Canary Care and the Mindme Location Device has enabled Glenn to retain both his confidence and independence – and Hft staff are confident that he’s safe when they’re not around…
Background
Glenn is an older gentleman who lives independently in the community, and is happy going out by himself. He used to house share with a friend whom he had known for many years. They worked very well running their house together, and only needed minimal staff support. Unfortunately, due to his friend’s deteriorating health, she had to move out, leaving Glenn living on his own.
Glenn’s support staff were concerned that he was forgetting to complete household tasks and were also unsure if he was eating.
PT Equipment – Canary Care
Canary Care is a simple, smart home monitoring tool that checks movement using a combination of PIR movement, door, and temperature sensors. It monitors activity or inactivity and displays it on a graph which is stored securely online. It can also raise alerts tailored to the specific needs of the person, for example if the front door is opened in the middle of the night.
Hft’s Personalised Technology team have used Canary Care in a number of different cases to help address concerns around a person’s support, especially during the night. We have used Canary Care to help us identify if a person is sleeping or up a lot during the night and we have even used the data gathered as evidence to gain additional night time support.
Mindme Location Device
Mindme is a location device that can send an alert if someone goes out of a predefined area. It has an SOS button that the person can press if they are lost or need support which alerts a 24/7 call centre who then identify their GPS location and call a member of staff to offer support. Glenn agreed to have both of these devices implemented in his house.
Outcomes
When staff spent time analysing the Canary Care data it showed that Glenn was using the kitchen at meal times so staff felt relieved to know that he was eating. But it also highlighted that Glenn was opening and closing his front door in the middle of the night. Staff spoke with Glenn about this and he said he was looking for his staff.
Glenn has now moved into a shared house where there is night time support and a door sensor that will alert staff if it is opened during the night so they can support Glenn if he needs it. Glenn also carries a Mindme location device on his keys, so if he does get lost or need support when he is out on his own, staff will be able to locate him, helping Glenn retain both his confidence, and his independence.
