This service is provided with the help of a new type of automatic medicine dispenser that is equipped with a camera. In the past, carers supervised their clients’ medication intake during home care visits to the clients’ homes or remote visits.
“The remote carer is able to release a medication pouch from the dispenser during the remote visit and ensure supervised medication intake,” says Home Care Manager Jaana Heikkuri from the City of Helsinki’s Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division.
This new service is well-suited for home care clients who need supervision for taking their medication but who do not yet need home visits for this purpose.
A new dispenser for new clients – more services through a single device
All new clients in need of an automatic medicine dispenser will be provided with a device equipped with a video connection. However, the additional service will only be adopted if it is necessary in order to provide remote care. Going forwards, clients will be able to receive both the automatic medicine dispenser service and remote care through a single device, reducing the number of devices they need in their home.
“When the client already has an automatic medicine dispenser with a video connection in their home, other remote visits can easily be added to the service as needed,” says Planner Ville Ventovuori from Palvelukeskus Helsinki, which provides remote care and automatic medicine dispenser services.
“It’s great that we can offer Helsinki residents new services that support living at home,” Heikkuri adds.
The service was piloted for over a year before its introduction
The supervision of medication intake via a video connection was piloted in Helsinki for over a year before it was introduced as a service. The pilot project involved installing an automatic medicine dispenser equipped with a camera in the homes of 22 home care clients.
The clients were very satisfied with the service, for the most part, and they will continue to use the dispenser. Carers also felt that the service worked well: the average satisfaction level among both remote and home care personnel was very high. Moreover, the new dispenser freed up time for home care personnel to interact with other clients.
The new automatic medicine dispenser model is faster to refill for home care personnel than the previous model. Fewer fault reports were also submitted about the new model during the pilot project, which meant that fewer inspection visits were needed.
