My Health, My Care, My Home - healthcare framework for adults living in care homes: annual progress report September 2023
This is the first annual progress report for My Health, My Care, My Home. It looks back on the past year, highlighting some initiatives that have aided the delivery of the Healthcare Framework’s recommendations. It also references others that started prior to June 2022 that have since progressed.
Digital and Technology
We have been working closely with colleagues in the Digital Health and Care division and Technology Enabled Care (TEC) to align the framework with the priorities within the Digital Approaches in Care Homes Action Plan.
Through this ongoing collaboration, we were invited to join the Digital Social Care Portfolio Board, where we have been able to raise awareness of the framework and the local improvement work that has been taking place. It has also enabled us to form a relationship with Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI) which has helped align the framework to their Scotland’s Healthy Ageing Innovation Cluster.
We were also able to hear about great initiatives such as PainChek, which is an app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology and smart automation to assess pain in people who are unable to verbalise pain.
In March, colleagues from the Care Inspectorate presented their findings from the first participating care home: 831 pain assessments were completed using the app in the first six months; after 12 weeks falls within the home had reduced by 75% and episodes of stress and distress had reduced by 42%. Phase one had 6 participating care homes and is now coming to an end. The project team are now looking at the impact and key learnings from this stage.
Digital platforms can also play a key role in staff learning and development. Kirsty Bateson from the Scottish ECHO Centre also spoke at our webinar about Project ECHO which provides an ‘all teach, all learn’ environment, bringing together people working across the care home sector with subject experts, to reflect on complex cases and to gain insight and support from the specialists and their peers. More information on how Project ECHO is supporting staff across the country is included in the Skilled and Sustainable Workforce chapter.
Strathcarron Hospice in Denny has an active education programme with care homes in the Stirling and Falkirk area using the Project ECHO approach. Care Home staff come together virtually as a community of practice and identify topics relevant to them relating to palliative care. The specialist palliative care team at the Hospice facilitate a discussion around these areas of interest, with expert speakers contributing their knowledge. To date they have worked with 162 staff from 25 local care homes.
Digital and technology also plays an important role in sharing secure information. The Care Home Programme Team at NHS Lothian have been working on a ‘Secure Email Project’ to create a solution which enables the secure transfer of information using care home email addresses. To date, over 70% of care homes are involved and are reporting improvements in communications between care homes and NHS Lothian Services when dealing with personal and secure information. If you would like to find out more as this project progresses, you can contact carehomes@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk.
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