Making aged care more accessible

An iPhone app and resource book, which promises to take the stress out of finding quality aged care, will be launched in Melbourne today.

The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, will be among the first to test drive the new iPhone app when he attends the launch of the new digital tool at Bupa Windsor.

The ‘Choosing a Care Home’ app will provide aged care consumers with a practical and easy way to search for, assess and compare aged care homes against quality criteria.

The app will allow consumers to find aged care homes by suburb or postcode, including directions from their location; be guided to evaluate how the home caters to residents’ needs with a look/listen/feel checklist; and will review all results on one screen to decide on the best aged care home for you or your loved one’s needs.

The app is based on a new rating system, called the Seven Signposts of quality person centred care, which was developed by Bupa in consultation with the Alzheimer’s Australia Consumer Dementia Research Network.

Bupa’s head of dementia services, Marg Ryan, believes the app will help people find the right home to meet their individual needs or the needs of a loved one.

“The need for aged care often occurs suddenly and it can be a stressful time for families,” Ms Ryan says.

“The app and booklet guide you to assess care from a resident’s viewpoint based upon what you experience at the home. While the app has been developed with a focus on people living with dementia, the principles of person centred care apply to everyone entering residential aged care.”

The Choosing a Care Home App is available free from the iTunes store by searching ‘Choosing a Care Home’. For those without an Apple device, you can download the Bupa Care Services ‘Choosing a Care Home’ booklet.