance for the use of digital in health and social care.

Decisions about technology – Mental Welfare Commission
The Mental Welfare Commission has developed a good practice guide covering the use of telecare and assistive technology for people with dementia, learning disabilities, and related conditions.

Healthcare framework for adults living in care homes – Scottish Government
My Health, My Care, My Home provides a framework for health and the healthcare for people living in care homes. Section 8 covers Data, Digital, and Technology.

Social Care Compendium of Digital Resources – TEC Scotland 
A resource for staff working in care homes, signposting to digital tools and ways of working that can help enhance the support and care available to residents.

Medication Reminders and Dispensers Briefing Note – TEC Scotland
A briefing note about using technology for medication reminders.

App: SafeMed (SSSC)
SafeMed supports social service workers in Scotland, delivering ‘just-in-time’ learning in this vital area of practice. It complements the SSSC Safe Administration of Medication modules and the SQA professional development award ‘Administration of Medication’. This app can be used as a day-to-day reference tool and to assist workers preparing for assessment for SVQs in Social Services and Healthcare.

App: Adult Support and Protection (SSSC)
This SSSC app has been developed to be used as a reference resource for all workers whose role includes supporting or caring for adults. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the worker’s own organisation’s adult support and protection policies and procedures.

App: SIGN Decision Support Apps (Health Improvement Scotland)
The SIGN Decision Support apps give practitioners and patients easy access to clinical guidance and support shared decision making on a range of clinical subjects. For health and social are professionals in Scotland, the SIGN Decision Support app and website support individuals to make safe, effective, timely decisions based on SIGN guidance in day to day frontline practice. For patients, the SIGN Patient Decision Support app offers easy to read and understand information about their condition based on the wide range of patient versions of its guidelines.

• Living Well Falkirk
• Falkirk Council Mobile Emergency Care Service 
• Falkirk & Clackmannanshire Carers Centre
• Forth Valley Sensory Centre
• NHS Inform Mental Health Self Help Guides
• My diabetes my way [NHS Scotland]
• ADAM (About digital and me) [Alzheimer’s Scotland]
• ALISS [A Local Information System for Scotland]
• NHS Forth Valley
• Falkirk Council
• My Falkirk [Falkirk Council self service portal]
• FDAMH [Falkirk’s Mental Health Association]