Taking care

A joint venture of Vassallo Group and 6pm, Emcare will showcase its services at the Malta Trade Fair. Natalie Briffa Farrugia, CEO Caremalta, and Josephine Xuereb, Emcare Business Development Manager explain how Emcare promotes independence, peace of mind, and good health.

What services does Emcare include?

It is our responsibility towards our service users to provide them with the latest and most innovative systems.

Emcare includes two types of services: eCare and eMonitoring.

eCare is the monitoring of the environment to provide a safe place for the individuals. We are launching with 16 devices that vary from Panic Pendent Alert to Smoke Alert. This service is designed to provide independence and encourage people, especially the elderly and those individuals with special needs, to remain at their own home. After all, home is the place where we all feel comfortable.

How many times have we wanted to ask our elderly parents if they are coping independently, if they are waking up well in the morning, or if they are afraid that something might happen to them when they are on their own? Perhaps we have noticed that our parents are starting to forget. However, in order not to hurt them, demoralise them or for any other reason, we refrain from doing so.

Emcare is there to virtually monitor our loved ones and give them security without invading their privacy – Emcare supports them to live an independent life as much as possible. It is important to note that behind all these electronic devices, there is also a care centre where service users can call and find a human voice to listen to their enquiries and mitigate their worries.

eMonitoring is the monitoring of a service user’s vital signs, such as blood pressure, glucose level, blood oxygenation, pulse, body temperature and body weight. These devices are different from those found on the market as they transfer the readings to the Emcare portal from where your assigned doctor, next of kin, parents or any authorised person can access them.

What benefits do these services offer, both for service users and for medical professionals?

We offer continuous monitoring of service users’ health and their living environment. Their readings are stored in our databases as secured personalised data. This data can be seen by their chosen doctor and authorised persons. In addition, notifications are sent when the readings are outside normal parameters. This way, Emcare helps our service users to self-monitor their health.

Besides, we also provide our clients with recent health issue articles published on the Emcare portal.

Through Emcare, our service users can monitor their health any time and anywhere, whether at home, at work or abroad.

Emcare is also about helping children. For instance, a diabetic child can monitor the glucose level at school. The result is then immediately transferred to the Emcare portal where the child’s parents will be reassured that their child has checked the glucose and has the results in hand even from a mobile phone. If there are frequent instances where the child has forgotten to check the glucose, Emcare will notify the parents. Emcare provides peace of mind to parents and gives children the same freedom their peers have.

Medical professionals would benefit from Emcare services because it organises their clients’ health records. Hence, Emcare eases the professionals’ work by providing portable access to their clients’ health records.

After all, through Emcare medical professionals and our service users are in continuous interaction.

Does Emcare monitor a service user’s health status or, for the sake of prevention, does it also monitor the environment in which the service user lives?

Emcare empowers people and encourages them to monitor their health. Our concept is to help service users to be on the lookout and watch their health through our eMonitoring devices. As already stated, eCare is the monitoring of the environment where we live and it increases the independence of our elderly and vulnerable ones. However, eCare does not only refer to the care of the elderly but also includes other services. Shouldn’t we all need a Gas Alert or an Intruder Alert?

How tech savvy do patients need to be to use these services?

To use Emcare there is no need to be an IT wizard and no technology background is necessary. The entire technological aspect behind the service is carried out by our installers and the rest is a very user-friendly system. These devices are designed to be used by service users of all ages and from all levels of society.

Will Emcare be updated with new tools and services?

This is an ongoing project, always progressing to provide the best service to our service users. Medicine is in continues evolution and new devices are developed frequently. Therefore, we have to keep up – after all, it is our responsibility towards our service users to provide them with the latest and most innovative systems.

Did you rely on the technical know-how of other suppliers to develop Emcare?

Emcare is a business enterprise between Care Malta and 6pm – the IT infrastructure is covered by 6pm, whereas Care Malta is responsible for the rest, such as the Care Centre.

How does Emcare complement the other services already offered by Vassallo Group?

Vassallo Group is now offering a full spectrum of services for the elderly. Through Care Malta, it is already providing residential homes for the elderly, and now, through Emcare, it is giving peace of mind to the elderly who cannot afford to reside in a residential home. In addition, this project caters for all individuals as age and finance are not an issue – Emcare is an affordable service.

Is Emcare intended for local use or are you seeking to apply it abroad?

Currently, Emcare is focusing on the local scene. Nevertheless, offering our services abroad is already in our plans.

What are the main reasons for launching Emcare during the Malta Trade Fair?

Emcare involved a lot of planning, research and work. When the working team felt confident about the integrity of the system, a date was chosen. Coincidently the date came close to the Trade Fair, which we can exploit positively to our benefits.

What other research are you currently carrying out?

Emcare is constantly researching medical and technological updates to keep our system reviewed and maintained regularly.

In view of the fact that society has become so dependent on IT, care is further improved through technology. In simple terms, this is what Emcare is all about.