Aged and community care provider Silverchain has partnered with the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) at Royal Melbourne Hospital for a project looking at implementing technology-supported home-based care for older Australians.

Silverchain and NARI have received a grant from the newly established Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA) to develop methods on how to innovate the delivery of home care as part of the Implementing Technology-Supported Home-Based Care for Older Australians project.

Project lead Frances Batchelor said integrating technology into the delivery of home care will help alleviate strain on the aged care workforce.

“New thinking and solutions are required to bolster our aged care system,” Associate Professor Batchelor said. “By adopting multidisciplinary methods for providing care, we can improve staff capacity and capability.

“Technology isn’t a one-stop solution to the system’s problems, but it can be an incredible valuable tool for carers when combined with traditional approaches.”

Silverchain director of research discovery Tanya Davison said the use of technology to complement traditional face-to-face approaches offers enormous benefits to both home care providers and their clients.

“This will provide older Australians with greater flexibility and choice, and transform the client experience,” Professor Davison said.

“Many technologies are readily available. This research will help the aged care sector to understand how to effectively implement technologies into routine care.

“We are committed to digitally enabled care, and Silverchain’s dedicated community aged care teams will participate in the project, with researchers drawing expertise from the experience, education, skills and knowledge of our frontline workforce.”