A Victorian carer has developed an innovative platform for self-management of funds.

Siegfried Drews retired about seven years after a career in the corporate world, but his life took an unexpected turn when his wife Mardi developed Motor Neurone Disease.

He became busy coordinating her care, which involved 24-hour nursing support, and having carers coming through the house at all hours.

To streamline operations and take control of Mardi’s complex care management needs, Siegfried developed a technology platform to support the planning, logistics, administration and reporting functions associated with supporting Mardi's care.

“I found that doing all this manually was a nightmare. I also found that the agencies that supply carers can't be relied on, and so I've developed a match-making system for families who need carers to find and employ them directly. It's like an internet dating service for families who need carers,” Siegfried said.

The result is a portal through which Mardi's carers can be employed, rostered and paid electronically, other supports and services can be budgeted for, purchased and accounted for, and her public funders (the Victorian DHS) can view the flow of people and money as they wish.

The portal integrates planning, budgeting, financial transactions, reporting, and local networking (if required) in a format applicable to children and adults in disability, chronic illness, mental health, aged care and education.

“I am getting old so I have no interest in commercialising this,” Siegfried said. “There will be no licensing or contracts. It will be free for users with the exception of a set-up fee (which I want to keep as low as possible) and an optional fee for customisation (if required). Its purpose is to enable self-management and to leverage integrated person-centred arrangements for consumers and families on a very large scale.

“The portal is currently being trialled in two settings in Victoria. It will be available soon for large scale use.

“It is incredible that the business practices of service providers in the field of care are about 30 years behind the rest of industry. We need a lot of political pressure from people with disabilities and families to force them to catch up and focus on the 'customer' and not on themselves.”

Click here to register your interest in Siegfried's technology platform for self-management.

Website is: http://www.partnerships.org.au/FORMS/EOI_Portal.htm

Also, please see the story in this issue of Work‘n’Care that further explains the platform.