Outstanding Organisation winner – Feros Care (presented to Jennene Buckley, on pic left); Team Innovation winner – Re3 Wellness program, Ageing Wisely; Individual Distinction winner – Graham Custance, Care Connect
Charting innovation in the delivery of smart and virtual technologies for aged care in four eastern states has resulted in aged care provider Feros Care taking out the Outstanding Organisation category at the 2014 HESTA Aged Care Awards in Melbourne last night.
The forward thinking organisation, one of the first aged care providers in Australia to establish telehealthcare services, is recognised as a pioneer in adopting enabling technologies to help seniors stay at home and live independent lives.
Feros Care CEO Jennene Buckley said she was thrilled to accept the award that recognises Feros Care’s contribution to aged care in Australia through development and the provision of new technology enabled service models and solutions for seniors.
Ms Buckley said new thinking and new transformational models of service delivery was critical to providing aged care services in the future.
“Feros Care believes our greatest challenge and hope in meeting the needs of our rapidly ageing population, is keeping seniors as healthy, independent, living at home, socially connected to their family, friends and community for as long as possible,” she said.
“Government and industry know the way we provide services today, cannot be the way we need to provide services in future. “
Feros Care supports seniors through the use of telehealth and smart technologies including group and individual video calls, senior friendly personal computers and tablets, virtual case management and smart home technology and monitoring safety.
Ms Buckley said Feros Care’s National Broadband Network (NBN) enabled My Health Clinic At Home (MHCAH) pilot, was an exciting pilot that opened our minds to what is possible with high speed broadband, and has shaped a number of exciting initiatives moving forward.
“My Health Clinic at Home uses telehealth technologies to monitor hundreds of clients with chronic diseases in their homes. Clients connect to Feros’ Telehealth nurses, GPs and other health professionals via video call and are able to have their vital signs monitored to enable more timely and effective health care,” she said.
In addition to health monitoring, the MHCAH was used to connect seniors virtually to family, friends, community case managers and significant others in their lives; to help reduce their social isolation using an easy touch screen interface that Feros Care’s IT team developed.
Ms Buckley said faster and more reliable internet was helping future proof a sustainable telehealth experience and social connectedness for clients.
“Pilots like the MHCAH are showing how the federal government’s $36 billion National Broadband Network – delivering a superfast cable network to nearly every home – is helping provide in home care technologies to suburbs too far from telecommunications exchanges without the speed or bandwidth to access telehealth services,” she said.
Ms Buckley said Feros has also recently installed gigabyte wireless networks in their residential aged care villages and a secure video conferencing platform to enable high quality video calls to assist clients living at home and in residential villages to access health services and to tackle social isolation. Feros has facilitated over 5000 video conferencing sessions from one-on-on interactions with their clients and a family member or GP, to group multi-party sessions such as online bingo (involving over 50 seniors), group chat clubs and healthy literacy classes.
“This has extended to our clients being able to access and participate in community events that they cannot physically attend. An example was the Byron Bay Writers Festival last week, where residents of our villages were able to view the sessions at the festival from the villages and ask questions of the authors through a virtual link,” she said.
“In addition, we have rolled out more than 1500 ‘smart home’ installations into clients’ homes to reduce the risk of falls, anxiety about living alone and to support clients living with dementia or receiving palliative care treatment.”
Keith Doherty, a member of the original Feros Care technical team who worked to establish the innovative technologies within the organisation, said it was no surprise Feros Care had taken out the award.
“Feros Care has taken telehealth from a stumbling ad-hoc bunch of trials to a systematic delivery service which, in true Feros fashion, is well implemented and supported. There will be an increasing number of people in Australia, not just the elderly, who will be able to remain at home thanks to your pioneering efforts and tenacity, “ he said.
Feros Care’s goal to transform its service delivery is based on its Byron Model of Care. The model encompasses three key philosophies: wellness and active ageing, positive living philosophy and reablement and restorative care.
Feros Care’s pioneering work in assistive technologies is making a big difference in the lives of its clients. The innovative organisation adds the $10,000 HESTA award to a growing list of achievements at state, national and international levels; including the 2014 Aged Community Services Association NSW and ACT State Awards for Excellence, an International Award for Excellence in Ageing Services, the 2012 Australian Institute of Management Award and a finalist in both the 2014 CIO of the Year and 2014 Leading Age Services Australia – Queensland Awards.
Feros Care hopes to use the prize funds to develop information videos for seniors on the benefits of enabling technologies.
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