Feros Care claimed the Aged & Community Services Association (NSW & ACT) 2012 State Awards for Excellence – Organisation Award for their promotion of telehealthcare technology; and people management (continued learning initiatives and staff development). The organisation also recently claimed the same title from the Aged Care QLD Awards in late March for its implementation of telehealthcare technology and Gateway model.

Feros Care was one of the first aged care organisations in Australia to trial the use of telehealth technology (monitoring daily vital signs of those with chronic conditions) and telecare technology (falls detectors, personal safety alarms and environmental detectors) in the homes of seniors as part of a pilot trial in 2010.

Today Feros Care is proud to boast that it has created over 500 Smart Homes in QLD and NSW, and has seamlessly incorporated the technology into its care and support packages.

Feros Care is now focused on advocating for Federal Government support that would allow them to roll out the technology across the country, particularly increasing its use in the homes of people living with dementia or chronic conditions such as diabetes.

Feros Care’s CEO Jennene Buckley said it was an honour to be recognised for the lifesaving initiatives the organisation has introduced to Australia.

“Feros Care is focused on implementing initiatives such as telehealthcare technology that help ensure seniors live their life, their way, for longer.

“The award also recognises the commitment and shared values of our employees, managers and volunteers who have a passion for working with seniors and see it as a privilege to do so,” Ms Buckley said.

Shirley Nelson, Director of the Feros Care Board, also claimed the Volunteer Award for her 32 years of selfless dedication to Feros Care and the wider seniors’ community in the Byron Shire. Shirley was one of the founding members of Feros Care and has been an integral part of seeing Feros Care grow from one residential village in 1990 to today, operating three aged care villages in Northern NSW and offering community services to 3500 seniors living in their own homes in NSW and QLD.

If the answer is yes, then you should attend Feros Care’s LifeLink Community Technologies Workshop at:

Hervey Bay – Tuesday 8 May, 2012 – 10am-12pm
Chermside – Wednesday 9 May, 2012 – 1pm-3pm

The workshops are targetted to Community Care Service Providers, Hospitals, and Allied Health and General Practice Staff. They will provide practical demonstrations on Telehealth (remote vital signs monitoring of chronic disease patients) and Telecare (smart home 24hr monitoring) technologies.

For more information or to register, simply fill in the form for Hervey Bay or Chermside and return to Feros Care.

Feros Care claimed Aged Care QLD’s Excellence in Care – Organisation of the Year Award for their innovative technology systems and framework including:

• The implementation of one of Australia’s first ever main-streamed aged care telehealthcare services (including both telecare smart homes and telehealth implementations)
• State-of-the-art IT infrastructure as the backbone of the organisation
• The creation of Feros Care’s unique Community Care Gateway (a centralised contact and referral centre for all of our community care programs stretching 1000kms).

Feros Care’s CEO Jennene Buckley said it was an honour to be awarded this highly sought after title, but more importantly thanked all the staff who worked hard to support senior Queenslanders.

“We have built our reputation through the dedication, commitment and shared values of our employees, managers and volunteers who have a passion for working with seniors and see it as a privilege to do so,” Ms Buckley said.

Feros Care also claimed the Sustainability Award (Waste) for reducing resource waste through the Gateway and the organisation’s General Manager of Community Services, Gabriele Taylor, was ‘Highly Commended’ as a finalist in the Employee of the Year Award (Gabriele has been instrumental in overseeing the organisation’s expansion into ‘in home’ care and the Gateway).

Feros Care’s local team is excited about growing care and support services in the Hastings, with the Port Macquarie service hub to offer staff a place to host meetings and education sessions, and store and distribute needed resources and equipment from one point.

Feros Care’s CEO Jennene Buckley said it is important that they are a part of the local community and that they strive to provide innovative and empowering care packages.

“We have served Hastings seniors for nearly three years now but with demand growing for our services we wanted to create a local hub that would allow for expansion of our client base and employment opportunities,” said Ms Buckley.

“We are proud to offer local seniors a high quality service through many various government funded care packages. These services can be arranged promptly through our Gateway (1300 763 583), with care and support running within days.”

Care packages available to Hastings residents through Feros Care includes those covering low care needs such as Community Aged Care Packages (CACPS), Consumer Directed Care Low (CDCL), Extended Aged Care in the Home (EACH). As well as social support monitoring through Home and Community Care (HACC); Veteran’s Community Nursing; privately funded services; and Feros Care’s unique telehealthcare service, LifeLink.

Locally based Care Manager Bridgette Clarke said Port Macquarie seniors can expect to have a service that offers variety.

“We are a very flexible service provider and will look at a senior’s lifestyle and needs holistically. We will assess each individual situation and find a way to offer care and support that regains independence and ability.

“Our point of difference is that we don’t tell someone what they need, we work with them to achieve the lifestyle they want,” Ms Clarke said.

Someone who has seen this happen firsthand is Port Macquarie business man, Kim Clampett, whose mother, Dulcie, 91, receives daily support from Feros Care in her apartment where she lives alone.

“My mum really enjoys being in her own home and the care that she receives from Feros Care is exactly what she needs. She looks forward to the care workers coming in every day,” said Mr Clampett.

“Mum is so much brighter and happier thanks to the support she gets. On any day she [Dulcie] receives personal care, physiotherapy or help with cleaning, or she will happily go on outings to do her shopping, go to appointments or on social visits.

“My mum came back to life when Feros Care came into her home,” Mr Clampett said.

Feros Care has operated for over 21 years and recently won a prestigious international award for Excellence in Ageing Services from the industry’s peak body the International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (IAHSA).

Contact Feros Care for more information about the services available in your area.

 Date: Tuesday 13 March, 2012

Address: 1 Vernon Street, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450

Time: 1pm – 3pm

Cost: Nil

LifeLink Telehealth is designed to support those living with single or multiple long term conditions. It enables the reliable collection and secure transmission of a client’s vital signs and related health information to a secure website. The data is accessed by clinical health professionals to help early intervention and informed decision-making about your health and wellbeing.

LifeLink Telecare products and response service helps to minimise falls, medication errors and other mishaps or accidents in people’s own homes. LifeLink Telecare uses sensors and other devices such as automated night lighting, movement sensors, voice reminders, pendants and triggers that can monitor and respond to emergencies.

This workshop is targeted to Community Care Service Providers, Hospitals, Allied Health and General Practice staff and will provide practical demonstrations on telehealth (remote vital signs monitoring of chronic disease patients) and telecare (smart home 24hr monitoring) technologies.

Learning Objectives

• Demonstration of the technologies and the wide range of applications.
• Case Studies and examples of the technologies; outcomes and benefits.
• Lessons learnt for implementation.
• Details on affordability and costs.

To attend this workshop please send a completed registration form to Feros Care today.

Jennene told the online magazine that “my goal is to provide the best possible care, and to do it with existing technology.”

“Technology is exciting. There are fantastic opportunities to deliver healthcare, and to do it with what we have to hand in a cost effective manner.”

Read the article or learn more about LifeLink’s products.

Australian seniors have joined the telecare ‘smart home’ revolution, with Feros Care’s technology arm, LifeLink, celebrating 500 installations since first introducing the technology just 18 months ago.

The popular and innovative telecare service (such as personal safety alarms, inactivity sensors, medication reminders and property exit [wandering] sensors that are linked to a 24 hour response centre) was among the first to be introduced in Australia.

500 senior Australians have transformed their homes into a residence that now provides safety and peace of mind that should they suddenly become sick or immobile, an alarm will be raised and help can be promptly sent. LifeLink is available nationally, however, the greatest areas of uptake have been the Hastings Shire (120 smart homes) and the Tweed Shire (117 smart homes).

Feros Care CEO Jennene Buckley said telecare technology is the way of the future when it comes to supporting the independence and safety of the senior community.

“As reflected in the Productivity Commission’s draft report, Caring for Older Australians, more and more people aged 65 and over want to remain in their homes for longer. They aren’t as willing to leave their family home and want to have services and support offered to them there,” said Ms Buckley.

“Following a pilot program in 2010, we have enhanced our community services and now offer telecare technology as a mainstream service. The rapid uptake by seniors shows that this is a viable support solution.

“Sometimes it takes only one undetected fall for a senior in their home to set off a chain of events that can lead to premature admission to a nursing home. Telecare can provide piece of mind knowing that an alert will be raised (by the senior or by an inactivity sensor) and help can be on the way.” Ms Buckley said.

Any existing home can be set-up as a ‘smart home’ with a variety of advanced technology, with enhanced services for people living with dementia such as property exit sensors and pager transmitters. When any of the technology alarms are triggered an alert goes through to a 24 hour response centre that can contact family, a carer or if necessary, emergency services to assist the person in the home.

Elaine Phillips, 78, has LifeLink’s inactivity sensor and pendant alarm in her home and it has already helped her in an emergency.

“One day I was feeling very dizzy, my vision went blurry and I felt very unwell. I tried to make myself feel better by resting on a chair but even after sitting I felt terrible. So, I pressed the alarm and (the response team) talked to me (from the base alarm). I told them I wasn’t feeling well so they organised for an ambulance to come over – they came straight away,” said Ms Phillips.

“It was definitely worthwhile having the alarm – I was lucky to have to it! My daughter was also very relieved to know that I was able to get help straight away. I would never go without the alarm again and I never take it off!

“Any senior living at home alone should have the (telecare) alarm system. It’s a life saver,” Ms Phillips said.