Staff at a supported living community have praised a new temperature indicator which has helped them to monitor and respond to illnesses quickly from a safe distance.
The team at Elan Care Whitethorn, a home health care service based in Hartlepool, has been trialling the Visual Temperature Indicator (VTi) - an adhesive disc applied to the head, where it accurately monitors the body temperature health of the wearer.
With a high temperature being one of the first symptoms of a number of health concerns, including COVID-19, the VTi immediately alerts the wearer, or a carer, to a change in temperature at the earliest stage by changing colour.
Displaying green when normal, the disc changes to a shade of red when it rises to 37.5C. If the temperature rises to 38C, the VTi symbol will turn bright red, indicating that immediate action should be taken. If and when the wearer’s temperature returns to within a normal range, the indicator will revert back to green.
Marie Robson, head of care from Elan Care Whitethorn, said the VTi has proven itself to be effective for monitoring temperature on a large scale, staff and clients, especially in supporting those who may not otherwise be able to fully communicate their symptoms, bringing about a sense of togetherness.
She said: “The VTi has shown its worth in protecting our community. It makes the complicated task of large-scale temperature health monitoring simple and that is very helpful in care. The camaraderie and everyone looking out for each other has been wonderful.”
Developed as an aid to continuously monitor a person’s body temperature when traditional medical devices and thermometers are not in use, the VTi uses thermoreactive technology that reacts to the body’s temperature.
VTi Limited director, John Hill, said the benefits of the VTi are wide ranging, especially in settings where the health of others is a priority.
He said: “The landscape across healthcare will be changed forever but, a high temperature is the first symptom of many underlying health conditions. Therefore, bringing something to the market that adds an extra layer of protection while still enabling social distancing, keeping people safe in the knowledge that any changes can be picked up immediately is of benefit to everyone.”
