Federal Aged Care Minister Sam Rae didn’t hesitate to test out a pair of smart glasses in a live demonstration of Silver Chain’s virtual care model at Parliament House this week.
Home care specialist Silverchain demonstrated how wearable technology is tackling critical health care capacity challenges and enabling nurses to deliver care at the top of their profession at a Parliamentary Friends of Nursing event.
Silverchain is Australia’s first home care provider to introduce smart glasses at scale. The use of the technology is one of the ways Silver Chain enables its nurses to work to the full scope of their practice across Australia.
The high-tech wearable device features built-in cameras that securely stream live video to a panel of specialists, enabling nurses to deliver real-time consultations and make decisions about health care without clients needing to leave their homes.
Silverchain’s Executive Director of Research & Innovation Tamra Bridges said presenting the technology to policymakers underscored the urgent need to shift more care powered by new and emerging technology into the home.
“The future of care is in the home, and Silverchain is at the forefront of care innovation. Smart glasses enhance the care experience for our clients while improving access to essential health and aged care services,” Ms Bridges said.
“By deploying smart glasses at scale, we are turning technological advancements into real progress. Our experience shows that when nurses are supported to work to their full extent of their education and professional capability, care becomes more accessible, more efficient, and sustainable.”
The adoption of smart glasses at Silverchain is proving to be a gamechanger across multiple nursing specialties including palliative care, hospital in the home, aged care, clinical support and supervision, medication management and specialist wound care.
Silverchain’s Clinical Nurse Manager Katie Wrightson-Rowton, who demonstrated the glasses at Parliament House, said with Australia’s care system facing unprecedented capacity constraints, smart glasses act as a critical safety valve.
“When an Assistants in Nurses notice signs of clinical deterioration, they can immediately loop another Silverchain expert to intercept risks before they escalate,” Ms Wrightson-Rowton said.
Silverchain’s adoption of smart glasses has been made possible through the generosity of donors to Silverchain Foundation, highlighting the vital role of community-backed innovation in transforming care delivery in the home. Silverchain is actively leading the sector in redefining workforce optimisation, advocating for modern frameworks that allow nurses to safely maximise their clinical scope.
Silver Chain is also sharing a position paper ‘Empowering Nurses to meet Australia’s care needs.’
The Parliamentary Friends of Nursing event was supported by the Australian College of Nursing, the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses, the Australian College of Midwives, the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association, the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, the Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery, and CRANAplus.
The convenors were convenors Trish Cook MP, Member for Bullwinkel; Dr Helen Haines MP, Member for Indi; and Dr Anne Webster MP, Shadow Minister for Regional Health, Member for Mallee.
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