Home care service platform enables comprehensive services for elderly – City of Oulu

The 9Solutions system makes home care work smoother in Oulu

Welfare services in the city of Oulu have recently introduced the 9Solutions system in home care safety services. The city of Oulu renewed all its home safety service devices and alarm reception systems. The new system also includes intelligent exit management and activity monitoring as well as a smartphone application for home care staff. The goal of the renewal is to improve the safety of aged people living at home and other customers in the scope of home care services, but also to make the work of home care staff easier.

Experience indicates that the goals have also been reached. City welfare services development coordinator Sirpa Saarela, who was responsible for renewing the welfare services, says that the home care staff has been satisfied with the system. For example, the Smooth Lite mobile application for nurse smartphones, part of the solution developed by 9Solutions Oy, has received commendations.

”The solution has considerably streamlined the work of our nurses with customers”, she comments.

Call centre software and mobile application make nurses’ work easier

The whole home care safety service system of the city of Oulu operates with 9Solutions software and applications after the renewal. For example, the renewal has given all home care customers a 9Solutions Oy care phone with its alarm button on a wristband.

The alarms that customers make with their care phones in the Oulu area are forwarded to a call centre, which uses the 9Solutions Oy call centre system for managing and routing alarms. A voice connection can be opened from the call centre directly to the customer’s home.

”The call centre – usually operated by one nurse – can assess the customer’s situation and dispatch a safety helper, if necessary, or emergency medical services in more severe cases”, describes Sirpa Saarela.

Responsibility for operating the call centre has moved from a private service provider to the city after the renewal. Safety helpers move in the central city area as car patrols. If necessary, helpers can also connect directly to a customer’s care phone with their smartphones – for example, if the trip to the customer takes longer for some reason.

Alarms to nurses’ smartphones

According to Saarela, the system operation is a little different in the Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Yli-Kiiminki, Oulunsalo and Yli-Ii areas.

”In these areas, alarms are forwarded to the smartphones of nurses currently on duty. The nurse who becomes vacant first answers the alarm and uses the smartphone application to reserve a visit to the home of the customer who made the alarm. The system notifies the other nurses that the help request has been received”, she explains.

When coming to the customer’s home, the nurse – or safety helper – sends a notification of his/her presence there with the mobile application, and clears the task as completed when leaving the home. This way, the call centre operator has always up-to-date knowledge of the situation.

Intelligent exit sensor and activity monitoring increase safety

Apart from a care phone system, the 9Solutions system also includes an intelligent exit sensor and activity monitoring.

”A 9Solutions Oy intelligent exit sensor has also been installed to some customers. It alarms if the customer opens the door and exits the apartment. Merely opening the door doesn’t send an alarm”, explains Sirpa Saarela.

Previously, each door opening produced an alarm, which in turn caused a visit to the customer. This meant a lot of unnecessary home visits and also expenses to the customer.

Furthermore, the 9Solutions safety system expands in future in Oulu to cover also activity monitoring implemented with intelligent sensors. According to Development coordinator Sirpa Saarela, it can be installed to the homes of customers who are assessed possibly unable to request help by themselves.

“With activity monitoring, we can discreetly make sure that everything is in order with the customer. The system alarms if there is a deviation in the customer’s routines”, explains Saarela.