HalleyAssist®

User feedback from field trials

HalleyAssist® has undergone extensive development testing in a range of physical settings and with users with a wide range of cognitive ability and diverse health statuses.

In 2020 we completed a large field trial of the systems performance in Aged Care in the home. This trial was funded by the Australian Commonwealth Department of Health – Commonwealth Home Support Programme via an Innovation Funding grant. Initial installations occurred while CoViD-19 pandemic emerged and lock downs began.

The trial was focused on:

  • acceptability of technology by the elderly and families.
  • measures of carer burden.
  • ability to better support clients with specific needs or challenges.
  • innovative service offerings that meet Commonwealth Home Support Program objectives, including a focus on wellness and reablement.
  • health economic analysis.

This trial was conducted with full ethics approval and oversight by a number of world class research organisations and Universities.

The information below are a sample of direct quotes from the trial surveys conducted before and after the trial.

What participants said about HalleyAssist®

  • “Technology makes me anxious but this technology doesn’t.”   F 88
  • “it makes you feel secure and confident.”   F 81
  • “it’s there to give you confidence, if anything happens you have help at hand.”  M 81
  • ”staying at home with COVID with technology is very good.”   F 80
  • “this could be really useful and save injuries.”   F 93
  • “I truly forgot it was here….. I tell people there are little sensors all around the house, watching what I do and if I fall over I get some help…….I like someone speaking to me first thing in the morning – ……..I will probably miss it when its gone.” F 89
  • “the best thing ever invented.” M 92
  • “living on your own, it’s very handy in case of an accident.” M 89
  • “I really forgot it was there…it’s not intrusive to our home life.” F 87
  • “I haven’t noticed it was there.” F 73

What family and carers said about HalleyAssist®

Q. Do you think technology [for example, HalleyAssist] has any potential for use in lockdown situations?

A. “Yes, yes because people can’t just zip over to see parents, each situation would be different, lockdown or not, the system would work well for anyone with a parent or friend with difficulties that was on their own.”

Q. If you were to receive an alert regarding a potential fall that may have occurred – do you believe you could provide assistance and/or engage emergency services faster?

A. “Well, yes if she didn’t have the alarm, or phone. And I saw the alert. I’m only 10mins away.”

Q. Without any assistive technology, if [name of trial participant] was alone, fell and was unable to recover, how long do you think it might take for the situation to be known to others and for care to arrive?

A. “That’s the thing, who knows, if she doesn’t press the alarm…could be days. It keeps me up sometimes, how do you know, if she didn’t press it. I wouldn’t mind getting phone alerts at night, for peace of mind. I appreciate the tech more than mum does.”

Q. What are the main concerns you have for your mum living alone?

A. “Her falling, being unconscious, mainly, even though her health is ok, she is a bit more frail. Having had a look at the app screen shots, its incredible, so many, I could read that and know in my head what she was doing, it was really, really eye opening to have the information at hand, even the heat in the house. It was amazing!”

Q. Do you feel this technology would improve your Mum’s confidence about living alone?

A. “Yes, yes. Its  peace of mind really to the occupant and loved ones. When she got used to the voice, I think she quite enjoyed it.”