Connected Health makes technology to support elderly

Based in Belfast, Connected Health has invested in Research & Development (R&D) to create Carebox, an in-home care solution which is designed to support older people with virtual care and medication.

Connected Health’s Carebox solution operates in tandem with a patient’s own TV to provide medication reminders and direct access to their next of kin or a virtual care assistant. The company has also deployed a host of additional service innovations and support throughout the pandemic.

CEO of Invest Northern Ireland, Kevin Holland, visited Connected Health in Belfast to witness first hand some of the innovative service solutions developed by the Connected Health team. Kevin said: “Since it established eight years ago, Connected Health’s growth has been very impressive. The company sees the value in investing in R&D to grow its business and has used our support to design, develop and refine Carebox, its most innovative technology to date. The technology can improve the quality of patient care in the home and will be launched across the UK and ROI, with further export potential in the coming years.

“Supporting businesses to translate innovative ideas into real life solutions is essential to our role. By investing in R&D, Connected Health has created a solution that is having real and immediate benefits on our care sector, particularly during Covid-19. I am confident that this investment will help the company accelerate its growth internationally and build resilience throughout Covid-19 and beyond.”

Established in 2012, Connected Health delivers over 2.5 million physical care visits per year and is one of Northern Ireland’s largest homecare providers. Over the last three years, Invest NI has offered Connected Heath £156,000 of support towards R&D, marketing and trade assistance.

Douglas Adams, Connected Health CEO, commented: “Creating solutions to improve patient care is at the heart of our business and is the reason we developed Carebox. With the impact of Covid-19 affecting the NHS, our technology is designed to deliver efficient home healthcare in the community, at times decreasing the demand for costly hospitalisation.

“Invest NI has played a significant role in supporting many of our key projects over the last number of years which has helped take our business beyond the confines of traditional homecare. Its support has also helped us to pivot into new areas, enabling our staff to attend key global events and conferences to inform our view of the future direction and technological innovations of our future business.

The team at Connected Health has also been using a range of innovative service approaches across Covid-19. These include dedicated Covid Care teams and Hospital to Home services to free up much needed acute beds, as well as a range of alternative care approaches to boost physical care during lockdown.

Douglas continued: “Homecare has proven itself to be an effective method to deliver essential care to older people, whilst at the same time minimising the cross infection and transmission risks of Covid-19. We expect homecare to be one of the few tools that can be effectively deployed to cope with increasing primary and acute care referrals and discharges. As the pandemic continues, our business will continue to remain nimble and focused on both the opportunities and challenges it presents.”

In recognition of Connected Health’s commitment to innovation, it has been awarded a Silver Level Innovator Certificate from Innovate NI.

Innovate NI is a Department for the Economy programme, helping local businesses innovate successfully. It is delivered by Invest Northern Ireland, local councils and further education colleges. For further information visit  HYPERLINK “http://www.innovateni.com/” www.innovateni.com

Invest NI’s R&D support is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.

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