Tunstall's myworld is a suite of mobile applications running on a tablet that provides residents, with no previous experience of technology, a simple and safe means of connecting to their care provider, friends, family and other services through software and secure social media platforms. It has been designed to support independent living by giving users better control over aspects of their daily life, allowing them to; schedule appointments, book meals, report property repairs, view upcoming events and send/receive messages to their carers and families.
With its simple yet intuitive touch-screen interface and a range of easy to use applications, Tunstall's myworld is like no other solution on the market, designed as an extension of traditional communication to offer a wealth of fully supported applications in one packaged product. It provides users with a platform to see their friends or relatives using video software such as Skype, and allows them to become part of community activities to improve social wellbeing.
Simon Arnold, UK & Ireland Managing Director at Tunstall said: "Keeping in contact with friends and family is increasingly becoming an issue for older people as they can feel disconnected from their social network. Fear and uncertainty of technology can discourage people from using it, despite the benefits it can provide. According to the charity Age UK, twelve per cent of older people say that they feel trapped in their own home, while 9 per cent admit to feeling cut off from society.
"Providing solutions like myworld addresses these barriers to social inclusion by allowing users to communicate with friends and family whenever suits them, reducing the risk of referrals to additional social services and supporting independent living. This is a very exciting step and has proven hugely successful throughout extensive consumer testing."
Myworld also supports housing organisations in property management, allowing them to process maintenance and repair requests in a timely manner and offer added revenue streams and valued services to their residents. It can also provide added reassurance to friends and family, and help providers promote instant, efficient and effective communications. With myworld, providers are able to manage multi-site communication, improving productivity and generating cost savings.
Simon added: "As a provider of services to support independence, it is our priority to give individuals the support they need at different stages of their life. To ensure they get the most appropriate care, we’re delivering flexible solutions that offer added reassurance for improved health and wellbeing, while at the same time providing value for money for housing associations. Myworld is an example where users have designed the solution to make it easy to use for everyone."
While at the event, Tunstall will demonstrate myclinic, a multi-user telehealth system which enables residents in supported housing to monitor their health more regularly in the comfort of their own surroundings. The system allows users to access their individual records and monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar level and store the data securely for review by a medical professional, ensuring a pre-emptive response for early intervention.
Tunstall will also showcase its partnership with Contour Homes, who were recently shortlisted in the TSA Crystal Awards for their creative use of myworld. Contour Homes is using the suite to support residents' independence by giving them access to information on local events and tools to communicate with family, friends and caregivers.
David Cockayne, Managed Services Director at Tunstall will be taking part in a panel discussion on innovation in housing and dementia alongside representatives from the charity and healthcare sector. The debate will follow on from a keynote speech presented by Jeremy Hughes, CEO of the Alzheimer's Society.
Visit Tunstall on stand 2 to find out more about the latest solutions and their work with a variety of housing organisations.
Related news articles:
- Tunstall's Profile
About Tunstall
Tunstall Healthcare Group is the market leading provider of telehealthcare solutions, with over 3.6 million users globally. Tunstall's solutions support older people and those with long-term needs, helping them to live independently by effectively managing their health and well-being. Its solutions have been proven effective in the world’s largest telehealthcare trial. Tunstall provides technology, services, expertise and advice to millions of people enabling them to lead independent more fulfilling lives.