Yorbl is using Twilio technology to help bring telecare solutions into the 21st century, and promote digital inclusion among a growing aging population.

The telecare industry in the UK is projected to have a staggering 10.4% CAGR from 2022-2027. This period of growth coincides with the “Analog Switch Off” scheduled to occur by December of 2025, at which time the country will commit to digital telephone infrastructure (VolP).

Yorbl Technologies is poised to both assist the telecare industry in the analog-to-digital switch, and provide modern health and care solutions to the aging population, allowing them to live healthier, more independent lives.

Yorbl Technologies is a software company providing Technology Enabled Care Services (TECS), or what they describe as Technology Enabled Living.  It’s positioned to become a true pioneer in the digitization of the telecare industry in the UK.  

One of Yorbl’s high-level goals is to leave behind archaic senior care hardware – think bulky fall alert necklaces and big red buttons on in-home boxes.  These antiquated solutions are what many refer to as “Badges of Infirmity”, bringing embarrassment for seniors and often translating to stubborn avoidance that negates their intended purpose.

Yorbl has partnered with top-of-the-line hardware providers like Lenovo, Nokia, and Motorola to usher in a new era of unintrusive digital Telecare solutions. These connect to a growing range of cutting-edge peripherals, sensors and sleek, unobtrusive modern wearables to raise alarms, detect falls and collect data related to both Health and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) – without actually intruding on daily living. Easy-to-use, touchscreen handhelds powered with Yorbl’s senior-friendly Telecare/Telehealth App facilitates personal independence, safer living and digital inclusion for a rapidly aging population.

Above: Yorbl Vita+ running on the Lenovo M10 HD Tablet

Staying connected. Anytime. Anywhere.

With the upcoming comms changeover in the UK, Yorbl saw an opportunity to modernize telecare, but IoT connectivity logistics were an obstacle.  In order to provide fully digital telecare solutions to its users, Yorbl would need reliable cellular connectivity that offered global access, without using outdated telephone technology.

Device connection and digital data flow needed to remain steadfast in handheld devices that had the potential to travel.  Yorbl’s partnering hardware devices would have to maintain connection in more rural areas, locations where Wi-Fi or Broadband access was limited, during outages, or across provider boundaries.

Yorbl chose Twilio Super SIM to ensure connectivity. Through Twilio’s simple self-serve offering, Yorbl’s team was able to order SIMs for trials prior to commercially launching.  When compared to available SIM competitors, Twilio Super SIM enabled, rather than restricted Yorbl’s global reach and technical capabilities.

Super SIM’s built-in redundancy and multi-IMSI design ensured that Yorbl’s data flow and user communications will remain uninterrupted – even if users are traveling – giving extended independence, higher quality of living, and keeping users safe.

Yorbl is taking advantage of Twilio Programmable Voice to give carers a direct line of voice communication with their aging loved ones on their handheld devices.  Yorbl is also leveraging Programmable Voice to allow users and their care management teams to host necessary case conferences right through the Yorbl app.  All parties with a vested interest can connect and collaborate through one conversation – making adjustments to care action plans and meeting the needs of participants together.

With one-to-one video capabilities powered by Twilio Programmable Video, Yorbl meets the social-emotional needs of users by bridging a gap felt deeply during COVID shutdowns.  No matter what the future holds, Yorbl users will have constant visual connection capabilities with their family and friends.

We knew we wanted to build voice and video communications into Yorbl Core. It became fairly obvious that what would be ideal would be a technology partner that could do it all.

PETER REED-FORRESTER, FOUNDER OF YORBL

Technology-enabled living with global possibilities

While primarily identifying as a software company, Yorbl is coupling connectivity and innovative software with third-party hardware devices to create what it refers to as the Yorbl Digital Ecosystem.  This ecosystem collects accurate data surrounding activities of daily living, vitals, user communications, and more. 

There is near-real-time communication of that data to Yorbl’s cloud (backed by Microsoft Azure).  Yorbl Vu organizes and reports that data to users graphically through a convenient dashboard. 

The value of this data is multi-faceted and limitless. This data paints a picture for consumers, carers, and agencies. This can be used to develop care plans, assess risks, and personalize communal housing situations. 

Yorbl can provide digital care solutions beyond the borders of the UK without overhauling its IoT connectivity logistics by choosing to equip devices with the robust and flexible Super SIM from Twilio.  With global data communication at its fingertips, Yorbl is primed to scale rapidly – bringing telecare solutions and healthier, independent living to seniors, social housing organizations, and care homes beyond the UK.

As a forward-thinking organization, Yorbl sought an IoT partner that could offer an additional suite of technology solutions the company knew it would need as it scales with time.  Yorbl needed a partner that had the flexibility to grow with them.  The Yorbl team was confident that the powerful infrastructure behind Twilio could handle the growth and innovation they envisioned moving forward.  “We chose Twilio because it offered us the path of minimum resistance for the growth of the business,” says Yorbl founder Peter Reed-Forrester.

Yorbl’s future technology-based care solutions will offer varying levels of social engagement, including video conferencing.  Twilio’s versatile SMS capabilities, Video, and Programmable Voice products will continue to support Yorbl as they develop product options and supercharged monitoring packages that will lead to decreased feelings of isolation, higher levels of user engagement, and deeper insight into user needs and daily living challenges.

Credit: Twilio https://customers.twilio.com/3535/yorbl-digital-care-solutions-give-dignity-to-aging-population-in-uk/https://customers.twilio.com/3535/yorbl-digital-care-solutions-give-dignity-to-aging-population-in-uk/