Telecare could prevent 160,000 people from entering residential care per year, with potential cost savings of £2.0 billion per year, according to Department of Health estimates.  However, 98 percent of UK adults are unaware that assistive technologies are an important part of social care, new research commissioned by the Department of Health has revealed.

Telecare is one of a range of innovative services currently available, yet most people still associate care and support services with home care or day care for older people. Half of UK adults mention home care/day care for older people when explaining social care and thirty percent mention home care/day care for people with disabilities.

The Department of Health has selected North Yorkshire County Council as an exemplar provider of innovative prevention services. The Council has saved over £1 million through telecare over the last year that would otherwise have been spent on domiciliary or residential care. This cut the average person’s care costs by 38 per cent, which is an average saving of £3,600 per person.

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