Bupa a new app to help the families of its aged care residents stay informed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said its free Bupa Aged Care Connect will provide information related to the pandemic for residents, their families and Bupa employees.
According to Suzanne Dvorak, managing director Bupa Villages and Aged Care Australia, with the COVID-19 situation is changing every day the app is designed to enable residents and their families to easily access the most current advice from health authorities and Bupa.
“With so much information out there about COVID-19, it can be hard to digest. The Bupa Aged Care Connect app allows us to put all the relevant information in one place, including recent government advice and the latest updates from our care homes," said Ms Dvorak.
Ms Dvorak said Bupa was committed to making sure communication with relatives was simple and effective during this time.
“We know there is a need to help family and friends feel more connected to the day-to-day lives of our residents in our homes. While we know we can’t replace face-to-face interactions, we hope that with new ways of communicating we can help keep our residents’ connections with their loved ones as strong as possible,” she added.
The company said it is also in the process of launching private Facebook groups for each care home and helping to facilitate regular video and phone calls between residents and their families.