A consortium of HSC Technology Group, Whiddon, Anchor Excellence, and CSIRO have secured an ARIIA grant worth nearly $400,000 to run a feasibility study on a data analytics platform that combines sensor technology to prevent falls in residential aged care. The project, called the BEST CARE Project, aims to use Talius, a world-first sensor platform developed by CSIRO, to detect early functional changes and support timely care for older people.
Dr Maggie Haertsch, Consulting Clinical Research Director for HSC Technology Group, believes that more research is required to support quality and safer care for older adults in residential aged care. She added that the use of sensor technology has the potential to make the work of the aged care workforce easier.
Talius uses a combination of sensors placed around the residential aged care home, with settings adjusted to individual risks to identify factors that can lead to a fall. The study will explore the acceptability of these autonomous sensors and the use of an individual’s ‘sensor story’ to inform residents, their families, and care staff of the older person’s wellbeing. The study will also identify any barriers to adoption and the impact of this technology on the organisation’s operations.
Whiddon, an innovative aged care provider, is one of the first residential aged care services in Australia to introduce Talius to improve residents’ safety and support staff to provide high-quality care. The Talius platform is the first of its kind to combine information from different types of sensors to provide real-time information about residents’ care needs to mobile devices and healthcare dashboards used within the service. The study will use six different types of sensors with a total of 967 sensors installed throughout the home.
Graham Russell, CEO of HSC Technology Group, said that the technology using sensors has been successfully trialled by CSIRO in people's homes. He added that using autonomous data collected through the sensors ensures dignity for older people and can predict changes without being invasive.
Regan Stathers, Whiddon’s Executive General Manager Technology and Property, believes that the grant provides an exciting opportunity to introduce Talius, linking real-time information through a variety of sensors into one dashboard and alerts to handheld devices. Cynthia Payne, Managing Director of Anchor Excellence, is also delighted to be involved in the collaboration to find solutions to the serious impact of falls and to support innovation across the sector.