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Virtual nursing improves access to healthcare
12 May 2021
Registered Nurse Maria del Mundo never expected to be nursing from an office chair but she believes her role as a Virtual Care Clinician is groundbreaking.
Maria’s career has seen her work in hospitals, manage aged-care facilities, conduct Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) assessments, volunteer overseas and now provide telehealth services to seniors, which she says is the way of the future.
Maria says telehealth is more cost effective, environmentally friendly, but most of all it promotes health equity.
“Offering telehealth means people in remote places and those with mobility issues have better access to what could be life-saving services,” she says.
“Feros Care has been ahead of the curve as we were quick to recognise the benefits of being able to connect with and monitor the health of our clients in their own homes at any time.
“Our extensive virtual health programs lessened the impact of the COVID pandemic as we were able to continue to provide care to our clients with little to no disruption.”
Maria says in addition to her clinical nous, her role involves advocating for clients to ensure they know what services they are entitled to.
“We are working with some of society’s most vulnerable citizens and we need to ensure seniors are aware of what is available to them so they can live a more comfortable life,’ she says.
“There is funding that will improve people’s quality of life and help them age gracefully, ideally in their own homes.
HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLBEING
“At Feros Care, we see our role as care providers in a broad sense – we don’t just provide the care; we innovate and create through the development of services and programs that fill gaps in the system.”
These programs include;
Eat Well Live Well – dietician sessions that help you improve your appetite through recipe ideas and nutrition ideas.
Strong Foundations – A physio-led Program that helps you put together a ‘daily habits’ plan of simple strength exercises.
Maria says Feros Care has a diverse approach to health care that benefits the entire community.
“The advantages of our health programs are far-reaching,” she says.
VIRTUAL HEALTH CARE IS THE FUTURE
“In the virtual space, benefits like negating the need to sit in waiting rooms and reduced travel were even more pronounced during COVID times.
“While Feros Care has been pioneering virtual health in the aged-care space, I believe we’ll see more of it in the future as other organisations and industries move to make their service delivery more diverse.”
In her role at Feros Care, Maria collaborates with community nurses to oversee treatment plans and provide clinical insight, recommendations and referrals to ensure clients receive comprehensive, cohesive care.
As a virtual clinician, Maria also provides health education over-the-phone, as well as vital sign monitoring that allows her to easily identify issues such as high blood sugar or low blood pressure.
“The reason I wanted to work for Feros Care was because I was so impressed with their forward-thinking innovations, which I believe directly help clients to live their best life,” says Maria.
“I embrace this new way of thinking and I’m proud to be part of an organisation and a health care movement that is changing the world for the better.”