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Staying in touch
Teleconferencing used to reduce social isolation in nursing homes.
Hall & Prior Aged Care has announced it will incorporate audio and video conferencing services into its nursing homes to help reduce isolation among residents.
The family-owned organisation manages 25 nursing homes and says 80 per cent of sites have now transitioned to using Macquarie Telecom’ s SD-WAN services.
Hall & Prior Aged Care ICT manager Dan Beeston said the organisation had experienced“ significant growth” and wanted to introduce new digital services.
“ Digital voice and video services are the way of the future in our industry,” he said.“ We needed a platform that enabled us to deploy these services in a way that was reliable, secure and benefited our care providers and recipients.
“ We’ re now moving towards a fully centralised model for voice and video services across all sites. We were hesitant about doing this under our former MPLS technology as those networks were already constrained. However, the trials with SD-WAN have proven successful, and care providers and recipients are reaping benefits from the technology.”
Following the trial, Hall & Prior is now in the midst of equipping its care providers with audio and video conferencing-enabled devices, which it hopes will allow seniors to stay better connected with others.
Beeston said a new guest Wi-Fi platform would use teleconferencing and social media to help reduce social isolation.
“ With our previous provider, we had four different account managers over the duration of the contract – this isn’ t the case with Macquarie. The Macquarie Team built and maintain a strong partnership with us, are early adopters and at the forefront of SD-WAN technology within the Australia market, and are well positioned to guide us through what is still relatively new ground.” ■
Scalabrini voted best
Elaine Griffin and Fiona Kendall at the awards night. Photo: Scalabrini
Dementia village that encourages residents to maintain normal daily patterns and stay connected with wider community recognised for innovation.
Aged care provider Scalabrini has received the Best Aged Care Facility Award for its newest village.
Presented at the 2018 Australian Healthcare Week Excellence Awards, the prize recognised the innovation involved in the workings of The Village – which focuses on care for those with dementia.
The seventh facility of the not-for-profit Scalabrini group, The Village was built in Drummoyne, Sydney, to support senior residents with“ complex needs” who can no longer live independently.
Innovation examples include sensor flooring to detect movement and falls, mobile technology to replace nurse stations and keyless access to rooms.
The Village also includes therapeutic and sensory facilities such as a central piazza, vegetable patch, gardens, art facilities, performance spaces, wellness centre and chapel.
The Village general manager Fiona Kendall said staff were thrilled with the award.
“ We’ re extremely delighted and humbled to be acknowledged for our efforts in developing and launching this wonderful new village,” she said.
“ The Village by Scalabrini allows us to support residents, enabling them to live their lives doing the things they love to the best of their abilities, so they are happy and connected, as well as helping our staff to work together as an effective team to deliver the very best in quality and care.”
Scalabrini chief executive Elaine Griffin said The Village was an example of how the aged care industry and the needs of seniors were evolving.
“ Aged-care is rapidly changing. We are entering a dynamic, consumer-driven world where old paradigms of care will no longer work,” she said.
“ Navigating this new world will mean providers such as Scalabrini will more than ever need to actively listen and respond to the needs of those we serve.
“ Our ultimate goal must always be to provide excellent care that is individualised to each and every person in our care.”
Residents of The Village live in houses with 6 – 14 residents, a dedicated kitchen, dining room, lounge and other intimate communal spaces to encourage them to maintain normal daily patterns.
Staff said connection to the wider community was also a key aspect, as families, friends, neighbours and community members were encouraged to visit and engage with the seniors. ■
6 agedcareinsite. com. au