Fantastic things are happening in the way of technology upgrades for residents in our Independent Living Villages and Residential Care Services with the installation of new systems that provide peace of mind and enable increased connection to community. 

New personal emergency response system for Village residents and improved Telstra signal

An exciting project is underway in our Independent Living Villages, with the installation of a new Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) called ‘INS Lifeguard’ and improvements to the Telstra signal and connectivity.

The INS LifeGuard PERS system provides each resident with an in-home medical alarm system called ‘SmartHome’, a base unit that features easy to use touch screens. It also supports the provision of mobile call buttons that can be worn on the wrist or around the neck, and call buttons in the bathrooms and toilets of all villas.  

The new PERS solution is essential in providing up-to-date technology for the safety and security of our village residents, giving them peace of mind when they need it most. INS Lifeguard system will replace the existing ‘Vital Care Nurse Call’ system which has become outdated and is not as reliable as it once was.   

After a rigorous selection process involving Village Manager, Sue Jenkins, ICT Services Manager, Nev Finch, and other key stakeholders, INS LifeGuard was selected as provider for the new emergency call system. This recommendation was endorsed by the St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle Board. 

The Village Management Office and Parish ICT teams have worked with the Resident Committee, presenting project updates at three meetings, to ensure the transition to the new system is smooth as possible for residents.  In addition: 

• Information sessions about the INS Lifeguard system were held for residents in early February at the Tenison Woods Centre and John Worner Centre.  
• Residents also received a Welcome Pack, which included excellent information and images about the INS LifeGuard system. 

During the roll out of the new PERS system in Lourdes Village, it became clear that there were significant issues with the Telstra phone reception in that area. This made it impossible for the INS Team to roll out about 50% of the new devices. Since then we have had Telstra on site to do an inspection of those issues and we now have a solution. All villas in Lourdes Village will now have new antennas to boost the Telstra signal. A great win for all residents regarding their phone reception and data speed, which also means we can complete the roll out of the INS PERS system by mid-May. 

Once the installation of the new emergency response system is complete in each villa the residents receive information and personal training support in how to use it, confidently and effectively by the technician.  

About five weeks after the installations are complete, experienced INS LifeGuard staff will present another round of information sessions to give residents the opportunity to ask any questions that have arisen for them as they have become more familiar with the system. 

WIFI upgrades open the door to new technology at St Agnes’ Site 

The Wi-Fi network is being upgraded in our residential aged care Services at St Agnes’ site, which incorporates St Agnes’ House, Maryknoll and Mount Carmel. This will mean faster and more reliable internet access at these locations.  

The work at Mary Knoll and Mount Carmel was done before Easter with St Agnes’ House due for completion in the next few weeks. 

Once complete, the next step for St Agnes’ Site is the installation of a new nurse call system called ‘Alexys’,  a 100% Australian owned and operated healthcare system that will allow residents to press a button and call for help from their care and clinical staff.  

The system, which plays a crucial role allowing our residents easy access to the support they need, provides call access from the bedside, in the bathrooms and via mobile pendants. This modern, responsive system also offers better coverage, call routing and reliability, and improved reporting.