2020 will forever be associated with one word: Corona. The whole country is on lockdown and contact restrictions are in place to curb the spread of the virus and protect the population from infection. This is particularly the case for the large risk group of those in need of care.

The spread of the corona virus also meant that Hospital at Home, an outpatient care service and the daytime care facility Memory in Fahrenkrug bei Bad Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein, had to take a break from looking after patients from mid-March 2020. We needed creativity and ideas on how to move forward. The open business culture is the greatest advantage at Hospital at Home: The young and creative team surrounding Heads of Care Katja Bünning and Michael Schoop is always open to new ideas, works creatively, independently, and flexibly – and also makes decisions on their own.

This was also the case in the spring of 2020, as Managing Director André Godo reports: “I was called into the kitchen by my team and immediately surprised with a comprehensive concept and the sentence: -You know, Mr. Godo, since everyone’s currently spending less time in caring for patients, we now have a little more time for things not related to everyday care.” Primarily analogue work has been carried out for many years, but the nursing service has long been pursuing a resolute digitalization strategy. The team at Hospital at Home are convinced that care can only advance if you are open to innovations that simplify day-to-day care.

On the road to digitized care

In order to come out in a positive way from the crisis and promote further development, the procedure for the advanced digitization of business processes and workflows was discussed with all the important partners, quotes were obtained, and the schedule for the technical implementation was discussed with the IT department. With this, the entire management team surprised, inspired, and convinced the executives immediately.

The Lindera Mobility Analysis will also be a part of the new digital possibilities. The first contact was originally made two years ago at a digitization congress hosted by the DKB Bank in Berlin. André Godo recalls: “I was already sold on the idea that we needed exactly a digital health solution like this here in Fahrenkrug after the very first conversation. The advantages that Lindera brought with it were obvious from the start and I confirmed with Diana Heinrichs straight away.” His team is also sure that Lindera’s AI-based Mobility Analysis for fall prevention is THE solution, not just to offer added value to the elderly, but also to effectively relieve nursing staff of the the work it takes to fill out all the documentation. What this leaves you with is more time for individual support and care. A 30 to 40-second video with a smartphone camera that records the seniors’ gait behavior and a short psychosocial questionnaire are sufficient for the Mobility Analysis to give you a detailed analysis of the gait pattern. Both are analyzed to the millimeter with the assistance of artificial intelligence in the shortest possible time and supplemented with concrete, individual recommendations for measures to prevent falls.

Making the best of the crisis

The greenlight lit up for Hospital at Home when the corona crisis hit and the daytime care facilities closed. With a lot of creativity and innovation, the employees prevailed and advocated for the Lindera App. The Lindera Mobility Analysis was first introduced in the nursing service in May 2020, followed by implementation in the daytime care facilities. An important component for the further digital development is the integration of Lindera into MediFox, the market leader for software solutions in the care industry, which Hospital at Home also uses. Tina Koller, the MediFox contact person at Hospital at Home, explains: “We can adapt completely to customer requirements with our modular and easy-to-use software. Mobile technology solutions, whether tablets or smartphones, make the nursing staff’s work easier and the professional field more attractive to potential employees. With the integration of Lindera, we are also opening up to other AI innovations.” Hospital at Home also receives funding from Barmer Krankenkasse. Barmer is funding the digitization project as the first of its kind in Schleswig-Holstein and integrating it into the existing structures and local network in accordance with the requirements of the Prevention Guideline.

The team at the Memory daytime care facility is optimistic about the next phase and expects those in need of care to show high levels of acceptance: “We’re convinced that we’ll enthuse those in need of care and their relatives about the advantages of the digital health solution. With this technology, we get to look at things from a completely new perspective, so we are expecting everyone to get on board and look forward to the implementation.” André Godo adds: “We firmly believe that we are making a major contribution with our employees’ future-oriented approach and that we are prepared well for the ‘post-corona’ time.”

About the facility

Hospital at Home has been in the industry offering outpatient care for over 15 years, and daytime care in Fahrenkrug bei Bad Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein for more than 5 years. After André Godo took over the company in January 2019, he became responsible for the restructuring of the company as the Managing Director. A team of eight employees, under Nursing Manager Katja Bünning, looks after the facility’s 21 patients. The special feature: As the initiator, Hospital at Home is integrated into a barrier-free residential and care complex with 38 apartments, an outpatient care group with eight places, medical chiropody, nail salon, fitness studio, library and the community café for all residents and guests of the facility. The building is close to the Fahrenkrug train station, thus very well connected to local public transport system.