Community Living Technologies
Dutch Care Upgrage
BTAS' wholly owned subsidiary company; Community Living Technologies, upgrades DutchCare's Kilsyth Facility
DutchCare Ltd provides a range of community and residential services to almost 700 elders of Dutch origin in Victoria.
To maintain its vibrancy and continue to provide the highest level of care and inspiration to its residents through leading innovation and technology, DutchCare upgraded its facility at Kilsyth and implemented a range of new systems.
Community Living Technologies installed the following systems at the DutchCare facility:
- two networked telephone systems (linking residents and staff at 736 Mount Dandenong Road with residents and staff at 722 Mount Dandenong Road)
- hardwired nurse call system
- wireless duress pendant system
- emergency/duress speaker system
- digital cordless telephone system
- internet protocol (IP) television system providing local free to air TV channels plus Dutch satellite channel, BVN
- access control and security system
- high speed broadband system utilising existing telephone cables
- central standby power system.
- Residents can now call each other internally free of charge and those who have access to the telephone system can take advantage of the reduced call rates offered by DutchCare.
The hardwired nurse call system comprises three call buttons in each resident's room and a three-metre corded pendant can also be connected if required, providing up to four potential avenues for a resident to seek assistance. Staff members are notified via a centrally mounted announcer panel, a screen pop on their PCs and a text message to their cordless digital telephones.
If staff members need to quickly ascertain the nature of the alarm, they can converse with the resident via the emergency/duress speaker fitted within the room by dialling the room directly. In an emergency situation when the resident cannot answer their phone, or their phone is off the hook, staff can make contact through the speaker box, which is wall-mounted, loud speaking and hands-free.
Residents can request assistance outside their rooms by pressing one of the many wall-mounted call buttons located in common areas and hallways, or by pressing the button on their wireless duress pendant, which works throughout the entire facility. Staff are then notified via their cordless telephones.
The managed access control system incorporates swipe cards and key fobs for entry and exit, "press to exit" buttons and wall-mounted telephones that are both vandal-proof and weather-proof, ensuring residents cannot wander out of the building or access unsafe areas such as drug storage units or plant rooms. Visitors are easily identified and provided access only to certain areas, ensuring that unwanted external parties cannot gain entry.
High-speed internet access is delivered over data cables to the new sections of the facility and over the existing telephone cables in the refurbished sections of the facility. Rather than having to re-cable the existing sections of the facility prior to its upgrade, DutchCare took advantage of DSL technology, which enabled telephone, internet and TV to function over the building's existing 20-year-old telephone cables.
Olaf Zalmstra, CFO, DutchCare Ltd, said, "BTAS faced quite a challenge with the building's original copper cabling. The team had to figure out how they could work around the old technology to implement new technologies."
All essential main systems are protected against power outage by a dedicated uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that provides at least four hours of standby power. The system also filters the incoming power to ensure the main system components located within the communication racks are being fed 240-volt power free of irregularities, surges and noise.
The new solution is part of DutchCare's ongoing commitment to ensuring the security of its residents.
"The main plagues of elderly people are loneliness and boredom and DutchCare aims to address these to increase the life expectancy of its residents and help them feel valued," said Mr Zalmstra.
"Part of Dutch Care's treatment includes the availability of technologies such as interactive TV and internet services."
According to Mr Zalmstra, dementia is highly prevalent among elderly people these days and those that enter aged care do so in a much more frail state than in previous years.
"DutchCare implemented these systems so its residents can be monitored in a more proactive manner," he said.
"The facility previously had a nurse call system in place, but as the building was erected in 1995, the technology was outdated and required considerable enhancements."
"The movements of particularly frail residents, such as getting out of bed in the middle of the night or a fall, can now be monitored via electronic placemat. It is important to ensure the building's technology can help look after residents, so as not to rely solely on staff."
The new systems were installed and commissioned by BTAS Community Living Technologies while the facility was operational, so care and attention to existing residents was paramount. This involved precise project management interaction with the builder and DutchCare staff in order to carry out the works as designed while minimising disruption and negative impact on residents.
DutchCare staff have reacted positively to the new system and are learning the new technology.
"A large amount of training and user acceptance was involved in implementing the new solution, however the roll-out was very smooth. Staff have enthusiastically captured and taken on board the new systems and are even starting to brainstorm new ideas and improvements," said Mr Zalmstra.
"The staff members are now much more comfortable as the system has relieved a great deal of stress to do with the security issues of the building and the surrounding area."
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