ACT Programme

1
An RD, Knowledge Transfer and Economic
Regeneration Programme BSG Annual Conference,
Sheffield, 6-8 September 2007
2
ACT team

• Tony Warnes and Mark Hawley, Co-Directors
• Mike Nolan, Assistant Director
• Ben Palmer, Commercial Manager
• Steven Blackburn and Peter Cudd,
• Senior Research Associates
• Kate Chadwick, Administrator

3
This presentation

• Overview of ACT aims, partners, projects
• Biases and neglected potential of assistive
  technologies
• Introduction to other papers

4
Advanced Care Technologies Project

• This RD and knowledge transfer project is a
  collaboration between the Sheffield Institute for
  Studies on Ageing at the University of Sheffield,
  and the Department of Clinical Engineering and
  Medical Physics at Barnsley Hospital.
• It is funded by Objective 1 European Regional
  Structural Funds (with matched funds from the
  University and partner organisations) and so has
  economic regeneration targets.

5
Background factors

• Ageing of the population, with rises in life
  expectancy, particularly in old age, brings
  proportionate increases in duration of life with
  impaired functions
• Rising quality of life expectations with each
  cohort for active engagement with family and
  friends, home-based activities, travel and
  community involvement
• Rapid advances in informatics, e.g. the Internet,
  telecommunications, and electronic aids in daily
  living mobile phones to SatNav
• Rising average cost of new medical technologies
  and (labour intensive) care with transfer of
  costs from social insurance to private funding
  ... inoculation is free, you buy a mobility
  scooter

6
Objectives

• 1 To create and develop new care and support
  products and delivery systems along with new
  applications
• 2 To focus on user needs and the acceptability
  of ATT products to raise their effectiveness and
  range of applications
• 3 To improve the transfer of knowledge about ATT
  products to care providers and the general public
• 4 To stimulate increased investment in ATT
  research and development in the region

7
Strategy
8
Partner organisations

• Manufacturers and developers of ATT
• Retailers of assistive and telecare technology
  devices
• Residential care providers
• National older peoples welfare organisations

9
ACT RD project themes

• Discovering the needs and wishes of older and
  disabled people
• With all partners
• Enhancing communication and control for severely
  disabled people
• With Madhouse Software, Toby Churchill, Xovox
  Communications
• Increasing the effectiveness of telecare and
  telehealth technologies
• With Tunstall, Clarke Partners, Toby Churchill,
  local NHS partners

10
ACT RD projects

• Exploring the role of the private sector in
  equipment recommendation
• With Clarke and Partners, and local NHS and
  Social Services
• Improving social inclusion of frail older people
  in care homes living alone in the community
• With HICA, Sheffcare, BASE, local Social Services

11
Knowledge transfer activities

• ACT web site introductions to field in
  non-technical language, briefings, product
  guides, research news
• Presentations at international, national and
  regional meetings
• Membership scheme and workshops for companies

12
(No Transcript)
13
26 - 27 November 2007RAATE / IPEM / FAST
National Conference, Exhibition and Dinner,
Cutlers Hall, Sheffield For more info visit
http//www.raate.org.uk/
Institute of Physics and Engineering 
in Medicine
14
ATT trends, biases and potential

• Current priorities and market factors
• Increased sales, profits
• Provide care and support for people with
  disabilities and chronic limiting conditions
• Reduce hospital admissions (PCTs)
• Reduce staffing costs (e.g. care-home night
  staff)
• Potential applications and market influences
• Creating recreational and social-interaction
  opportunities
• Raising quality of life and social inclusion

15

• Emphases of current installations
• Institutional care settings
• Specialist housing schemes
• Institutional purchasing
• Potential applications
• Peoples own homes
• Private purchases raises influence of
  final-user evaluation

16

• Three presentations
• The ACTION project Assisting carers using
  telematics interventions to meet older peoples
  needs, a Swedish service programme
• Liz Hanson and Lennart Magnusson (ÄldreVäst
  Sjuhärad Research Centre and Department of Health
  Sciences, University College of Borås, Sweden)
• The potential of mobile digital technologies for
  providing out-of-home services for frail older
  people
• Peter Cudd (Medical Physics and Clinical
  Engineering, Barnsley Foundation Hospital NHS
  Trust) and Mark Hawley
• Telecare what do older people actually need and
  want?
• Steven Blackburn (Advanced Care Technologies
  Programme, University of Sheffield), Simon
  Brownsell (Medical Physics and Clinical
  Engineering, Barnsley Foundation Hospital NHS
  Trust) and Mark Hawley