Essential Communications Technology
Paraphrasing the mythical Chinese curse of “May you live in interesting times”, today we certainly live in unprecedented times. The residential aged care community more so than most, with snap lockdowns due to Covid, carers and residents testing positive, traumatised families, confusing and frequently contradictory government responses. The unfortunate outcome being an industry bordering on crisis, with chronic staff shortages, escalating operating costs along with the added pressure of implementing the recent Royal Commission reporting mandates.
Realistically, given Australia’s rapidly aging population, and the ever-increasing demand for residential care, the staffing shortages are not going to be solved without a substantial overhaul of the pay and conditions structure, including opportunities for upskilling and career advancement. We believe that over time through a united industry and a committed government these reforms will ultimately occur, however, it will not be an overnight solution.
In the interim, ARC management has recognised that they must explore every avenue to maximise their current operational efficiencies and productivity. Fortunately, we live in an age where ICT architecture and IP technology are already playing a significant role within the modern aged residential care industry.
Alexys International as Australia’s preeminent designer and manufacturer of IP based nurse call solutions was a pioneer of this technology and continues to work closely with many leading aged care providers to ensure the appropriate use of such innovation in the delivery of quality care across all areas.
A typical example is the introduction of the Aptus Aware Android App, operating in conjunction with Aptus Critical Messaging System (CMS), Aware greatly mitigates the growing “alarm fatigue” among carers with its seamless integration to not only nurse call points but most other facility monitoring systems including CCTV, Fire Alarms, and Building Management Services. The Aptus Aware App makes messaging personal; context aware messaging ensures the right person receives the right message, on time every time.
A further impressive technology driven feature at the core of both the Aptus Air and Aptus Unity systems is the inclusion of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) functionality which provides Real Time Location System (RTLS) within the BLE beacon coverage area. Providing facility management with critical information relating to alert activation, response time, time in attendance, location awareness and alert details.
To learn more about how Alexys’ IP solutions can improve staff productivity and accountability in the aged care environment, please visit www.alexys.com.au or call 1300 ALEXYS (1300 253 997)