Karen Wilson has spent the past 11 years working as a caregiver in the Saint John area. She’s spent time as a youth-care worker and as an intervenor at a women’s shelter. While those jobs brought her a lot of satisfaction, Karen was looking to make a transition to working full time with seniors in her community.

“I’ve always been interested in working with seniors,” says Karen. “They deserve so much respect. I was drawn to this new job because I want to provide a level of care that offers dignity to seniors as they age in their own homes.”

Upon joining Home Care by Design, Karen was introduced to her first client, Josie*, an early participant in a Routinify pilot project. Josie still lives at home and lives with dementia. The WellAssist™ platform provides an extra layer of support to Karen as she works to ensure Josie adheres to her daily routine.

The Routinify platform provides data to the entire care circle (nurses, caregivers, family members, medical team, neighbours) via Smart Display prompts, check-ins and output from wearables like Garmin watches.

The care circle is updated multiple times on Josie’s wellbeing – through published check-ins and updates. But the beauty of the platform isn’t one-way communication. It’s that Josie’s family can also connect with her through video, by suggesting music she likes or scheduling TV they think she’ll like. Josie was an avid curler in her younger years, so her children know she’ll enjoy watching the Scottie’s Tournament of Hearts when it’s on. That’s what Routinify truly offers to users – a different type of integrated care.

For Karen, Routinify adds a new dimension to her job. She likes the check-ins at the beginning and end of her shift. She likes the comforts of the prompts for things like medications and meal preparation. She likes knowing that if something were ever to go wrong, the care circle will know about it immediately.

“For me, it’s like there’s a second caregiver working with me each shift,” says Karen. “It helps me maintain my own routine alongside Josie’s. I have to physically check that a notification has been completed so that ensures we’re on track with our day, and at the end of my shift I have the peace of mind that I’ve crossed every t and dotted every i. It’s such a valuable tool.”

The professional outcomes are important to Karen, but it’s also the personal touches that Routinify provides for clients that she sees as equally important.

“I see the difference it makes when families can connect through the video features,” she says. “The comfort of knowing your loved one is healthy, thriving, and in good hands is so important. That’s something I see that Routinify delivers that makes a difference in the lives of all involved.”

*Name has been changed to protect the client’s privacy.