3 minute read
Technology successfully supporting home care
AGEING IN PLACE MADE EASIER
As pressure mounts on the age services industry and preferences change, and with new Home Care Packages being funded, there is increased demand on home care services.
This is putting pressure on both the financial and services capability of home care providers, who are attempting to do more with less.
Two key challenges that stop people from ageing in place are the ongoing pain suffered from a lifetime of activity and the reduction in their mobility, leading to a reduction in their ability to manage life at home.
Apart from the food we eat, it’s the chemical action generated by movement, or exercise, which creates the electro-chemical activity required to maintain health and wellbeing.
When we cannot or do not exercise due to pain, things only get worse and people often end up taking painkillers, which can create a host of other problems.
Now technologies are being offered as one way to help reduce pain levels and improve mobility.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) is an alternative method of treatment available in some aged care homes and by individuals at home.
Administered in the medical field for over 60 years, it is safe, non-invasive and non-drug option. Today’s models are portable and do not require a visit to a medical facility or a trained medical person to administer.
Much has been written about PEMF and its ability to speed cellular recovery. The results of many medical studies are readily available to verify claims that extremely lowfrequency PEMF is of value when dealing with wound healing, inflammation and supporting the immune system.
PEMF has been proven to improve blood flow and range of motion, reduce inflammation and pain and is successful for a wide range of ailments.
The use of PEMF in the care of individuals can reduce the amount of painkillers individuals are taking while also reducing the cost of overall care. With the increasing pressure on resources in aged care, people can find assistance by looking outside the normal care modalities towards safe, alternative and evidence-based methods, which are now being taken up due to improvements in technology. In 2016, an Australian-developed TGA approved class IIA medical device Oska Pulse was introduced to the global market. The device is now approximately the size of a mobile phone, easy to use and a lot less costly than previous models. A recent customer, Vicki, says some days her knees were so painful she could hardly move, and by using it an hour every night before going to bed, she no longer wakes up with severe pain. Another customer, Robert, says he has found OSKA pulse therapy to be the most effective way to manage chronic pain stiffness associated with his arthritis.
Home care and residential care providers are now introducing PEMF into their care programs, enabling those under their care to receive the health benefits they require while enabling the providers to do more without having to increase their human resource numbers.
In December 2016, Catholic Homes, a not-for-profit aged care home in Perth, purchased four Oska Pulse devices for use by residents suffering pain from chronic or acute musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis. It was quickly found that Oska Pulse assisted staff, particularly physiotherapists, in providing an improved level of care and being able to attend to more residents. More devices were purchased during 2017 to improve the efficacy of patient care. Oska Pulse is now being used in many aged care homes in Australia for drug free pain relief, or to speed recovery postsurgery, or from injuries caused by slips, strains or falls.
