Sensio - Innovation Webinar Series

This presentation is a part of ICCER’s Innovation Webinar Series, which examines technology solutions to address continuing care industry challenges and/or issues. The industry issues addressed in this session focuses on the role of sensor technology in response to care/service challenges with  complexities in an aging population and continuing care workforce challenges.

In this session, Sensio presented the Sensio 365 care platform and the RoomMate sensor technology. The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for this product is 9. RoomMate is a multi-sensor that supports fall prevention and digital monitoring without compromising the privacy of users. Integrated into a single platform, the system combines smart sensors, wireless nurse call, and workflow management to deliver actionable insights for care teams. The information collected from the RoomMate can be used to support data-driven decision-making, enabling proactive care planning and improved resource allocation. Implementations of RoomMate with Sensio 365 in the Nordics and UK have shown to address similar industry challenges with a solution that proactively communicates risks and resident needs, that improves safety with a decrease in falls, more effective response to residents than traditional nurse call alerts, and improved efficiency and effectiveness for staff with improvements in workload (e.g. reduced job stress).

Q & A section:

- Does this technology use Wi-Fi or is it hardwired?

• RoomMate requires a power connection and can operate on either a wired network or Wi-Fi, depending on the local infrastructure. For new builds, a wired network is generally recommended for stability. In retrofit scenarios, Wi-Fi is often the preferred option, subject to the building’s layout and connectivity.

• The nurse call devices—such as bells and bracelets—are battery-powered and use radio communication. These connect to gateways or hubs, which in turn link to the Sensio 365 care platform. This connection is established either via a mobile network directly from the gateways or through the site’s existing internet connection.

- Residents may be hesitant and/or not accept of the technology – how has this been addressed?

• Introduction of sensor technology requires deliberate development, introduction and communication addressing privacy and cultural concerns.  Nordic countries have seen a notable shift in recent years from skepticism to normalization of such technologies in care settings given effective engagement and integration strategies.

• An ICCER member noted a relevant example of introducing sensors into senior homes that included broad home and health monitoring with reporting information to a health team. The initial introduction was met with initial concerns and hesitation that was addressed with deliberate and transparent communication and shared decision making that shifted to acceptance and then trust in the technology.

- Is there an opportunity to use the sensor technology and platform and [integrate] it with a wearable?

• Sensio’s platform supports best practice workflows in aged care with either the RoomMate sensor or through tradition nurse call devices (e.g. wearables, call bells) with alerts and RTL monitoring through hardware integration with a universal receiver (more relevant for stationary sensors).

Additional resources:

• Short video (1.5 min) showing Sensio solutions in a care home – Decision support fueled by data: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axmPtL85o1A

• Interview with a current customer in Care Home Professional UK: https://www.carehomeprofessional.com/big-interview-lovett-care/

• On-demand webinar on Sensio Insight, where two customers talk about how they use data to make better decisions: Sensio Insight – Data-Driven Decision Support

• Sensio blog – 5 benefits of Sensio Vista: https://www.sensio.com/blog/5-benefits-of-sensio-vista

• Report on benefits of using RoomMate: https://www.sensio.com/gains-in-elderly-care-by-using-the-safety-sensor-roommate