This Local Digital Fund (LDF) research has the goal of producing a principled approach to improving care of older adults in the community using information and communication technologies. It investigates older-adult care provision and the role of technology within the partner organisations, Birmingham City Council, Worcestershire County Council, and Solihull MBC. The findings are interpreted in the light of the existing demographic, legal, and social contexts, the latest academic research on care technologies, and the experiences of other local authorities.
The main outcome is a formal approach to selecting appropriate technologies for individual older adults and a categorisation of care technologies that facilitates the process. The research also advises on how the selection method can drive pilots for care technologies or simply their implementation as part of upgraded care provision by health providers and commissioners.
The clouds gathering from increasing pressures of looking after an ageing population may turn out to have a silver lining for care technologies. This report looks at how that lining could be turned to gold for all protagonists: companies, care recipients, friends and family, professional providers, local authorities, and other health and social care support services.