Assistance with bathing, showering and toileting is an important role for care workers in aged care homes.
The current process of caregiver-assisted showering is physically demanding and time-consuming for the worker, through heavy lifting and bending while manoeuvring residents; These injury related risks have become part of the trigger for staff burnout and many aged care workers are leaving the sector. It is also emotionally challenging for the mental health and well-being of the resident being showered, particular as they become more reliant on assistance.
A Polish-based technology company, Automation for Humanity that pioneers breakthrough caregiving innovation approached Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA) to find suitable research and service provider partners to collaborate to address the problem.
ARIIA was able to provide targeted advice around the suitability of their suite of automated products that support seniors to perform daily living and basic necessary care activities.
Tomasz Troniewski of Automation for Humanity said that they "looked at Australia as the country at the forefront of pursuing a sustainable aged care system.”
“ARIIA’s profile very much fit our potential interests in Australia, and the Innovation Managers were instrumental in helping us to search and form a collaborative partnership to bring our unique caregiving technologies to here,” he said.
“Through their Aged Care Partnering Program, we will be able to validate and localise our technologies to better serve Australians seniors, caregivers, and the society at large.”
ARIIA also partnered Automation for Humanity with Queensland University of Technology researchers, Evonne Miller and Marianella Chamorro-Koc, and residential aged care partner, Southern Cross Care (NSW & ACT).
They collaborated on a project to assess the impact of how their automated “Sit & Shower” showering device could enhance an aged care resident’s autonomy and dignity, while simultaneously reducing the workload, physical strain of lifting and bending, and risk of injury of aged care workers.
The team from Automation for Humanity found the research team to be invaluable in providing academic rigour to the project.
Queensland University of Technology researchers Evonne Miller and Marianella Chamorro-Koc said that ARIIA was essential in the process, as they were able to link them to a suitable technology partner and an innovation-oriented residential aged care partner.
They were successful in receiving an ARIIA Grant in the last round for 2023 to identify and address privacy and ethical challenges, the experience for both workers and residents, and the social acceptability of the innovation.
The team will conduct interviews and co-design workshops to finalise the project roadmap, before starting the implementation and usability evaluation of the Sit & Shower device.
Achievements
The study will examine the impact of adopting an automated shower device on resident autonomy and dignity, care worker workload, and physical strain. It includes gathering qualitative and quantitative data on resident, family, and staff experiences with the "Sit & Shower" while tracking key clinical indicators.
The project emphasises education and knowledge dissemination through webinars, digital stories, infographics, and publications.
The ultimate goal for Automation for Humanity is to transform the aged care sector by addressing the human and financial cost by creating high-quality, cost-effective, automated care solutions.