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Nottingham wins national award for Tunstall RFID technology
Nottingham City Council has won a national award for Tunstall's innovative technology that is helping to deliver better services for people with dementia.
Laundry identification in care homes can be a time consuming and complex process for staff. Where residents cannot identify their own clothing, it can be difficult to return every item correctly and can sometimes result in clothes being worn by the wrong person causing stress for both the resident and their family. Tunstall's Stayput laundry identification solution identifies individual items of clothing ensuring that they can be quickly and easily returned to the rightful owner, avoiding the undignified method of writing names on labels. Stayput laundry identification provides a quicker and easier procedure which is less impactful on staff time.
Nottingham City Council, in partnership with Tunstall, provided the Stayput solution to enhance the care provided to residents in Nottingham's dementia care homes. The solution allows residents to maintain their identity, independence and promotes dignity in care whilst increasing efficiencies within the care homes.
Nottingham's service, the first of its kind in the UK, was introduced to all 142 residents across five specialist dementia units in the area, including residents who visit for short-term care.
The solution won the Award for Innovation in Technology at the Department of Health and Social Care Awards on 8 July. This award recognises the development of an innovative health care technology that improves the delivery of services for patients, service users or carers.
Councillor Eunice Campbell, Nottingham City Council's portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health, said: "I'm thrilled Nottingham City Council has won this prestigious award for what is a simple idea that new technology allows us to put in place. It can save problems and upset and give our care staff more time to spend caring for residents. If residents see or believe someone else is wearing their clothing in error it can cause confusion and distress to people with dementia and their families. RFID technology will be used to securely store data to make sure residents' clothes are easily identified and go with their rightful owner. The buttons store specific requirements, ensuring individual needs are met discreetly and efficiently.
"Nottingham City Council is consistently investing in its social care for adults and vulnerable people, looking at how it can provide services in new ways that improve care and bring efficiencies that will help cater for the increasing numbers of older people."
Kate Fisher, Project Officer - Dementia at Nottingham City Council said: "This is an excellent example of partnership working between the Council and Tunstall. Here we recognised a need and together we sourced a practical solution. Person centred care is at the heart of what we do here in Nottingham and RFID is a key part of that, allowing us to promote dignity, preserve identity and maintain personhood."
View Nottingham City Council RFID case study - click here
View RFID data sheet - click here
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