Bringing New Technology to Life - A Giant Leap for Elder Care.
OBI is addressing a key need in the long-term care sector by helping senior living communities reduce social isolation and improve lives with the Welbi platform.
In the most rewarding relationships, everyone brings something to the table. When OBI partners with other organizations, we consider the ways each party can contribute to achieving a mutually shared goal.
The Welbi platform is a perfect example. The innovation of an innovative Ottawa startup, Welbi helps senior living communities reduce social isolation, and acts as a personal assistant automating administrative tasks, providing alerts and making recommendations to staff so that they can better tailor their services to the needs of their community. For instance, if “Jeff” usually attends Bingo on Fridays but then stops showing up, Welbi identifies a change in pattern and alerts staff to check on him to make sure everything is fine.
“43% of seniors living in retirement homes suffer from social isolation, which can increase the chances of suffering from dementia by 64%. Working with OBI and its network has allowed Welbi to reinforce its presence in the retirement home market and will help us transform the way retirees are cared for so that they maintain a higher quality of life”
Welbi aligns with OBI’s goal of working to help patients living with a brain disorder. To help bring Welbi to life, OBI’s ONtrepreneurs program offered Welbi a $50,000 funding grant as well as training and mentorship. But more than this, OBI has helped Welbi improve its software through feedback from healthcare support staff who work with it in real time, which has allowed the company to further develop the app and market it to seniors’ facilities.
By providing funding, training, and expertise, OBI accelerates the development of products that can help improve the quality of life for so many. OBI and Welbi—an effective and rewarding partnership that brings ideas from lab to life.
