A new initiative aims to transform care sector education through independent living demonstration spaces.
AVERio has teamed up with Automated Spaces to showcase the art of the possible with independent living technologies as part of the government’s Local Skills Improvement Fund initiative.
They have together created six demonstration spaces across further education colleges in Kent and Medway. The project spans three college groups: East Kent Colleges Group (EKC Group) (Broadstairs, Canterbury & Folkestone), MidKent College (Gillingham), and North Kent College (Dartford & Tonbridge).
The demonstration spaces feature AVERio’s connected care platform at their core, integrated with smart home solutions to proactively assist people in living independently.
These immersive environments provide vital opportunities for students to develop the critical skills needed in the modern healthcare sector while showcasing the transformative potential of connected care technologies to visitors.
“This initiative represents an exciting step forward in addressing the skills gap within the health and social care sector,” said Phil Neilson, CEO of AVERio.
“These demonstration spaces provide an invaluable opportunity for the next generation of healthcare professionals to engage with cutting-edge independent living technologies in a practical, hands-on way.
“They also offer local stakeholders and businesses a unique opportunity to experience how these solutions can address real-world challenges and improve outcomes across diverse care settings.
“By bridging education and real-world application, we are not only empowering professionals but also demonstrating how technology can transform lives, enabling more people to live independently and with dignity.”
The demonstration spaces have been designed to showcase the positive outcomes achievable through independent living technologies across three key scenarios: supporting a person living at home with dementia, enhancing care within residential care settings, and improving quality of life in sheltered housing environments.
These scenarios provide tangible, real-world examples of how connected care solutions can make a meaningful difference in diverse care settings.
The colleges are opening the demonstration spaces to stakeholders in the health & social care sector in the region – for example the NHS, Home Improvement Agencies, Housing Associations, Care Home and Sheltered Housing Providers. Some 350 students are expected to benefit from these facilities per year.