New initiative sets sights on dementia, palliative and complex care solutions

HammondCare, a provider specialising in dementia, palliative and complex care for older Australians, has launched Hammond Innovations — an initiative focused on real-world solutions. To respond to the care challenges of Australia’s growing aging population, the initiative intends to harness research, creative design, cross-sector partnerships and the latest technologies — with fast implementation. It will be led by Dr Anna Barker, in the role of Executive General Manager, and bring together resources of The Dementia Centre, The Palliative Centre and the Centre for Positive Ageing.

“The aged and health sectors face growing pressures including workforce shortages, preventable harms, rising costs, administrative burden and slow translation of evidence into practice,” Barker said. “We want to respond to this with solutions through a provider-led innovation model — not just research that is too slow or pilots that are too narrow — that is technology-inspired and makes use of innovation pathways to move from problem to product with speed, agility and scale.”

The ‘IDEA’ Hub — short for Insight, Design, Evidence and Action — will be at the heart of Hammond Innovations and is described as an ‘engine room’ to identify the most urgent problems, test solutions, and scale what works. Underpinning the initiative’s approach will be partnerships with technology, university and philanthropic partners, and other sector providers. Improving the environments of older people, including developing safer, personalised, digitally enabled homes, nursing home settings and hospitals, will be a high priority.

Supporting care practitioners with practical digital tools, AI assistants and streamlined workflows to free them up for more time being present with older people in their care is described as a second priority. A third priority will be developing new ways to help older people and their caregivers and supporting networks, including families. Among the first areas to be explored for their potential to improve care will be digital solutions now market-ready; these include AI companions, ambient listening, digital pill boxes, radar sensors, smart lamps and VR therapy.

Hammond Innovations Executive GM Anna Barker. Image: Supplied

“We want to deliver what matters most — happier, healthier days for older Australians with more nights on their own pillows,” Barker said. “For care practitioners, we want more hands held and fewer pens pushed.” With a PhD (Geriatrics) and a Masters of Physiotherapy (Geriatrics), as well as qualifications through the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Barker brings research experience to the initiative, having established global collaborations with Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic in her role as Head of Health Services Research at Monash University.

Top image caption: HammondCare CEO Andrew Thorburn with Hammond Innovations Executive GM Anna Barker. Image: Supplied