b'TECH TALKspotty WiFi connectivity in severalunfamiliar devices they found underbest practices for long-term care areas of the building, and clunkymattresses when conducting routinehomes seeking to identify appropriate interoperability with PointClickCare,maintenance of residents rooms.technologies. And last year, the the software used to manageIts important to consult acrossJournal of Aging & Social Policy electronic health records.the organization and to work withpublished a study, co-authored by suppliers both prior to and duringthe Centre of Excellence, about how Kovacic and her team respondedimplementation, says Sinden.long-term care managersby scaling back the originalselect technologies. LTCTimplementation plan and expandingThe selection and implementation the role of champions. At least oneof technology is a research priorityPeter McKinnonis a freelance champion was assigned to each for the Centre of Excellence, whichwriter and video producer affiliated shift, for instance, and all staff metrecently published a guide on howwith Perley Health. For copies of the one-on-one with a champion. Toto effectively consult residents andguide or study referenced above, improve interoperability, PainChekstakeholders. During an AGE-WELLplease contact info@perleyhealth.ca.worked with PointClickCare.workshop in March, Sinden described Thanks to CABHI funding, champions participated in a day-long workshop to conduct a process-mappingLTCF EDUCATION exercise and create instructional materials. Tips on using PainChekwere uploaded to tablet computers and inserted into binders at nursingRaising Standardsstations. These actions helped toin Long-Term Caresmooth the implementation process; pain levels are now assessedmore frequently, consistentlyand accurately. Regular check-ins with the people who use PainChek every day were3-DAY LTCF CREDENTIALINGkey, says Kovacic. Its important to be present, to ask and then to validate the feedback you receive. Build stronger, more The Perley now uses PainChekconfident care teams.for all residents and plans to train occupational therapists andGive your staff the skillsphysiotherapists on the software. and recognition they need Consult all stakeholders to deliver exceptional care.A final lesson from Perley Health emerged from a pilot project involving Esprit-ai, a technology thatEvery LTC Home needsalerts caregivers when a resident at high risk of falling gets out of bed anda credentialed team. leaves their room during the night. The technology relies on a series of sensors mounted under mattresses and in doorways and other areas. The pilot identified a series of weaknesses that the vendor wasGet your staff credentialed today.able to address. By adjusting the technologys settings, for instance, an416-931-1438alert would no longer be generated when a resident at low risk of fallinginfo@careiq.cagets out of bed in the night. The pilot also identified a weakness inwww.careiq.caPerleys implementation process: some housekeepers, uninformed about the project, removed the www.oltca.com LONG TERM CARE TODAY 27'