Responding to COVID-19: The future of intelligent homes

Responding to COVID-19: The future of intelligent homes

In the final of The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) series on Healthy Living and Housing, our focus was on the future of intelligent homes. You can access the session by clicking here and registering to watch on demand. For this session, I was pleased to be joined by: Dr Chris McGinley, Senior Research Fellow, Leader Age & Diversity Research Space, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art; and, Dr Ozak Esu, Smart Assets Lead and part of the Construction Innovation Hub, Building Research Establishment (BRE)   Homes, health, and inclusive design Chris outlined the role of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design. It is a centre for inclusive design covering two main research themes, Age and Diversity, and Healthcare. They work across a number of design areas including strategic, visual, artefact, and the built environment and public spaces. His presentation included two short videos. The first was of an older woman trying to navigate the use of multiple remote controls to...
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Reducing social isolation and loneliness

Reducing social isolation and loneliness

I had the pleasure of chairing the fourth in The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) series on Healthy Living and Housing.  The focus for this session was on reducing social isolation and loneliness. You can access the session by clicking the link here and registering to watch on demand. Speakers for this session included Smriti Kotiyal, Research Assistant, University of Bradford Marianne Wanstall, CEO, The Brendoncare Foundation Heather Claridge, Principal Design Officer, Architecture & Design Scotland   COVID-19 and the role of technology Smriti began by discussing the significant role that technology, including communication technologies, has played in managing COVID-19.  COVID-19 is often compared to the 1918 Spanish Flu and 2009 H1N1 outbreak. Today we have improved capacity, diagnostic tools and communications. For example, current global internet usage sits at 53.6% compared to 25.8% in 2009. This has very much facilitated improved knowledge sharing and better use of technological advancements. The use of technology to reduce the spread of COVID-19 has not been without controversy. China is one...
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Monitoring vulnerable patients and remote diagnostics

Monitoring vulnerable patients and remote diagnostics

This was the third webinar in the The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) series on Healthy Living and Housing.  The focus for this session was on monitoring vulnerable patients and remote diagnostics. You can access the session by clicking the link here and registering to watch on demand. Speakers for this session included Jessie Cunnett, Head of Health and Social Care at Traverse Tara Marshall, Clinical Improvement Lead at the Eastern Academic Health Science Network Daniel Casson, Digital Social Care, Digital Transformation Adviser, Care England and Managing Director of Casson Consulting London.   The experience of digital care COVID-19 has radically transformed the delivery of health and care with a rapid shift towards virtual consultations. However, little research had been done on understanding the virtual health and care experience, and how this might differ across populations and care requirements. To understand this, Traverse, alongside Healthwatch and National Voices, conducted research on understanding the virtual health and care experience. Jessie discussed the recent report, The Doctor will Zoom you now. The...
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