Design and innovation
The importance of care home innovation
Claire Johnsen was in the summer appointed head of innovation at care home construction company Savista Developments and sister company Hallmark Care Homes. Here, Claire outlines how one of the leading care providers in the UK is keeping ahead of the competition
Innovation is important at the best of times but the pandemic has proven that it is needed now more than ever. All businesses need to be continually inventive to flourish and survive. They need to adapt to changes in the market. They need to make improvements to products and processes. They need to continually evaluate their customer’s needs.
Innovation has many benefits, both tangible and intangible. Innovation can improve productivity, it can reduce costs, it can improve brand recognition, increase turnover and improve profitability. Businesses that rest on their laurels quickly fall behind and there are many examples of companies that have not adapted to change, such as Blockbuster and Kodak, that have been superseded by their competitors and sadly vanished in some cases. In summary, every business should innovate and explore new ideas regularly to refresh their service and keep in tune with not only their customers but their employee needs as well.
Hallmark Care Homes has always tried to do things differently. The company has been leading change in the care sector for 23 years and I am proud to be a part of a team that has a track record for continually questioning existing practices and seeking out new ideas. I believe Hallmark Care Homes and Savista Developments stand out for their can-do mind set and the way they place innovation at the heart of their plans for care of the future.
Hallmark focuses on the importance of well-being and helps provide residents with a sense of independence so they can live an active and fulfilled life. The company uses a blend of technology and relationship-centred care to create a tailored experience for its residents.
That is evidenced in the way Hallmark uses technology for care planning and falls monitoring, but they never lose sight of the importance of social interaction and a sense of purpose and how the physical environment plays a vital role in a residents’ happiness, particularly for residents living with dementia.
Hallmark and Savista are constantly looking at new technology we could incorporate into our homes to improve the wellbeing of residents and keep them safe
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Innovation during the pandemic Hallmark, in line with its can-do attitude, has created a number of innovative solutions to support their residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. During lockdown, Hallmark was particularly inventive by introducing an easy to use and secure social media app that allows relatives and residents to send each other pictures and videos, all of which can replayed again at a later date. The app, named Rels App, has enabled everyone to stay connected and was really reassuring for families and residents when they could not visit their loved ones. This app has also been important for people living with dementia who miss the touch of a relative and the sound of their voice, as features such as musical playlists and voice recordings can also be stored within the app. Rels App will continue to be developed further in the future as we tailor it to the changing needs of our residents and their relatives, as well are our care teams.
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • November 2020
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