Since November 2019, we’ve been working with caregivers and clients across New Brunswick on our Wellness Check Initiative (WCI), a pilot program that’s the latest example of our tech-driven approach to home care. Through WCI, our team is equipped with the technology needed to collect and share real-time health assessment data to help improve the outcomes of our clients.
WCI not only helps caregivers better understand the evolving needs of our clients, but it empowers our clients, their families and health-care providers to make more data-driven health decisions. By being better informed about a client’s health condition, their entire care team can work together to prevent any changes from becoming larger issues, including falls or unexpected hospitalizations.
Throughout this pilot, we’ve worked with Fredericton-based VeroSource Solutions and medical technology researchers at the University of New Brunswick, led by the NB Innovation Research Chair Initiative. Thanks to funding from the Government of New Brunswick and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Healthy Seniors’ Pilot Project in March 2020, we’ve since trained more than 185 caregivers on this unique platform, which enables regular cognitive and physical health assessments to be done in the comfort of home.
While participation in the program is completely voluntary, many of our caregivers and clients were quick to embrace it, including Fredericton-based Caregiver and Capacity Support Coordinator, Lily Fletcher, who has participated since the pilot’s launch:
“I chose to participate in (WCI) because if there was something that could improve my clients’ lives, I wanted to be a part of it! One of the most rewarding aspects was being able to monitor one client’s blood pressure, pulse and weight with pre-existing heart issues…the WCI gave the client peace of mind since they could check their blood pressure more frequently at home. My client was able to successfully lose weight and lower certain heart medications with the help of his health care team. The best feeling was being thanked by his nurses and doctors as they believed WCI was a great motivator in this client’s situation.”
Thanks to our caregivers’ enthusiasm and adaptability to online-based training through recent COVID-19 pandemic recovery phases, we were excited to reach our assessment goal of over 110 clients per month in May. Of course, reaching this milestone was also made possible by the wholehearted support of our clients and their families, who were just as eager to explore how a tech solution could proactively improve their health. According to Gloria Linton, a Care Manager for Charlotte County, some clients were on board from the get-go:
“I remember talking with one family member about WCI and before I could complete the full script, the family member stopped me and said, ‘You don’t need to go any further, this program sounds great, and it will be very beneficial to my mother. Let’s sign her up.’”
I’m proud of all of the great progress our team has achieved and look forward to seeing the results of the pilot upon its completion this fall, when its results will be compiled and shared.
When you think about our industry, you might not immediately associate leading-edge technology with it. This pilot has proven that our clients and our exceptional care team are not only capable of adapting but innovating along the way. As a result, we’re exploring other ways to apply leading-edge technology into our everyday operations, to help seniors remain safely independent in their homes for as long as possible.
In the theme of growth and innovation, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge our recent Wallace McCain Institute 2021 Growth Award. While supporting a growth mindset is deeply ingrained in our day-to-day, this award is a testament to our entire team’s countless hours of dedication and commitment to innovating right here at home.
