City of Vantaa as a pioneer

The Korso Centre for the Elderly monitors its residents’ wellbeing in order to develop its operations and support the everyday life of the residents

The enhanced assisted living unit of the Korso Centre of the Elderly provides home-like housing and good care. When the life situation of a resident changes, his/her circumstances and need for services are always assessed individually.

The Korso Centre for the Elderly has operated on its current premises since August 2016. The premises underwent a major renovation before the residents arrived from several units in the area.

Currently, the Korso Centre has 42 active residents, and the utilisation rate of the Vivago solution is nearly 100 per cent. The Vivago CARE wandering detection watch brings an additional layer of safety to the mobility of the residents, who can move freely throughout the units and are encouraged to live an active life.

Vivago solution supports Korso’s new approach – and the good results obtained in night care encourage further development 

In the Korso Centre for the Elderly, the Vivago solution has brought about tangible, positive changes and enabled correct timing especially in night care. The number of nightly rounds at the wards has been safely reduced, and unnecessary rounds have been eliminated. The Vivago solution allows the monitoring of the activity and sleep of the residents. As result, the residents are only visited when necessary, taking into account their individual needs. Residents who are prone to falls are monitored more closely, and help can be directed at them at the right time when they are awake and active. The operation of the unit takes care of the residents’ individual needs, and nightly falls at the unit are now very rare.

The real-time data produced by Vivago is monitored actively at the unit, and the Korso Centre is also planning to adopt automatic alarms customised for each resident, which improves the safety of fall-prone residents even further.

The staff at the Korso Centre for the Elderly is highly motivated to develop the Centre’s operations. Training sessions provided by Vivago have received positive feedback, and they have inspired the staff to think how the solution could be utilised even better as the operating methods at Korso Centre change.

Smart technology brings together care providers, family members and physicians

The Korso Centre for the Elderly actively monitors the changes that take place in the residents’ wellbeing in the short and long term. The Vivago MOBILE application helps in the prioritisation of care and highlights residents if their condition so requires. This enables the staff to concentrate on the residents that need help the most, and the day can be planned according to the actual needs of the residents.

Data produced by Vivago is also used as support in discussions with family members who are often interested in their loved one’s quality of sleep and activity. The family members are interested in this innovative solution that supports personalised care, and are curious to hear more about the possibilities brought about by technology. The residents at Korso also like their watches, which is demonstrated by the high usage rate.

The physicians also use the data produced by Vivago. Vivago has been used as an aid in the planning of medication, since the changes in the resident’s condition can be seen in more detail. For example, data produced by Vivago might indicate that a resident’s condition has improved due to their better quality of sleep and more activity during the day.

Activity pilot and RAI assessments bolster the change of procedures 

The residents and nurses of the Korso Centre for the Elderly and Malminniitty home participated in a pilot study that monitored the activity, sleep and circadian rhythms of the residents. The purpose of the pilot study was to increase the activity and exercise of the residents and nurses in everyday life, and the results were also monitored with fitness tests.

The pilot project indicated that the Korso Centre is highly motivated and willing to change its procedures. This increases the wellbeing of the residents and supports their home-like living while respecting their privacy. The final results have not yet been published, but the pilot project was considered very interesting and promising, and improvement was seen in the residents’ condition.

The Korso Centre has used the RAI assessment for a long time, and the staff says that Vivago’s three- and six-month monitoring intervals support the RAI assessment well. The Korso Centre’s staff discuss the Centre’s goals actively and plan further development measures. The development focuses on the monitoring of the residents’ night care and measures that guarantee peaceful sleep for all residents. A physician participates in the investigation of sleep problems to determine why a resident’s sleep cycle was disrupted.

The benefits brought by Vivago to the everyday life of the Korso Centre for the Elderly were summarised as “Brilliant”, “I always know who is awake” and “I can plan my work according to the residents’ needs.”

Additional information: Satu Ruissalo, Marketing Director, Vivago Ltd