From automatic pill dispensers to personal alarms, AskSARA helps residents to discover a range of assistive technology products to make daily activities easier, so they can stay well for longer.
Targeted at adults, AskSARA is part of Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Living Well website, a one-stop shop full of resources to support residents to improve their general health and wellbeing.
AskSARA is an easy-to-use tool that provides clever solutions and ideas to help make daily living easier. The site also signposts to the variety of services in Warwickshire available to support people maintain a healthy lifestyle, so they can stay safe, well and independent.
AskSARA also features a useful self-assessment tool that produces an individual report with suggested gadget and equipment ideas, information, and advice, all based on the answers to some simple, multiple-choice questions. This intuitive system allows people to find the right support for them, or someone they know.
Based on an individual person’s needs, the suggested gadgets could include memory clocks that help people to remember the time, dates or appointments; lifeline pendants or wrist-worn alarms that alert a family member or carer in the event of a fall, as well as smartphone or voice activated systems to control areas of the home such as a door opening, turning things on/off or opening/closing windows. The site can also recommend ‘low-technology’ equipment such as toilet frames, kitchen trollies, perching stools and easy-grip cutlery.
By providing access to smart gadgets and equipment to help people before their situation becomes more complex, assistive technology can support individuals to continue to enjoy life, live independently and reduce the need for hospital or long-term care.
One Warwickshire resident, who had suffered a stroke and lived alone, was left unable to carry out some of his daily activities when he returned home from hospital. His WCC Social Care Practitioner said:
“The gentleman tended to forget when mealtimes were, often forgot to take his medications and to drink regularly to stay hydrated. He also struggled to walk and carry his meals and drinks to and from his kitchen.
“To help him manage at home, he used a reminder clock called a MemRabel. This was set up with gentle prompts to remind him to take his medications and to eat and drink.
“Alongside the MemRabel, he also used a kitchen trolley to transport his meals and drinks to where he wanted.
“The equipment has enabled him to stay mobile and safely manage these tasks by himself, giving him a sense of normality.”
Councillor Margaret Bell, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health said:
“As people get older, many start find some daily tasks more challenging. You can make a huge difference to your long-term health by taking small preventative steps that can slow down or reverse health-based challenges which may arise.
“Our Living Well website gives you the opportunity to access help and support in ways you might not have realised.
“In particularly, AskSARA makes it easy to access assistive technology and enjoy a better quality of life, with some clever solutions that support individuals to stay independent for longer.
“If you or someone you know could benefit through assistive technology, I urge you to make use of the resources available on our Living Well website.”
Find out more about the assistive technology available from AskSARA.