The most vulnerable residents in the county will be aided by research into wearable technology.

Hertfordshire County Council plans to research and invest in equipment which help at-risk adults to live independently in their own homes while offering greater peace of mind for their carers, family and friends.

The decision to approve of this was supported in a cabinet meeting to work in partnership with technology providers and health care professionals to provide extra day-to-day support for those who need it.

Gadgets such as wrist watch activity trackers, and software enabled clothing will work to improve the health and wellbeing of the wearer while providing specific information and instantaneous information about them.

The data collected by these devices will be available for family members to see and will be used by care teams working for the county council to improve support.

Some of the kit is so advanced they can be used to monitor a person’s mobility and whether their health needs are escalating to predict potential future health issues like kidney infections and the possibility of a fall.

Technology advances are also improving the quality of life people living with dementia. Online systems for video-link calls, scheduling messages and reminders for people to take their medication which aide memory and allow people to easily stay in touch with loved ones.

Colette Wyatt-Lowe, Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Health, said:

“We’re starting to look at the different types of technology we can use to support the work we’re already doing helping people to stay independent and living well in their own homes for longer and also to get people back home from hospital promptly when they have recovered from illness. Hertfordshire want to be at the forefront of advances in the digital care arena.”

“With the demand for adult social care ever increasing, its important that we research and invest in alternative options that can not only support people living in Hertfordshire with the best possible levels of care right now, but that also helps us to forward plan our resources for years to come.”