SINGAPORE - Singapore's largest private nursing home operator, Orange Valley Nursing Homes, announced on Wednesday (May 2) that it has partnered companies such as StarHub and ST Engineering to trial aged-care technology to improve staff productivity and delivery of clinical care services.

For one thing, Orange Valley is working with StarHub to trial a fall prevention management solution. This solution uses motion-detecting, Internet of Things technology to send out instantaneous bed exit notifications via a mobile app to nursing staff when a resident is trying to climb out of bed.

This is part of StarHub's expansion into healthcare, under an agreement signed between Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and the telco in January.

Other technologies being tested include an automated visitor registration system, which uses facial recognition to allow one-time registration.

These tests will be put in place in three to six months' time, said Orange Valley.

The initiative was announced at the official opening of its first smart nursing home in Balestier on Wednesday. Orange Valley is a subsidiary of Invest Healthcare, which was acquired in April last year by SPH, the parent company of The Straits Times.

The opening of the 4,700 sq m, five-storey building was graced by Senior Minister of State for Health and Transport Lam Pin Min as the guest of honour.

The building, which will also become the sixth nursing home managed by Orange Valley, offers 118 beds, including two beds for quarantine and isolation purposes. Besides open wards, there are single, two-bed and four-bed rooms as well as two deluxe suites.

Mr Anthony Tan, chairman of Orange Valley and deputy chief executive of SPH, said: "Singapore is facing an ageing population, and even as a commercial entity, we also recognise our social obligations to serve a bigger purpose - that all Singaporeans have access to quality elder care to live in comfort and with dignity."