Continuing Care
Bayshore designs wearable for clients with dementia
February 16, 2022
TORONTO – Bayshore HealthCare, in collaboration with iCan Interactive and Georgian College, has designed an innovative digital health wearable solution – Bayshore Health Monitor – that enables family caregivers to remotely monitor their loved ones living with dementia. Designated professional or paraprofessional healthcare providers can also use Bayshore Health Monitor to remotely monitor their dementia clients.
“Bayshore Health Monitor helps people living with dementia remain in the comfort of their home and the community while providing peace of mind to those within their circle of care,” said Maureen Charlebois (pictured), chief nursing & clinical officer, Bayshore HealthCare. “It’s another example of how Bayshore continues to find new ways to leverage digital health technology to improve health outcomes.”
Bayshore Health Monitor seamlessly connects people living with dementia to their caregivers via an Apple Watch and an app called MyBayshoreCare. The Apple Watch collects biometric data from individuals living with dementia, such as location, heart rate and activity levels, and shares it with their designated caregivers in the MyBayshoreCare app – which allows clients and caregivers to manage home care schedules, connect with Bayshore specialists over the phone or on video, see updates from Bayshore caregivers on how visits went, and view personalized care services.
If the biometric data captured by the Apple Watch finds metrics above or below patient-specific thresholds, it sends notifications to caregivers and post alerts on a patient monitoring dashboard with MyBayshoreCare. Bayshore Health Monitor also features two-way communication allowing caregivers to send notifications in real-time, such as medication reminders, from the MyBayshoreCare app directly to their loved ones’ Apple Watch.
“It’s a privilege for iCan Interactive to collaborate with Bayshore HealthCare and Georgian College to develop and leverage a patient-centric wearable that provides live monitoring and feedback to caregivers who support people living with dementia stay safe and active,” said Stephen Eades, CEO and founder, iCan Interactive.
Georgian designed and completed a research study to assist Bayshore HealthCare and iCan Interactive in assessing and evaluating the potential of Bayshore Health Monitor. The research study helped inform Bayshore’s decision to move the idea from concept to reality and provided students with invaluable real-world experience working directly with Bayshore clients, families and caregivers.
“The student-led research project is representative of our commitment to providing students with invaluable ‘out-of-the-classroom’ experiences that opens doors to amazing career opportunities. The essential workplace skills developed during a project of this nature are preparing our graduates for the workplace,” said Richard Rinaldo, co-ordinator of the Research Analyst Program.
Bayshore Health Monitor leverages adaptable technology found in the Bayshore Digital Experience Platform (Bayshore DXP). Bayshore DXP is a launch pad that facilitates the evolution of a suite of digital home healthcare products and patient programs and services to enhance the client experience and support people living with chronic diseases. It also allows Bayshore to partner with healthcare organizations and industry stakeholders across Canada on innovative digital initiatives by supporting ease of integration.
About Bayshore HealthCare
Bayshore HealthCare is one of the country’s leading providers of home and community healthcare services and is a Canadian-owned company. With locations across the country, including 82 home care offices, 11 pharmacies and 100 community care clinics, Bayshore has more than 16,000 staff members and provides care to over 350,000 clients annually. Its services are purchased by government care programs, insurance companies, workers’ compensation boards, health care organizations, the corporate sector and the public. For more information, visit https://www.bayshore.ca.