Lockdown lifeline offered to all Australian Aged Care Facilities

Aged Care Facilities across Australia are being offered a vital line of communication that will enable families to stay connected with residents as the coronavirus pandemic restrictions have heavily limited their ability to visit their loved ones

Leading technology provider Person Centred Software has announced that it is opening up its Relatives Gateway platform to all aged care facilities in Australia free of charge, helping them to facilitate and maintain communication between residents and their families during these difficult times.

The technology, which is currently being used by 59 aged care facilities across Australia & New Zealand, provides a secure platform for social media style messages and photos to be shared between care home residents and their families, whilst also helping facilities streamline their communication process, providing carers with an efficient way to share real-time wellbeing updates to concerned loved ones.

Tammy Sherwood, Chief Executive Officer of Person Centred Software Australia said: “The outbreak of COVID-19 has certainly been disruptive for providers within the aged care community, with stringent processes and protocols having to be implemented to help protect residents and carers from the virus, including restrictions on visitation. Understandably, this has been particularly hard on residents and their families who are now at risk of feeling disconnected from each other.”

She continued: “To lessen any potential feelings of detachment and loneliness, we are offering free access to our Relatives Gateway platform for a period of three months to assist facilities in providing some relief to both their residents and family members who no longer have physical access to one another”.

In addition to connecting residents with their loved ones, the platform is proving to be highly beneficial to facility staff, with customers crediting the tool for providing fundamental support to their workforce at this difficult time.

Tammy added: “By streamlining communication between residents and relatives, our users are able to reabsorb registered staff back onto the floor. Less time spent fielding relative’s phone calls means more time that can be spent with residents, providing them with the level of care that they need and deserve. The increased visibility and consistency of communication that the software allows is also proving integral to maintaining a positive relationship between facility staff and the relatives of residents, who are appreciative of the sector’s efforts to innovate in order to keep residents safe whilst also being transparent and accommodating to families”.

Jo Boylan of Southern Cross Care agreed: “The Relatives Gateway is an amazing tool to enable families, residents and staff to engage and capture the great moments that happen day to day in life, living in our homes… It has been critical during the COVID-19 outbreak and is forcing us to embrace technology”.

Understanding the importance of face-to-face interactions between residents and their families, Person Centred Software has recently released video conferencing as an additional add-on to the Relatives Gateway in efforts to facilitate these remotely. Without having to register for any additional subscriptions, providers and families will be able to direct all communications between residents and their families to one place, enabling them to connect in whichever way most suits them.

Tammy concluded: “We are constantly working on new solutions to keep people connected. We feel as though the Relatives Gateway is just the beginning for our software, we are working towards many new and exciting opportunities to help innovate our industry and we look forward to sharing these in due course”.

Easily implemented, subscription to the Gateway includes a dedicated support team providing the means and assistance needed to guide each facility through the set-up process.

See Person Centred Software’s Relatives Gateway page for more information.