Reaching out to clients in their homes
Irish company HealthComms has partnered with Catholic Homes to expand the scope of its ‘MyHomeReach’ technology across community care recipients and retirement villages throughout Melbourne and parts of regional Victoria.
Greg Pullen, Catholic Homes chief executive (standing, far right), says Catholic Homes has successfully trialed the MyHomeReach program with 40 participants in their own homes.
As a part of the delegation of Irish software and service companies on a Trade Mission to Australia, Catholic Homes welcomed Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton; Ireland’s Ambassador to Australia, Noel White; Enterprise Ireland chief executive, Julie Sinnamon, and Paul Mooney HealthComms chief operating officer to Corpus Christi Aged Care Facility and Retirement Village in Clayton earlier this month.
The MyHomeReach technology was developed to support people to manage their own services, supports and social connections in their own homes. The use of devices such as iPads and mobile phones enables people to participate in daily activities such as medication reminders, appointments and see analysis tools for general wellbeing.
Mr Mooney says HealthComms is changing how care is delivered and technology utilised in the world of aged care providers by delivering basic communication and care coordination capabilities into the home.
“Our unique solution, combined with the full engagement of the care provider, delivers a better quality service, a sense of security and inclusion providing tangible cost, time and management efficiencies. Our technology is changing the way the aged care industry ecosystem will operate,” he says.
The purpose of the group’s visit was to witness the innovative HealthComms application ‘MyHomeReach’ and to meet with the Catholic Homes residents who successfully trialled the technology in their own homes.
Greg Pullen, Catholic Homes chief executive, says “the use of devices such as tablets and mobile phones will enable people to maintain contact with a network of both formal and informal carers”.
To date, Catholic Homes has successfully trialed the MyHomeReach program with 40 participants in their own homes with results shown to prolong independent living, improve a client’s sense of security and assist with general wellbeing.
According to Minister Bruton, as the world’s population ages, technology solutions for healthcare and age related challenges will become more and more important, and this is an area in which innovative Irish companies are particularly strong.
“This new contract with Catholic Homes demonstrates the calibre of HealthComm’s innovation and technology, and provides a great example of the type of innovative companies which my Department supports through Enterprise Ireland. I wish them and Catholic Homes every success with this project,” Minister Bruton says.
Catholic Homes is an agency of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and a leading not for profit organisation which has been providing residential care, community care, respite care and retirement living accommodation for Victorian seniors for more than 50 years. Catholic Homes’ mission is to offer consumers the security of ‘care for life’ as needs change.
