Co-founder of Ryman Healthcare John Ryder’s village outfit Qestral is introducing the free video communications and healthcare monitoring system by subscription to the 230 residents of its Alpine View village in east Christchurch and the four other villages it has in its $750 million pipeline in Nelson, Hamilton, Whangarei and Christchurch.
The monitoring will include taking blood pressure, pulse rate and weight, an emergency alarm and sensors that detect lack of movement, medication management and other symptoms that the resident wants to monitor.
The system – a joint venture with healthcare monitoring company Spritely – will also be offered to other retirement villages and eventually to people living in the community who want to be connected to a village’s care facilities but don’t want to move into a village.
Ryder declined to reveal the subscription price, but said the system had the potential to create a “virtual retirement village”.
“The next revolution in aged care will be by fully utilising technology. It is a fast-moving but important opportunity. As an innovative group we are positioning ourselves to be at the forefronts of new developments,” he said.
