This research and development (R&D) project will develop and test a toolkit of devices that enable person-centred prescribing from a range of telehealth, telecare and ambient monitoring devices within an existing home. These will then be integrated into the Archangel platform for data collation and analysis.

The project, delivered under the Smart Housing Smart Communities living lab, will involve the testing and evaluation of a personalised, proactive and predictive monitoring service pathway for citizens and health and care services in Moray. It forms part of an integrated health, social care and housing R&D digital transformation programme which is being delivered by the DHI’s Rural Centre of Excellence, a £5m project funded by the UK Government as part of the Moray Growth Deal.

Archangel will directly support this project by contributing to R&D activity that could potentially extend Health & Social Care Moray’s (HSCM) Moray Lifeline Service (MLL) which provides telecare equipment to individuals across the region, especially older and vulnerable people, and enables them to live independently in their own homes.

With the analogue switch-off scheduled for January 2027, many Moray residents currently rely on telecare systems that will soon become obsolete. The project will assist HSCM in the migration of users to digital systems with no disruption to their telecare service and explore new ways of capturing health and wellbeing data to deliver early intervention and more personalised care services.

The partnership with Archangel will allow MLL to choose from a wide range of unobtrusive sensor-based technologies and devices that are all tailored to support the individual’s needs and are seamlessly integrated into Archangel’s cutting-edge Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) platform.

By using Archangel’s AAL platform, which applies AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning models, care providers will gain new insights into residents’ daily routines. This will enable early intervention and more personalised care, from supported living and fall prevention to proactive property management.

The project has the potential to empower individuals to take a more active role in managing their own health and wellbeing by linking data insights from Archangel into the Community Connections platform and Personal Data Store (PDS), where people can securely view and share their health data, access support and self-refer to services.

Ultimately the project contributes to the ambition to shift from legacy telecare services in Moray and lays the foundation for future advancements in connected health, social care and housing throughout Scotland and further afield.

Marie Simpson of DHI, commented: “Having worked with Archangel on several health and social care projects in the northeast of Scotland, we know their capabilities and what they bring to initiatives like the Rural Centre of Excellence R&D work. The partnership allows us to showcase cutting-edge data solutions and IoT (internet of things) technology to unlock the full potential of smart housing by tackling the long-standing challenge of fragmented, siloed data across health, care and social housing.  

“With a clear need for a unified system approach, DHI is investing in solutions that integrate services seamlessly and empower individuals with personalised care and improved outcomes.”

Lorna Bernard from Moray Council, said: “The analogue switch-off presents challenges but DHI and Archangel’s involvement will help to develop, test and evaluate new solutions to enable delivery of a future-proof digital platform with solutions that don’t just replace outdated systems but transform care for vulnerable people living rurally across Moray.

“It will demonstrate that a fully customisable and unobtrusive monitoring system is workable across a huge range of devices and sensors, providing tailored support for individual needs, from falls detection and activities of daily living monitoring to proactive property and environmental management.”

Lesley Attridge, locality manager with HSCM, added: “We are already working towards transitioning our analogue telecare systems to digital, ensuring people will have continued access to a reliable Lifeline service.

“This project opens up greater opportunities to develop, test, and evaluate future technologies that can transform care and support for vulnerable people living rurally across Moray. The expertise of DHI and Archangel will ensure that any potential digital options are robust, secure, and designed with the needs of the people we support at the forefront. The possible introduction of devices and sensors will always be carefully discussed with individuals and families, ensuring person-centred approaches that prioritise safety, privacy and choice.”

Brian Brown, director of business development at Archangel, explained: “This project represents a significant milestone in our mission to turn complex data into actionable insights. The DHI’s commitment to breaking down data silos and delivering truly personalised care perfectly aligns with our vision by utilising our expertise in AI-driven analytics and digital integration.

“We welcome the opportunity of collaboration with other partners and the consolidation of knowledge and research to realise the vision of an integrated health, social care and housing system.”