Welcome to Assistive Technology
Aims
Assistive Technology is aimed at increasing the availability of information on all assistive technologies which supports independent living and wellbeing at home. This site is your site and is open to all readers to contribute toward achieving our aims of enabling and informing all. Contributions are welcome from assistive technology professionals. Occupational Therapists, suppliers and manufacturers, customers and service users, community matrons, health professionals, GP's and patients.
Contributions can be new products information, assistive technology news, sharing experiences of assistive technology that worked for you or your cared for person, asking questions or seeking solutions through our forums and sharing your experience of your provider. So please send your contributions and help us help others achieve and retain their independence and wellbeing!
This includes products and services for:
* Community Alarms (panic alarms and pendants connected to a monitoring centre)
* Telecare (home alarms and life activity sensors connected to a monitoring centre and response services)
* Stand-Alone Telecare (sensors and alarms that are not connected to a monitoring centre but may alert or be monitored locally)
* Telehealth (a range of services and products to help health professionals and patients monitor their wellbeing)
* Community Equipment (traditional equipment such as hand rails, bath lifts etc that provide physical aids to independent living)
More detailed explanations of each of these areas will be available on the additional pages.
What you can access from this site
The changing landscape of Social Care and the NHS means that access to supported services may be restricted so this site provides:
* An explanation of each area of technology
* How they can help potential service users
* What services Commissioners could deploy
* Who can benefit from the services
* What normal service or products costs should be
* Alternative services and product options
* Where you can get advice on how to use your Individual Budget or Direct Payment to support your needs
* How you can get access to the services and products
Further Services available from the providers of this site
The specialist knowledge that is required sometimes to establish a service strategy, select the elements required, identify and select a provider and to manage the performance of the chosen provider means that not everyone has that ability. Assistive Technology aims to provide independent and balanced advice and guidance on a case by case or service basis which includes:
- Service Assessment
- Provider Selection
- Commissioning and Service Payment Negotiations
- Manage and Review the Performance of Selected Providers
- Commissioner / Service User Mentoring
- Training and Awareness Programmes
- Service Provider Mentoring
