Dan Roberge:
But it's good to talk to you Nicholas. So we've known each other for a while in a previous work that you had. And so take me through with what's been going on with you.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
A lot has happened in the recent times. So I went from working for Extendicare as a leadership role as a regional director. Overseeing 9 homes into 8. Got the homes through Covid and rolled out a lot of projects like Maintenance Care. We rolled this out Nationally.
Dan Roberge:
Yes. Amongst all the homes. And it was a big job. It was to convince everybody to start using technology for their maintenance wasn't easy.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
Not easy. And its change. And its with demographic that is not technologically advanced yet. It was a very big learning curve. But after some time, when they saw the difference and how easy it is, they start adopting it faster. But honestly as you know we have only scratched the surface what Maintenance Care can do. I think probably 25-30% tops. But there was alot of other things I didn't get to roll out yet, because at that time the ship was Covid and we got caught up with that. By the time I wanted to get back into it, things are changing. I moved on from Extendicare and went to Primacare Living Solutions. I was not actually looking to move, it was just an opportunity came by I couldn't refuse. The owner is fantastic. I've worked in different sectors already, like i did not for. profit for a bit, actually a decade. I did public, now I'm going to private. The only one I didn't do is municipal. I don't know if I will. Ya, its been exciting.
Dan Roberge:
What's your role right now?
Niklas Chandrabalan:
I'm the VP of operations. Its a little bit of everything. I'm trying to redesign health care with technology. I want to leverage technology and see if we can make people's lives easier, better, faster, more efficient and of course I want to make sure quality of care improves with all this. So we're doing a lot of tests with different technologies right now. I introduced Maintenance Care to Primacare living right now, because I know there is big value in it. Except we will speed up the process of using it, with the full functionality vs what I did before. But at the same time, there's other technologies that there are some very symbiotic technologies we can create by integrating them. By leveraging different platforms to talk to each other to get more realtime information. So we can start either preventive maintenance to more holistic approach in the home. That's what I am gearing up for right now, I have an amazing team, a core team that is very teach savvy. So they are really liking what we are doing. I am introducing robotics.
Dan Roberge:
What? Ok tell me about this.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
So we are introducing robots in social engagement right now. And we are also testing robots for environmental services. For example for delivering and things like that, in dietary. There are opportunities for us to test things for environmental cleaning and things like that.
Dan Roberge:
What do they robots look like? Like R2D2?
Niklas Chandrabalan:
If you watch the Jetsons, it think its Suzy?
Dan Roberge:
Alice?
Niklas Chandrabalan:
Suzy? It looks like her. Right? Probably not as pretty maybe? It is pretty sleek, we are just in the test phase to introduce it into the home. Interesting journey right now with the resident and family are adopting it easily, but staff on the other hand are more worried about it. I think we need to debug or... We need to change the way we think about technology. We can't think technology is here to take my job away. Whether you like it or not technology is here, and its going to evolve and no matter what its going to change people's jobs, no matter how you look at it. Its how you change with that, and what is your purpose with technology? I'm hoping with this, I'm hoping maintenance care can go on them too. You and I have to haver a date to talk about how we can leverage that.
Dan Roberge:
I'd love that.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
And really looking at expanding that model. But not only for Maintenance Care but also other platforms we are using. We also partnered with another firm that does audits for different things, those robots can do audits. We have robotic sensors we are interested in, but not really for yet, which can integrate into Maintenance care. So we can get realtime information LIVE.
Dan Roberge:
That's the. This is the first time I've heard about this in this industry. This is here at the booth? There's one of their booths here?
Niklas Chandrabalan:
There are here, Global DWS. They are the ones that have to robotics that we are dealing with. I'm sure there are other ones out there, but they are the ones in longterm care. I think they are at the infancy in terms of their technology here. But is there technology more advanced out there, yes. Because I think Asia is way ahead of us. Their technology, how they use it, its already there. I just think, the fact they are studying this technology here is great. I think the goal should be to build this equipment here, and program it, then deploy them. I think the climate is changing and the more we become more independent... I was chatting with someone lately, Canada was leading the way with technology decades ago, Arrow perfect example.
Dan Roberge:
Yeah.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
We kiboshed it. I don't see anybody talking about it. But the talent is in Canada. You are a Canadian who started this company right? I'm just thinking, we need to bring people back here and evolve this year, becoming the leaders then support other countries. I think if we can do a small piece in the longterm care sector, and the stuff we are developing, even my team, developing AI integration into some of these things.
Dan Roberge:
Wow!
Niklas Chandrabalan:
We want to help other organizations do that, and we will become a better player in the system. And I'm hoping later people will look at it down the road, and say look what these guys have done.
Dan Roberge:
Yeah!
Niklas Chandrabalan:
Being part of a smaller organization I can pivot faster, and move on things faster. Not that I couldn't do that before, Extendicare is an amazing organization but it is a giant. I consider Extendicare like the titanic, you can't move it with a paddle.
Dan Roberge:
Right.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
So its a different type of approach. But here, I'm sitting in a rowboat, I can pivot.
Dan Roberge:
That's amazing. I always knew you were forward thinker, but this is really exciting stuff. It's surprising me and I. You know, I don't get surprised often. I knew that they had robots for, you know, in hotels to deliver your food like they, they've been doing that like in certain hotels. But, yeah, level of care can increase and you can have more people, more touches and more care by having these robotics. That's amazing.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
More time for care right? How do you create more face to face personal human interactions? Longterm care next to the Nuclear industry the most complicated industry. Because we have policies for polices and inspections for inspections, and its rigorous. And you're dealing with people, so its rightfully so. I just think we can use technology a lot better then what we are doing, and we are kind of slow when it comes to that.
Dan Roberge:
Yes. It's been it's been a slow process. But I mean this is exciting stuff. So I look forward to seeing what happens. I definitely want to participate too. So let's talk about that together.
Niklas Chandrabalan:
Sounds good Dan.
Dan Roberge:
Thank you Nicholas, it's been great talking to you.
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