iSmart Touch provides qualitative added value for clients, employees and organization

– Health Institutions

The Question:

How can we implement people-oriented care to add value to our clients, staff and organization with the help of an innovative solution?

Company profile

Asster VZW is a psychiatric hospital and psychiatric care home in Sint-Truiden, Belgium, that focuses on high-quality evidence-based and people-oriented care. It has been affiliated with Planetree® since 2017 and recently started a certification cycle. The purpose of this is a standard for better care within a healing environment in a healthy organization. In the new construction project, completed in 2023, the iSmart Touch system was purposely selected for its contribution to Asster’s mission. Bart Maes, Asster Facility Services Manager, appreciates the added value of iSmart Touch: “We have been following the technological innovations of BPI for some time and have seen the iSmart Touch in operation at other healthcare institutions. This confirmed our enthusiasm about the positive effects on clients, employees and the organization.”

The Solution:

With the iSmart Touch, the right support can be achieved in a humane manner. By remaining in contact or reconnecting with the client, treatment can be continued and the client can be brought back from the isolation room.

People-oriented care

solation is traumatizing for a client. Traditional seclusion rooms are designed to provide as few stimuli as possible to the client. Research (source: Zorginstituut Nederland) has shown that the absence of stimulation, distraction or any form of self-direction is possible, can lead to sensory deprivation. With the iSmart Touch, the right support can be achieved in a humane manner. By remaining in contact or reconnecting with the client, treatment can be continued and the client can be brought back from the isolation room.

Faster relaxation and rest

Asster uses iSmart Touch in both seclusion rooms and rest areas to reduce tension among clients and provide distraction. Liesbeth Gabriëls, IBE Asster occupational therapist and residential group leader, states: “Previously, our clients were alone in the seclusion room without any distractions. Employees would do breathing exercises with the client in the seclusion room or we would leave a mobile phone by the door so they could listen to music. Now we start the screen and determine what they can choose from to relax. Clients can listen to music, play games or watch TV. This way we maintain control and monitor when we can gradually return control to the client. Tension among clients used to be difficult to control, but this can now be handled more smoothly. For some young people it is important to maintain control and thus reduce the tension themselves. Due to the self-chosen relaxation and distraction, clients are able to transition back to the residential group more quickly. The music and games in particular are favorites with the young people, it offers them calm.”

The Result:

Bart Maes: “We are proud of this project and have already received a lot of interest from the sector for the iSmart Touch solution. The collaboration with BPI was completely satisfactory. We are sure that we will return to BPI for future projects.”

iSmart Touch

Vincent van der Greef, Business Development Manager BPI: “The molest-resistant iSmart Touch solution is a proven and scientifically substantiated solution that focuses on the client. This solution reduces the workload of healthcare workers and offers clients a varied range of relaxation options. The iSmart Touch can restore autonomy in a time of serious disruption, provide distraction and send incentives per client and per moment. In addition, this solution offers information provision and contact options through image and voice connection. BPI has 12 years of experience in (further) developing, implementing and maintaining the iSmart Touch solution in the Netherlands and Belgium. More than 70 healthcare institutions already use the iSmart Touch with the aim of preventing or reducing freedom-restricting measures or Coercion & Coercion or shortening the length of stay in seclusion rooms and making them more humane. The iSmart Touch solution is the perfect match for Asster’s mission and the result is clearly noticeable among clients and employees.”

Qualitative added value

Asster has chosen to expand the iSmart Touch solution with some functionalities for controlling home automation in the time-out rooms. Kevin Fontaine, Project Employee Asster: “According to the Planetree® certification, we gradually return autonomy to the clients with the iSmart Touch solution; This also includes matters such as light intensity or sun protection in the room. The touchscreens are of good quality, very robust and completely impact-resistant. It is now no longer necessary for employees to be physically present in the time-out room, which can also reduce stimuli for clients. The variation in the offer for relaxation and distraction and functionalities such as time indication on the screen have eliminated the complexity of answering clients’ questions. The iSmart Touch solution provides everything we need.”

Working together with BPI

Maes: “We are proud of this project and have already received a lot of interest from the sector for the iSmart Touch solution. The collaboration with BPI was completely satisfactory. We are sure that we will return to BPI for future projects.”

More information on the standard and extra functionalities of iSmart Touch. Have a question or would like to schedule an online demo? Contact us here.