Birmingham City Council

Postponing Residential Care

Birmingham City Council, the UK’s largest council, serves a population of over 1 million. Andrew Sheehan, Telecare Development Manager, was quick to spot the potential for using Just Checking as an assessment tool to plan more cost effective, personalised care.

In a pilot, Just Checking was installed at a point in time when there were serious concerns for a person with dementia, and a likelihood of a move to residential care. In fact, in 9 cases out of 10, the system showed that for the time being the person could remain at home. In one case, the Just Checking charts showed that the service user did need a substantial level of support, but the objective data sped up the decision and the subsequent process of finding a suitable residential placement.

As a result of the pilot, Service Director and lead for the modernisation programme, made it a policy that there would be no admission to residential care for people with dementia without a period of assessment using Just Checking. The system verifies if and when the person needs residential care, or whether there are other ways of supporting the person at home.

"Activity monitoring helps us to personalise services for people with dementia, without over-servicing."

Andrew Sheehan, Telecare Development Manager.

Financials

Annual cost of buying and running Just Checking = £664
(based on 1 system, writing off capital cost over 3 years)

Average hourly cost of home care in England = £14.60*   Average cost of residential care in England = £498.00 a week* 
*Source: NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre. Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs 2008-2009, NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre (2010)

If a person with dementia was supported at home with Just Checking and a home care package of 2 half hour visits a day

Weekly cost of Just Checking is £12.80

Weekly cost of home care is 7 hours @ £14.60 = £102.20

Total weekly cost £115.00

Cost of residential care minus cost of home care/Just Checking = £498.00 - £115.00 = £383.00 net saving per week.

A care package of 2 home care visits a day, plus Just Checking instead of residential care saves £383.00 a week, an annual saving of £19,916

The cost of purchasing and running a Just Checking system for a year is covered if residential care is postponed for just 10 days.