From four wobbly screens under your arm to one secure tablet in your hand

The municipality was not entirely unfamiliar with the use of cameras for monitoring purposes, but, like many others, it had only used baby monitors. This solution presents a well-known challenge in the healthcare sector, as it is neither user-friendly nor reliable, nor does it protect users’ privacy or GDPR rights; yet it is often provided to individuals as a solution through NAV. Lena therefore contacted Linda Matheson, a consultant on the Innovation and Digitalization team in the Health and Care Department of Halden Municipality, to see if there was a better way to address this issue.

“Of course, organizations face entirely different requirements regarding security and GDPR than private individuals do, so there was significant room for improvement here,” says Linda.

In April 2023, they contacted Atea, which reached out to Tellu on behalf of the municipality. Together, we wanted to explore whether Tellucare Continuous Monitoring could be the solution to their problems.

Lena describes a daily routine that, at the time, was marked by uncertainty and cumbersome solutions. On several occasions, night shift staff had to carry up to four monitors under their arms if they had to attend to a resident at night, and they also risked losing coverage on the remaining three cameras when they moved around.

“There’s a wide range in the functional abilities of our residents, and some have significant physical challenges that can lead to seizures capable of causing serious injury,” she explains. Not being able to rely on the technical equipment was a major source of stress for both staff and management in the department.

They were therefore very eager to explore what Tellucare’s continuous monitoring could do for them and how it could contribute to a safer and more efficient daily routine. The solution they chose was continuous monitoring with high-quality image and video for day and night surveillance, supplemented by audio. In collaboration with Atea, a successful rollout was carried out via Teams, and the employees were finally able to start using a tool they could actually rely on.

“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of more requests coming from the respite care facility,” says Linda.

So, what is their most important advice for other municipalities looking to explore the use of assistive technology?

Make sure everyone is on board, and don’t leave everything to the professional staff. Management must be motivated and actively involved in the implementation process. Learn how to use the tool, participate in project meetings, and familiarize yourselves with the relevant legislation. “It’s not enough to say, ‘We’ll pay for this’; you actually have to follow through on the entire project,” Linda emphasizes.

The introduction of Tellucare Continuous Monitoring marks the beginning of a new chapter in digital monitoring technology for the municipality of Halden, and Tellu, together with Atea, has laid a solid foundation for future collaboration and innovation. We look forward to what’s next!

From four wobbly screens under your arm to one secure tablet in your hand

"It's incredibly important to provide good supervision for these children; otherwise, we'll lose the parents' trust."

Lena Kristoffersen

“Providing good supervision for these children is incredibly important; otherwise, we’ll lose the parents’ trust,” says Lena Kristoffersen, team leader and social worker at the residential facility.

The sense of increased security and reduced stress levels has been a benefit for both healthcare professionals and family members, and it has restored a sense of privacy for service recipients and their caregivers.

Linda Matheson