Assistive Technology Dementia Pilot

January 2020 Information for participants

What are we doing? We are running a small pilot project for 50 people to test some new technology designed to help people with dementia living at home. This is something new for the council and we would like to see how it works and understand what the people taking part think about it. We have selected the technology that we are going to use and at the end of the project we will ask you how helpful and easy it was to use.

Where are we doing it? The pilot project is a partnership between County Council and five district and borough councils and is for people living in the following areas:

• Charnwood • North West Leicestershire • and Bosworth • and • Blaby What does the technology do? We will be using a product called MySense. This monitors an individual’s activity and daily routine in the home and then communicates the information it collects using the internet. It gathers information using: • Sensors – which can identify movement and activity, e.g. when the bathroom door was opened, or the fridge was used • Smartplug – which connects to the kettle and can indicate when this has been used • Sleep Sensor – which can identify the time at which someone has gone to bed and the time they spent in bed This information is then communicated in the following ways:

• App – for family members/friends, which shows a timeline of activity. • Notifications – that a family member/friend will receive by text about the important things you need to know about

Do I have to pay for this? No, the council will provide the system to you free of charge during the pilot. This will include the sensors, smartplug and sleep sensor. Who can take part? The pilot is for people with dementia who are living at home. The pilot will operate in Charnwood; North West Leicestershire; ; Blaby; . A family member, friend or carer must be willing to use the App on their smartphone or tablet. The person taking part needs to understand and agree to use the system and who the information is shared with. A best interests decision will need to be made for people that lack the mental capacity to decide this for themselves.

What happens at the end of the pilot? The pilot will end after six months and the free service will stop. We will contact you before the end of the pilot to talk to you about what to do next. There will be two options available to you:

• Pay privately for the service as a separate arrangement with MySense or • We can put you in touch with local services in your area for assistive technology support

To find out more about the pilot, please email: [email protected] or telephone 0116 305 0017 between 10:00am to 2:00pm Monday to Friday

www.mysense.ai T0831