The new project is being rolled out to various care homes to reduce the number of UTI’s, falls and constipation within residents across Wirral’s care environments, creating a safer and more comfortable life for them.
Using Aquarate’s Hydracare system is also set to create a huge potential cost saving for Wirral through productivity savings and a decrease in antibiotics prescribed and unnecessary hospital admissions. Fall admissions alone in Wirral costs the health and social care economy £9 million each year, with 7 in 10 of these admissions aged 65+.
Michael Hanrahan, Telecare and Telehealth Manager for Wirral Council comments:
“As commissioners of services for our most vulnerable people, Hydracare offers the opportunity to confirm that they are properly hydrated, resulting in better health for them, while reducing the workload on hard-working care home staff.
Avoidable falls and urinary tract infections (UTIs) amongst older people remain a concern in Wirral. Correct hydration levels are fundamental to a person’s health and wellbeing, with clear and repeated evidence describing how falls and UTIs can be minimised by tackling dehydration.
Increasingly, CQC requires evidence that good care is being provided. Hydracare provides the evidence that hydration levels are monitored, and appropriate action taken if someone needs additional fluids or requires a restriction on fluid intake. Operationally, care home managers can be confident that care is being delivered, while relatives are reassured that their loved one is in receipt of the best care.”
Rebecca Taylor, CEO of Aquarate says:
“It is fantastic to see the region coming together to tackle some of the serious issues seen within care. We aim to support Wirral's digital transformation by providing a tool to track the very fundamentals of care. We look forward to sharing the results of our work in the coming months!”
If you’d like more information about our Hydracare system and want to know more about the improvements to care and potential cost savings your organisation could make, request a demo here.
The hydration project work is in partnership with Wirral Council, Wirral CCG, Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (WUTH) and supporting groups: Wirral Antimicrobial resistance group and Wirral Bladder and Bowel Team.