Telecare Takes Centre Stage At National Conference And Exhibition At The Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel, England

Main Category: IT / Internet / E-mail
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 29 Oct 2008 - 2:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The latest telecare and telehealth aids, sensors and devices, designed to protect and support older and vulnerable people in their own homes, are unveiled at this year's National Telecare and Telehealth Conference held from 3 - 5 November at the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel.

It is estimated that more than 1.75 million people are supported by telecare services in their own homes in the UK and as telecare is now set to become a mainstreamed service in health and social care, interest is high in this year's conference.

More than 600 telecare professionals, including national service commissioners from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, service providers from all parts of the UK, academics and representatives from primary care trusts, will attend the three day event. Full conference and workshop programmes on all aspects of telecare and telehealth services are in place and 36 companies will be present in the exhibition zone.

Exhibitors include Tunstall, Chubb, Tynetec, Honeywell HomMed, Intel Corporation and Bosch Security Systems together with many specialist companies - and more than 20 new products will be launched over the three days.

Paul Gee, Chief Executive of the Telecare Services Association, the membership body which stages the annual conference and represents the telecare industry in the UK, says that there are a number of key developments this year:

"This is a very fast moving time for telecare and the new products launched at the conference take full advantage of the advances in digital technology which will allow telecare to move from a reactive service to one which can monitor and anticipate changes in people's wellbeing and medical conditions. The potential of telecare to support people, enabling them to live independently in their own homes is well known. As our society continues to age in the future, this is one of the main reasons why all UK national governments, and indeed governments in other parts of the world, are committed to integrating telecare into health and social care services."

Jon Bentley, presenter of Channel Five's Gadget Show, opens the conference on Monday 3 November.

Telecare describes any service that brings health and social care directly to the user, generally in their homes, supported by information and communication technology. It covers social alarms, lifestyle monitoring and telehealth. Department of Health

Source
Anne Martin
Telecare Services Association
Suite 8, Wilmslow House, Grove Way, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AG
http://www.telecare.org.uk