New initiative to crowdfund aged care ICT

A new campaign aims to crowdfund an initial $1.2 million from providers to develop an ICT solution for Australian aged care suitable for the modern era of mobile communications.

The campaign, from mobile application specialists iApps, aims to support all aspects of operations and governance for aged care facilities, as well as connectivity for clients and their loved ones.

The product would be delivered across mobile and web-based platforms and accessible from anywhere via wireless technology.

iApps CEO Rick Hoy said mobility gave the ability to connect silos and improve on existing applications that were working well by connecting it all together.

“The idea is to develop software to support aged care facilities across Australia based on the specific needs of those aged care facilities, and also those people in aged care and their relatives and friends, and opening up communication between them,” Mr Hoy told Australian Ageing Agenda.

He said the idea came from talking to people in the sector and they were now seeking to recruit aged care organisations to form a steering committee, build a roadmap and provide the funds needed to start the project.

“We believe we need between 10 and 20 initial members for the committee and initial funders. That is to achieve an initial budget of $1.2 million to get this off the ground and to make it work, put together the requisite software team, and deliver on the roadmap.”

The project would be delivered in chunks with major outcomes quarterly and minor updates monthly, he said.

“We believe within 12 months we would have quite a sophisticated solution out there,” Mr Hoy said.

However, he said said they were not talking about solving the sector’s problems overnight.

“It is going to be about the governing body that we want to put into place to determine what the things that need to occur as a matter of urgency are and then look at that roadmap and adjust it as time goes on.

“Anybody who becomes a part of that crowdfunding solution will actively participate in how that software is developed and how the priorities occur,” he said.

iApps is in discussions with several aged care providers and also received interest from other stakeholders when the idea was first floated at last week’s Make HASTE Expo on the Sunshine Coast, Mr Hoy said.

Those interested in finding out more about the campaign should contact Mr Hoy or iApps CIO Andrew Longhorn through the iApp’s website.