Advancing care with RoomMate: A game-changer 
at Hartford Court Care Home

In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, where the needs and concerns of residents and their families are paramount, innovation becomes the cornerstone for care providers striving to stay ahead of the curve. Hartford Court Care Home, part of the Hartford Care Group, has been showing the way by embracing the RoomMate system, an innovative solution that has redefined the caregiving landscape.

A transformative journey

Managed by Michelle Presdee, alongside Head of Care, Josh Presdee, Hartford Court Care Home has witnessed a transformative journey since the successful trial of RoomMate earlier this year. The impact has been profound, not only for residents but also for the dedicated care team.

RoomMate, a cutting-edge system, comes with a repertoire of features tailored to individual resident needs. It's a game-changer in the quest for personalised, person-centred care. The RoomMate sensor offers alerts ranging from fall detection to monitoring when residents sit up in bed or leave their chairs or rooms.

Anonymised visual checks

One of the standout features of RoomMate is its ability to perform visual checks without compromising privacy. Using anonymised radar sensor data, RoomMate offers peace of mind to both residents and staff. The real-time digital supervision ensures that residents no longer need to endure nighttime checks that disturb their much-needed sleep.

Michelle Presdee, Home Manager at Hartford Court, shares her enthusiasm:

- You can have people who come in who are very independent, but the risk of a fall is always there. With this system, it means if they did have a fall, we would pick it up really quickly.

Josh Presdee, Head of Care, adds:

- When you check on people at night, you can wake them up. Now you can do it remotely, so residents aren't disturbed, meaning they get a full night's sleep, which in turn has its own benefits. Your mood can be better; people are less likely to fall; it's really important.

Efficiency and peace of mind

RoomMate hasn't just won the hearts of the care team; it has also become an invaluable asset. As Michelle highlights:

- Staff have embraced it. It gives them peace of mind. Which is the evidence you need to see really, as if they didn’t, there would have been lots of objections, but they all do like it.

Moreover, RoomMate has ushered in an era of efficiency. Josh notes:

- Before RoomMate, we had pressure mats, which would go off whenever someone stood on the floor. This would mean someone would have to check, then leave the room to clear it, and then come back again. Now we have replaced the pressure mats as they are not needed anymore. It saves the staff so much time.

A reassuring presence

From a resident's perspective, RoomMate is a reassuring presence. As Michelle explains:

- I think it's a selling point. Quite often, when people move into care, it's because they've been having a lot of falls, and we're able to reassure people that there's a sensor in the room that will pick up the falls, and they will be seen quickly. When we are showing residents and relatives around, it reassures them. As Home Manager, I definitely think it adds value.

Josh chimes in with a crucial point:

- From an evidencing standpoint, it's really strong. If you need to call an ambulance, you can tell the time the fall happened and show when the ambulance was called, so you have the data and proof to evidence your responsiveness.

One of the initial concerns, shared by Michelle, was the potential invasion of privacy. However, RoomMate has proven otherwise:

- Before installation, I was concerned it would be an invasion of privacy, but it isn't at all. Because of the image you get, you can't tell which resident it is because you just see an outline, so there's no invasiveness or risk to their privacy, she explains.

Embracing innovation

Hartford Court Care Home's journey with RoomMate exemplifies the transformative potential of innovative technology in the care industry. It is a testament to how, when harnessed with care and dedication, technology can elevate the standard of care, differentiate a care home from competitors, and, most importantly, improve the quality of life for residents.

In an industry that thrives on trust and compassion, RoomMate has emerged as a vital tool, ensuring that residents' needs are met swiftly, their dignity preserved, and their families reassured. Hartford Court Care Home stands as a perfect example of how embracing innovation can make all the difference in providing the best possible care.