Business Overview
JSB Co., Ltd. engages in the planning, development, and lease of real estate properties for students and the elderly. Its operations are carried through the following segments: Real Estate Leasing Management, Home for the Elderly, and Others.
The Real Estate Leasing Management segment provides building management and leasing of students’ apartments and dormitories. The company was founded in December 1976 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan.
Could you describe your role at the company?
Mr. Nishi: I am currently serving as the facility manager for Grand Maison Geihinkan Arashiyama II in Kyoto. My main responsibilities are managing the operations aspect of the housing care services for individuals who require emergency care, general safety confirmation, or services not covered by their insurance provider.
Mr. Yoshida: I am in charge of acquiring and managing the licenses, permits, and results of the IoT devices and software used within the facility. It is a very exciting role when it comes to selecting advanced devices that I have never seen before.
What was most important to you when evaluating your options?
Mr. Yoshida: There are wearable devices and sensor mats to monitor the situation, but the technologies have some problems such as limited detection distance of the sensor, overly sensitive sensors, needing to be recharged periodically, or difficulty acquiring the necessary data.
As for Tellus, the accuracy of the biometric data acquired is high, and the reading method is privacy-friendly due to their sensor using millimeter-wave radar. In addition, the detection range and angle are wider than other sensors.
How did the resident feel about having Tellus in their life?
Mr. Nishi: Having spoken to the residents recently, they completely forgot the existence of the Tellus device installed in their room until we mentioned it. In the past, we have witnessed situations where installing monitoring sensors create enormous stress for the residents. On that notion, I think it is good they forgot about the Tellus device being in the same room.
What was your experience like working with the Tellus’ team?
Mr. Yoshida: They were assuring partners who worked hard alongside us to solve the problems we were facing. After the introduction of the system, Tellus' members worked closely with us to check the status of each resident and helped us to visually understand their lifestyle during the day through the "Spotlight Report"
In addition, as a communication tool, it was extremely helpful for family members to understand the resident's situation when presented with this report.
What do you enjoy most about using Tellus?
Mr. Yoshida: For us, it was the report display function for each resident. Before using Tellus, the staff could not always see what was happening in the residents' rooms. But now, by looking at the reports, we can see how long for instance Resident A is in bed most or how much time Resident B is walking around the room.
When using our service, could you share an incident that helped your facility provide better care?
Mr. Nishi: The feedback that stood out recently was when some residents had trouble sleeping at night due to their ailments or spending a lot of time in bed during the day. In some cases, because they could not sleep at night, some residents were offered sleeping medication.
By understanding their sleeping pattern during the day, we could provide care at an appropriate time to improve their sleep quality or have them visit the nearby day service instead of responding with medication. Using the data that Tellus offered to intervene, there was a case where the resident started sleeping better.
Have there been any changes in the work of the facility manager or the caregivers when using our services?
Mr. Nishi: It has to be the technology to understand the daily life cycle of the residents. In the past, if the staff wanted to know the resident's daily life cycle, they had to visit the room every hour and keep a record of it. With multiple staff caring for the same resident during different times of the day, obtaining consistent data becomes a challenge.
But with Tellus, the information is centralized and simple to comprehend, all the data we need is just at the tip of our fingers. When the information is easy for us to understand, it helps us to explain things to customers and family members. We are very happy to have this system in our facility.
*Content of the interview from November 2021