Organisations turn to technology to aid safety of isolated workers
Worker safety features including the capability to issue a silent SOS alert are among the additions to the latest wearable device, following requests from aged care providers.
Worker safety features including the capability to issue a silent SOS alert are among the additions to the latest wearable device, following requests from aged care providers.
The recently launched SMW16 Soteria from e-health vendor mCareWatch is an all-in-one and standalone watch, mobile phone, personal emergency alarm, medical alert device, GPS and activity tracker suited to aged care clients and workers alike.
It can be programmed to send personalised medication and other alerts, monitor and record a range of biometric measures, and link directly to an aged care organisation or a 24-hour emergency security monitoring service.
mCareWatch founder Peter Apostolopoulos said the device could be used to manage risks for those who deliver care.
“The healthcare worker can trigger an SOS event and this can be done silently,” he told Australian Ageing Agenda.
The worker can issue the alert by pressing the SOS button, touching the screen or via a silent gesture, which the monitoring service or service provider can act to determine if there is an emergency.
Mr Apostolopoulos said organisations had requested the new safety features for staff working alone in the community or those in facilities who sometimes faced threatening situations.
The watch could also be used as a mobile communication tool to prompt workers to perform certain tasks rather than having to access a mobile phone or tablet to retrieve information, he said.
The watch links with mCareWatch’s ConnectiveCARE platform to provide a detailed real-time view of the location and other status measures of aged care clients, residents and workers.
Other new features include capability to integrate with medical-grade peripheral devices and sensors via Bluetooth to collect a range of biometric information, Mr Apostolopoulos said.
mCareWatch has also launched a new version ConnectiveCARE, which is now agnostic to the device and can be used to view multiple devices and multiple clients wearing different types of devices on a single view.
“We wanted to move away from a specific device solution to the software allowing you to integrate to any wearable device that will come onto the market,” Mr Apostolopoulos said.
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