Falls provide a major challenge for care homes, because they can lead to fractures, hospitalisation and sometimes death. Orchard’s care homes already use mats fitted with sensors that can alert staff if a patient has fallen, but it’s better to prevent the patient falling in the first place. This requires more investment in strength and balance training, says Cheryl, but technology can also help.
Currently the provider is trialling the Vitalerter – a device that, when placed on a resident’s bed, is able to identify the point at which they are waking up by monitoring their body temperature and heart rate. “If you’ve got somebody at very high risk of falls, the minute they get up, this allows us to get to them before they’ve woken,” says Cheryl. Orchard is also working with the provider of its handheld devices to provide prompts to carry out certain checks when a resident has fallen. These include measuring blood pressure and carrying out a pain assessment at regular intervals until the signs show that the person has recovered from the fall.
Digitisation has made Orchard much more efficient, so that staff aren’t spending hours filling out paper forms and making photocopies to give to the regulator. The use of data analytics to slash medication use and reduce falls has saved money, not just for itself, but for GP practices and integrated care boards. Most importantly, Cheryl says, digitisation has enabled Orchard to improve the quality of life for residents: “What matters to people is being socially engaged and living in a fulfilled life – and we’re really far down the road of making sure that happens.”