Bay of Plenty launches LifeCurve app for older people

NEWS - eHealthNews.nz editor Rebecca McBeth

Hear LifeCurve project lead Kathy Everitt speak at Digital Health Week 2021 in Wellington November 29 - Dec 1. Register now.

An app aimed at early intervention and empowering older people to age well has been launched in New Zealand in partnership with Bay of Plenty DHB.

LifeCurve assesses users on their ability to do some everyday activities to show their position on the LifeCurve. It then provides advice on ways to improve their abilities and points them to relevant services or activities in the community.

"Research shows we can make a difference to how we age, and getting older does not have to mean losing independence," says Bay of Plenty DHB LifeCurve project lead Kathy Everitt.

The DHB’s executive director Allied Health Scientific and Technical Sarah Mitchell was involved in the development of the app in the UK, where it has been used since 2018, before moving to the Bay of Plenty where she helped to develop a NZ version.  

A research grant from Auckland University and Health Research Council funding have allowed the team to ensure it is suitable for New Zealand and that it works for Māori and Pasifika older people.

“My ambition is that we socialise this to older adults across New Zealand and use it both for prevention and early intervention for people ageing in the community and empowering them to age well,” Mitchell says.

“If we can keep people well and stay higher on the curve the health savings are significant.”

UK evidence indicated costs of $1400 per person every year if they go down one level on the lifecurve, “so if we focus on early intervention that will be really powerful”, she says.

Mitchell says Bay of Plenty DHB has procured additional LifeCurve software that gives staff access to tools such as virtual tours of a person’s house to see what equipment or adaptations they might need. It also allows staff to see the data behind the app.

“That gives us health intelligence of how to support older people to age well and take control of their health and wellbeing and where to prioritise funding and spending,” she says.

The app is freely available in New Zealand and can be used by older people living in the community, right through to those in hospital-level care.

Professor Ngaire Kerse, Auckland University Joyce Cook Chair in Ageing Well, says the app is about “prevention, independence and empowerment”.

 “This app will help delay decline and support healthier lifestyles, enabling people to remain stronger for longer,” she says.

Hear LifeCurve project lead Kathy Everitt speak at Digital Health Week 2021 in Wellington November 29 - Dec 1. Register now.

If you would like to provide feedback on this news story, please contact the editor Rebecca McBeth.

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