Aged Care eConnect
Clinical IT in Aged Care Product Trial - Trial of a Continence Management System
A "diagnostic pad" discreetly monitors and estimates wetness, detects other clinically relevant conditions and alerts staff by transmitting information via radio-link to a central management station.
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Why the need for a trial?
How the technology is being applied?
Potential benefits
Project evaluation
Consortium members
Amount funded
Outcomes
Why the need for a trial?
The effective and discreet management of continence is an important issue for many residents of aged care homes. Incontinence often impacts on an individual’s health, independence and dignity and may also affect the environment of the home. It is important to detect incontinence events, because if left unmanaged the residents are exposed to a greater risk of infection and skin irritation and the potential of a hazardous environment. Accurate assessment of voiding patterns is also necessary for implementing best practice continence management. This typically requires hourly continence monitoring (day and night) over a number of days and can be highly disruptive and embarrassing for both residents and staff.This project has the potential to support a significant change in continence assessment and management from a predominantly manual to an electronic process.
How the technology is being applied?
A phased trial is testing a diagnostic pad in two aged care facilities in Victoria. The wetness detector within the pad will discreetly monitor wetness events and in later stages of the trial is expected to estimate volume and detect other clinically relevant conditions such as infection. Information will be immediately transmitted via a radio-link to a central management station or pager to alert staff of a resident’s condition. The project has the potential to support a significant change in continence assessment and management from a predominantly manual to an electronic process.Top of page
Potential benefits
Quality of Care
- Reduction in time that a resident is left requiring assistance
- Enhanced resident comfort, dignity and quality of life
- Allow residents to be mobile without reducing effectiveness
- Continuous unobtrusive monitoring and documentation of continence to help develop appropriate toileting programs
- Reduced incontinence related health problems
Other
- Improved management of incontinence
- Reduced cost associated with managing incontinence
- Improved safety and general environment
- Potential application across the sector
Project evaluation
The trial includes monitoring the development of effective continence management plans, resident sleep patterns and continence related skin problems plus assessment of environmental and safety factors. The trial will evaluate the quality and quantitative effects of a continence management tool and information system in a residential aged care home. Evaluation will involve test and control groups.Consortium members
Fred Bergman Healthcare Pty Ltd (Elsternwick, VIC)CSIRO Biomedical Devices (Highett, VIC)
School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University (Melbourne, VIC)
Ashleigh Aged Care (Melbourne, VIC)
Dava Lodge Aged Care Facility (Mornington, VIC)
Smart-Caller Pty. Ltd.
Sancella Pty Ltd
Victoria University
Amount funded
$275,000 (including GST)Outcomes
The outcomes of the product trial are available for download.Top of page
