New and emerging technology for adult social care - the example of home sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Social care is facing pressures due to a lack of funding and staff and COVID-19. One way to ease pressures is by using digital technology. We looked at a technology that places sensors around people's homes to monitor changes in daily activity, including how this technology was brought into social care and how it works. We reviewed evidence and spoke with experts (including people who draw on care and support) to finalise the study design. We then interviewed people from social care organisations, carers, technology developers and regulators. • Organisations expected the technology to do a lot, including preventing illness, assessing needs, supporting independent living, reassuring people drawing on care (and their carers) and saving money. • Some social care decision-makers may not have the skills and understanding needed to make decisions about the use of new technology, and lacked a strategic approach to decision-making. • It was difficult to collect the data needed to use the sensors correctly, which meant the technology did not meet expectations. • Care staff were trained on how to use the sensors, although many struggled to make sense of the data they collected. • Social care is often focused on dealing with a crisis, rather than preventing one. This means a culture change is needed to use the sensors properly.