Howz trialling a service with Royal Mail to address well-being of elderly residents in Manchester
Howz, a homemonitoring system that keeps families up to date with the wellbeing of elderly relatives has launched a trial with Royal Mail to help people to live independently for longer.
The trial will see Howz offer 100 residents in Greater Manchester a free Howz monitoring starter kit and six-month free access to their service, compliments of the Royal Mail..
The kits include easy-to-fit sensors that monitor movement and electricity usage in an unobtrusive way. This allows residents to monitor their daily home activity and detect any changes to their routine which could signify potential health issues. They can also choose to disclose this information with family members, friends or healthcare professionals for peace of mind.
As part of the trial, Howz and Royal Mail are encouraging families of participants to check in with their loved ones by sending a postcard through the Howz app. When the postcard is delivered, recipients will be required to sign for it, triggering an alert to the sender reassuring them that their loved one is well. Families will be able to send up to twelve postcards to residents in the area during the trial.
Local housing association Trafford Housing Trust, and the FED, a leading social care charity in Manchester for the Jewish community, are also assisting the scheme by advising on which residents will benefit the most from the use of a Howz starter kit.
On the trial Royal Mail said:
“Royal Mail is pleased to be the selected delivery partner for the Howz service trial being run in Manchester. The trial will use our Tracked Products as the way to send personalised postcards created online, from friends and family as an integrated part of Howz’s in-home monitoring solution.”
Louise Rogerson, the Director of Operations at Howz, said:
“We are delighted to be launching this trial with the Royal Mail. We pride ourselves on giving people the opportunity to understand their habits and routines to stay independent and active for longer. This partnership will also combat social isolation so often witnessed across the country - the local postie can do so much in helping reassure family and friends that loved ones are well while also providing a friendly chat with the resident.”
About Howz
Howz is a software-based product developed by Intelesant Ltd aimed at supporting people to live independently whilst letting those that matter to them know how they're doing. Howz quickly learns an occupant’s routine though sensors and electrical readings, and alerts users of any changes. Howz aims to enable this process without being intrusive, being easy to install and use, and helpful for identifying daily activity.
