The Fife Dementia Strategy: 2010 – 2020 - The Knowledge Network

continual improvement and joint working. The measures must be easily
recordable, and reporting will be a requirement for all services commissioned
and provided by Fife Council and NHS Fife. A response system for dealing
with under-performance will be designed to support service improvement.
By altering current commissioning requirements to focus more on meeting
service user needs and improving joint working and continual improvement,
and working with local providers to achieve high quality services, the Council
and NHS can play a proactive role in improving the care received by all
service users, including people with dementia.
Fife Telecare Development Programme
The Fife Telecare Development Programme provided telecare services for
people with dementia. Telecare systems of particular relevance to
dementia include: door exit monitoring systems and motion detectors to
reduce the risks of nocturnal wandering; home safety equipment to reduce
risks of fire, gas, flood, carbon monoxide and low temperature; and falls
detection and prevention. Innovations in lifestyle monitoring, GPS
tracking for safer walking and the use of medication dispensers to improve
compliance with prescribed medication are being evaluated during
2009/10.
4.7.4 Continue to develop assistive and telecare technologies to
support people with dementia in their homes.
Telecare technologies have been used for years in Fife, primarily in the form
of the Community Alarm, and recent advances may provide numerous
benefits for people with dementia in their own home. The continued use of
such technologies may present a cost-effective method for promoting the
independence of people with dementia in the community without regular
disturbance by care staff. When commissioned Telecare technologies can
successfully alert relatives or care staff to an issue so that they can then
proceed with initiating an appropriate response.
The role of assistive technology and telecare in Fife and for people with
dementia is growing as advances continue to be made in the development
and application of technology. In order to ensure people with dementia are
receiving appropriate care and services, the Telecare Development Team will
work to further investigate the technologies available to assist people with
dementia living in the community in partnership with care at home services.
Additionally, as highlighted in Section 4.5.2 and Section 4.6.1, The Fife
Telecare Development Programme will work across all housing sectors and
the Home Care Delivery Group (4.7.3) to raise awareness of the role of
telecare to support people with dementia living at home and provide training
for practitioners when making assessments and referrals for telecare services.
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