Guardian Angels Carers founder responds to TEC Alliance pivotal report

The TEC (Technology Enabled Care) Action Alliance is a group of 30 care organisations including the Local Government Association, Care England, Homecare Association and the TEC Services Association (TSA). Their aim is to put the voices of people, families and unpaid carers centre-stage when TEC services and solutions are developed.

The research and report is thought to be the first time that the voices of the people who draw on care and support themselves have been heard and amplified, rather than care staff and organisations.

The ‘nine pillars of digital care’ – a priority list of what people actually want from technology-enabled care, will be revealed when the report is published today, while the report’s authors also call for a ‘common language and metrics’ to enable comparisons of technologies and benefits.

Sussex-based home care provider and franchisor, Guardian Angel Carers is a TEC Action Alliance Commercial Partner, and has contributed to this research and report.

As Research, Evaluation and Learning Consultant Dr. Sarah Alden says: “Guardian Angel Carers offered expert insight and facilitated connection to people who draw on care and support. Capturing this feedback helped build our understanding of what people value, and the language they use to describe TEC. This research highlights the need to ensure TEC is personalised, seamless and understood by those who may benefit – and it is hoped that Guardian Angel Carers will continue to contribute to these discussions moving forward.”

Founder, Christina Handasyde Dick comments: “This is a really important report, and we’re delighted to support it, and to have contributed in practical terms with focus groups and our own insights and experiences.”

“From the very beginning of GAC in 2012, we’ve been passionate about using technology to complement our more traditional home care services, always with a view to delivering the best possible outcomes for our clients. And, because we’ve been open to tech solutions, we’ve built really strong, mutually beneficial relationships with forward-thinking TEC providers,” says Christina.

“We’ll certainly continue to collaborate if there are opportunities for our clients to participate in research that underpins the development of technology that is client-focused and effective.

“The crucial thing for GAC is to ensure that our amazing team remains at the centre of home care provision, as we implement tech that has the capacity to reduce the cost of care, allocate resources effectively, and – ultimately – help to keep people in their own homes for as long as they wish.”

“In reality, the private homecare market has lagged behind local authorities – who are more incentivised to reduce costs.”

Looking forward, GAC aims to change the mindset around home care. “Too many people put off thinking about care until crisis point. We want to educate people into being proactive and pre-emptive. Preventing critical incidents means better and longer quality of life. When people understand how unintrusive, simple and secure the latest applications can be, they become much more open to the clear benefits they bring for all parties – client, family, paid and unpaid carers.”

The TEC Action Alliance is urging a strategic and person-centred approach to TEC procurement, that resonates with the real needs of real people. “As the population ages,” says Christina, “judiciously applied technology can help to enable self-management and mitigate the escalation in care-needs.”

“Asking real people has been a vital step towards optimising the potential of technology-enabled care.”