Since this spring, Hamarøy Municipality has offered Nattugla to people in need of care. Nattugla provides peace of mind and security for users, and makes daily work much easier for caregivers, according to unit manager Ruth Marie Donovan and project manager Gustav Halmøy in Hamarøy Municipality.
It is important to emphasize that we do not use Nattugla to monitor our users, but to watch over them. We no longer need to lock ourselves in and physically check if the users are doing well. As the name suggests, Nattugla is an extension of our own eyes. The fact that we also save our caregivers a lot of unnecessary work is another and welcome effect of this great product, says a very satisfied unit manager Ruth Marie Donovan.”
The Tromsø company Easymeeting AS has developed Nattugla. The starting point is technology that was originally used for video conferencing, but which has now been further developed and adapted as an advanced welfare technology aid. Nattugla can be used together with the welfare technology platform Hepro Respons from Hepro AS, and it is this Rognan company that has delivered Nattugla to Hamarøy municipality. Product manager Lars Isaksen talks about great interest from municipalities all over the country for this innovative product that Hamarøy is now in the process of implementing.
“-It has really taken off now. Nattugla is one of the best technologies in digital supervision. It is a great product that is constantly being developed. With Nattugla, you can take care of the elderly and those in need of care in the best possible way, while at the same time giving employees a better working day. It is a completely unique product that more and more people are starting to notice, says Lars Isaksen.
Unit manager Donovan and project manager Halmøy talk about an almost problem-free phasing in of the new technology.
“-There have been some challenges, but nothing worse than that it has been solved quite easily. For example, there was one of the users who lives in a place where Telia does not have coverage, but when we changed the SIM card to Telenor, it worked just fine. Otherwise, we have received good help from Hepro’s support when we have needed it. Nattugla is a very good product that is very easy and intuitive to use, says Gustav Halmøy.”
“-It has mostly gone pretty smoothly, agrees Ruth Marie Donovan.”
Ruth Marie Donovan, Unit Manager in Hamarøy Municipality
“-People seem satisfied, and the vast majority are positive. There has been some skepticism, but that is only healthy. It is important that we acknowledge objections, and that we invite in what is contradictory. I want to build a health service that is sustainable not only today, but that is ready for the future. It is about using technology in the right way, that is, to the right person and at the right time. It is the need that is decisive. With Nattugla, we can offer better quality and increased security, and we can use our resources in an even better way. One of our residents had dozens of alarms every day where the home service had to be called out. After the person had Nattugla installed, the number of calls out is almost zero. And the service recipient thinks that he has received a better quality of service after he got Nattugla.
With Nattugla, we can respond when needed, instead of disturbing users with routine and disruptive inspections.
Unit manager Donovan has clear goals for the future. Nattugla is just the beginning. Sustainability, innovation and technology are key words for her. So are competence development and well-being.
-It is important that we have fun. We have to practice seeing solutions, then we will become very good at it. We should water the roses rather than weed the weeds, so to speak. There is no way around technology in the healthcare system of the future. We just have to dare to start walking. People and machines, there has always been an interaction. It is just a matter of finding out how we can use technology in the best possible way, and for the greatest benefit to people, says Ruth Marie Donovan, who is thoroughly tired of the cry for more warm hands in the healthcare service.
“It’s like fishing in a sea without fish. There will be no more warm hands no matter how much we shout. Most Norwegians want to stay at home as long as possible, and there is no way around it. We have to think about innovation and technology.”
-And technology like Nattugla gives us opportunities we didn’t have before. We’re so used to walking into our users’ doors, but who really wants a visitor at two in the morning? Now we can let our users get a good night’s sleep, while being ready to respond if needed. Meeting people will always be the most important thing for us, but there’s a lot of empathy in good technology, too.