A demonstration space for independent living technologies has been set up in a handful of further education colleges in the UK.
As part of the Government ‘Local Skills Improvement Fund’ initiative, a home automation specialist was awarded the contract to demo the ‘first of its kind project’ across three groups: East Kent Colleges (EKC), Mid Kent College and North Kent College.
Automated Spaces has infused smart home solutions with a connected care platform to enable independent living.
The concept uses various smart home devices to provide data to the platform and trigger actions within the smart home based on monitoring from the cloud.
Alan Matthews, managing director of Automated Spaces, said: “We are working with many great manufacturers and service providers, such as Control4 and AVERio, to provide a comprehensive portfolio of solutions.
“It has been a pleasure to work with the various colleges and especially the lead team for the project at EKC Group, we can’t wait to see the reaction from students, adult learners and external visitors to the spaces.”
This ‘Evolution of Independent Living Technologies’ aims to build on healthcare skills with the following scenarios:
- Person living at home with Dementia
- Residential care setting
- Sheltered housing
The colleges will also open the demonstration spaces to stakeholders in the health and social care sector, ranging from the NHS to housing associations and care home providers.
Phil Neilson, CEO of AVERio, said: “We are delighted to be a part of this fantastic scheme. Home is where the heart is, which is why we make independent living in the place you call home easier for those who need support.
“With opportunities like this, the Care Tech sector can show what is possible within the independent living settings and importantly, we can help more people live happy more independent lives.”