High speed internet and iPads will be used to deliver rehabilitation to older people living in Adelaide’s outer southern suburbs as part of an exciting new Telehealth in the Home project.

The study, being run by the Repatriation General Hospital (RGH) and Flinders University, is being funded by the Australian Government under the National Broadband Network (NBN) Enabled Telehealth Pilot Program.

The NBN, which aims to bring high speed broadband and telephone services to all residents, has already been rolled out in suburbs such as McLaren Vale, McLaren Flat and Willunga. The next suburbs will include Aldinga, Aldinga Beach and parts of Seaford and Seaford Rise.

RGH Tele-Rehabilitation in the Home Manager Claire Morris said the project aimed to improve access to health services and assess the feasibility of providing health services to some of the most vulnerable people in the local community via new technologies.

“The current home visiting model includes extensive travel time for the clinician, limiting the number of patients seen each day,” Ms Morris said.

“Under the project, patients will be able to use the iPad to talk to their therapist or Rehabilitation Medicine Specialist, report falls, answer questionnaires, monitor their own activity levels and receive exercise videos sent from the therapist at the hospital directly to their home.

“Telehealth technology also has the capacity to improve clinical responsiveness and provide support to carers.”

The project is targeted at those aged 65 and over, who may have had a fall, stroke or hospital stay in the last 12 months. They may also have concerns about their strength, balance or swallowing.

Eligible participants will receive:

• Visits from rehabilitation therapists to their own home
• Rehabilitation addressing goals that are important to them
• Therapy via a combination of home visits and video calls
• Connection to the NBN and the loan of an iPad for the duration of the program
• Support and training to use the iPad (prior use or knowledge of the internet or iPads is not necessary).

The intended outcomes of this project include a better quality of healthcare for the ageing and improved access to specialist services for patients living in rural and remote areas, Ms Morris said.

“We hope to improve opportunities to coordinate care across the generalist and specialist providers using NBN-enabled telehealth technology.”

Other stakeholders involved in this project include SA Rehabilitation Statewide Clinical Network, the SA Older People Clinical Network and the SA Palliative Care Clinical Network.

– by Sarah Garvis