More doom and gloom for councils, fuelled by the Audit Commission, but this BBC report does quote it as saying “councils need to look at new and innovative ways to provide services, particularly by embracing technology.” and that “It highlighted a number of examples of how ‘telecare’ was being used…”
What are the chances that researchers come up with a ‘cure’ for the effects of old age before councils get their act together?
However, there is good news from some councils. Charges for telecare users in Nottingham will not rise this year, and Newport council in Wales is planning to invest £500,000 in telecare over the next two years.
A dangerous road for Telecare
It is dangerous for Telecare to go down the road of “this will save you money”. It could easily become as a “cheap option” for keeping older people physically in their homes, whilst ignoring their emotional and social needs. This will not help its long-term development; it needs to be implemented as only one element of comprehensive support for older people, which may not be money-saving at all, at least in the short-term.