Assistive Technology & Remote Monitoring: Supporting Independence and Safety
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📱 Blog 5 of 7 in our Technology & Digital Care Series
Assistive Technology & Remote Monitoring: Supporting Independence and Safety
Links to all 7 blogs in this series are at the bottom of this post.
📱 Why Assistive Technology Matters
Assistive technology is no longer an optional add-on — it is central to modern social care. From falls detectors and GPS trackers to medication reminders and smart home sensors, technology helps people live independently, safely, and with dignity. Commissioners increasingly ask providers to evidence how they use these tools to enhance outcomes and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.
🔑 What Commissioners & Inspectors Expect
- Safety impact — clear evidence of how devices prevent harm (falls, missed medication, wandering).
- Independence — how technology reduces reliance on staff while keeping people safe.
- Integration — technology linked with digital care planning, GP systems, or family apps.
- Equity — ensuring tools are accessible to people with different needs, languages, or disabilities.
- Consent & rights — robust processes to balance safety with privacy and dignity.
⚠️ Risks of Poor Implementation
- Over-reliance — assuming technology replaces human contact or professional judgment.
- Exclusion — tools not adapted for people with sensory impairments or low digital literacy.
- False reassurance — alerts missed, systems failing, or no backup processes in place.
- Privacy breaches — using monitoring without consent or proper safeguards.
💡 Practical Example
Scenario: A supported living service introduces motion sensors linked to a central monitoring system.
- Step 1: Risk assessments identify individuals most at risk of falls or night-time wandering.
- Step 2: Sensors are installed with full consent, and families are included in the decision.
- Step 3: Alerts trigger an immediate call to the night support team, reducing response times from 20 minutes to 5 minutes.
- Step 4: Outcomes show a 35% reduction in overnight incidents requiring hospital admission, improving safety while reducing NHS demand.
In tenders, this kind of concrete evidence demonstrates impact, integration, and governance, scoring far higher than vague references to “using technology.”
📚 Catch up on the full Technology & Digital Care Series:
- 📘 Why Technology & Digital Care Matter in Social Care
- 🧭 Digital Care Planning Systems: Benefits, Risks, and Commissioning Expectations
- 📊 Data, Evidence, and Insights: Using Digital Records to Drive Quality
- 🛡️ Cybersecurity & Data Protection in Social Care
- 📱 Assistive Technology & Remote Monitoring: Supporting Independence and Safety
- 👥 Training, Culture, and Workforce Confidence in Digital Care
- 📄 Evidencing Digital Care in Tenders and Inspections