We live in a cash strapped world where it is important that every penny spent is spent well. When people find it difficult to do things or when their capacity fails there are a range of options that are open to them such as long term care, residential care or independent living in their own home.

Independence can be assisted through the appropriate use of technology. Simple things such as a pendant which is connected to a piece of technology that can send an alert to a response centre can be all that is required to stop a person feeling lonely and isolated.

Technology does not have to be rocket science, often the simple solution is most effective, but to arrive at this simple solution is not easy.

SMART Thinking are experts in the field of designing systems for people. We do not design for illness; we design for the person. In other words, if we were to design a system for someone with dementia, their dementia would be a factor we would consider in the design but only in terms of how it is being experienced by the person with it and their carers.

We believe in designing for use and ensuring the design fits the person and is workable. We avoid technologies that might appear to be "great ideas" but could also jeopardise a person if used incorrectly whilst ensuring that the technological solutions are easy for users to understand.

It is evident that if the wrong technology is given to a person this can disable them and cost far more than if the correct piece is given. Similarly, if only a small amount of technology is provided initially there is a greater potential for the uptake and use of more in the future, if required.