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Lights , camera
CCTV to finally be trialled in South Australian homes .
In an Australian first , the South Australian Government has announced that it will trial CCTV in aged care homes in a bid to stop potential abuse in the system . SA Minister for Health and Wellbeing , Stephen Wade , declared that a trial will finally get underway in two homes – Northgate House and Mount Pleasant Aged Care in the Adelaide Hills – with a $ 785,000 co-investment from the Commonwealth and State Governments .
“ Protecting South Australia ’ s most vulnerable is a key priority for the Marshall Liberal Government ,” said Wade .
“ The 12-month trial aims to enhance resident safety and care , by providing greater visibility of adverse events and enabling staff to respond quickly and manage them effectively .
“ The trial will provide the Government with valuable information about the viability of audio-visual surveillance and monitoring within residential care settings .”
Recording devices will be placed in residents ’ bedrooms and common areas and are programmed to detect trigger movement and sounds , signalling the need for a rapid response .
The technology uses artificial intelligence to identify falls , calls for help , or unusual movements . This triggers an alert to be sent to operators at an independent monitoring centre , who then immediately alert nursing staff to respond .
Footage of an incident will be retained and securely stored onsite for review by authorised personnel .
A steering committee of consumer , stakeholder and government representatives is overseeing the pilot and the trial will then be subject to an independent evaluation . Feedback from residents , family , staff and the CCTV technology provider , Sturdie Pty Ltd , will determine the future of CCTV in the state ’ s aged care system .
“ We pride ourselves on delivering quality care to our residents , and their safety and privacy are top priorities ,” said director of the Office for Ageing Well , Cassie Mason .
“ Residents are able to choose whether to have their bedroom recording devices activated or not and can opt-in or out of participating at any time .” ■
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