Wired for Retirement

SwanCare's retirement village in Perth is one of a growing number of aged care facilities to embrace Smart Wiring.

When the West Australian aged-care provider embarked on a multimillion-dollar rebuilding program at its 260-bed Bentley Park site, it decided to replace the original cottages with Smart Wired homes.

The 600 new homes range from villas to apartments, and a 160 bed purpose built care centre. Each are equipped with an automation system that can intelligently control the lighting, doors, blinds, air-conditioning, energy use, and gate security.

?We were keen to find a way to respond to the changing market and as a result, differentiate our products and model of service delivery,? says SwanCare Group Chief Executive, Bill Marshall.

All new accommodation is pre-wired to ensure that as soon as residents occupy their new homes, they can access broadband internet, VoIP telephony and emergency response mechanisms such as RFID pendants.

The infrastructure was developed by Vieo Systems in conjunction with Cisco and Clipsal. The web-based system can be managed centrally across many sites from anywhere around the world, substantially reducing operational costs.

?Gone are the days of paying for costly line and telephone relocations ? this can all be done in-house with just one keystroke,? says Marshall.

?The new facilities also mean we can offer much better call rates and broadband connections to our residents while at the same time generating new revenue streams for our organisation.

?The takeup rate for email and voice over phone internet protocol (VoIP) is close to 50 per cent. The peace of mind achieved from face-to-face discussion between residents and their children is of great benefit, and our baby boomer clientele has come to expect these services will be available.?

Residents access network services through bedside Cisco IP phones that have large colour touchscreen, voicemail, address book and links to information services such as bus timetables, weather and local activities.

The intelligent housing technology monitors the use of electricity, water and digital services through passive sensors and sends an alert if an anomaly is detected, such as a fall.

?We know, for example, that most people spend 10 to 15 minutes in the shower, so we can program the system to send an alert if the hot water keeps running. This will automatically trigger a call to the resident?s phone, and if that?s unanswered the alert will be escalated to a nominated staff or family member who can check if everything?s okay?, he says.

?We can also monitor lights going on and off, and whether someone?s moving around. It?s a very effective way of keeping an eye on people without the use of intrusive technology.?

The system can also send automated alerts to family and friends via SMS or email, or it can transmit health information directly to a local doctor.

?We wanted to achieve an infrastructure including the use of technology that gives residents a range of options for independent living,? says Marshall.

?Ultimately, the intelligent housing network will allow residents to remain in their own accommodation longer, with a high degree of security and peace of mind.?