Assistive technology and telecare

Dr Simon Brownsell is Research Fellow at Barnsley District General Hospital and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield, and is involved in several aspects of assistive technology and telecare research and development. Professor David Bradley is Professor of Mechatronic Systems at the University of Abertay Dundee, and is responsible for a number of projects in this field. He has a particular interest in systems definition, the use of intelligent systems, and the integration of machine based intelligence into the telecare programme. Jeremy Porteus formerly managed the Corporate Policy Team in the Chief Executive's Unit at Anchor Trust and is a member of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Housing for Older People Working Group.

• Contents: Section 1: The need for assistive technology and telecare; The need for assistive technology and telecare; Previous trials and developments; The emerging policy environment; Positioning telecare; Section 2: The evidence; User requirements; New generations of telecare equipment; The cost benefits of telecare; Section 3: Implications and recommendations; Implications for community alarms; Implications for health and social care; Conclusions and recommendations.

"Assistive Technology and Telecare brings together a great deal of useful information for health policy makers, planners and others... the overview of home alarm technology for the elderly would benefit anyone who is starting out in the field of telecare." Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare