The INS Group launches a unique new TeleHealth service with pilot installation at UnitingCare Ageing's Farmborough Grove Village

The INS Group has developed a unique, patented TeleHealth system designed to assist with monitoring the health of individuals, particularly those with medical conditions such as diabetes, COPD, chronic heart failure or unstable blood pressure, in a group setting. The LifeGuard SmartKiosk consists of a purpose-built computer tablet and a custom dock that receives signals from various transmitters and medical devices via Bluetooth, and then transmits them to a nurse in our Emergency Response Centre for monitoring.

Residents access the LifeGuard SmartKiosk via an RFID access card that identifies them and ensures their medical data and history is kept secure. Residents can take and record their vital signs daily, and the results are transmitted to INS LifeGuard’s Emergency Response Centre where they are monitored by a Registered Nurse. If any of the vital signs are of concern, our nurses will action and follow-up with the resident. Residents are also offered a monthly Registered Nursing Review, which is conducted remotely via the video conferencing feature. The nurse can also coordinate with the resident’s GP (with the resident’s permission) and share their vital sign history.

UnitingCare Ageing’s Farmborough Grove Village in Unanderra, New South Wales, is the first to pilot the new system, which was installed in the Community Centre on Friday, 10 ^th  May, 2013. The team from INS then tested the system and educated village staff on its use. Sharon McLeod, Farmborough Grove’s Village Manager, was very pleased and commented, “This is terrific technology and services.”  She advised that theChairperson and Treasurer of the FGV Residents Committee have reviewed the LifeGuard SmartKiosk and they thought it was a great idea. Some 76 residents who attended the quarterly meeting were informed of the pilot and many have been eager to participate.

Claude Rafin, Managing Director of The INS Group, demonstrates the LifeGuard SmartKiosk for Sharon McLeod, Farmborough Grove’s Village Manager, and explains the technology behind it.

Carolina Rafin, Clinical Director of The INS Group, demonstrates recording a blood glucose level on the LifeGuard SmartKiosk with Sharon McLeod, Farmborough Grove Village Manager.

The LifeGuard SmartKiosk was designed to be very easy-to-use, even for those who are not ‘tech savvy’ or who may be uncomfortable using computers. Claude Rafin, Managing Director of The INS Group, said, “The touch-screens are very user-friendly, and we’re confident that within a few days residents will be quite capable of using the system unaided.”

There is also a home version called the LifeGuard SmartHome, suitable for private homes and independent living units.  Either unit puts Personal Response, TeleHealth and Home Automation right at your fingertips:

The INS Group is a leading Australian Health Services Company, dedicated to delivering quality care services and technologies to support people living at home. In operation for over 25 years, The INS Group provides integrated health care and eHealth technology and services throughout Australia, specialising in community health care services, medical response systems and services, and eHealth technology. For more information, call 1800 636 226.

INS is grateful for the financial assistance towards the pilots received from the Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund – a joint initiative from AusIndustry, NSW Trade and Investment, and Blue Scope Steel.