With aged care facilities especially vulnerable during lockdown and in the current COVID environment, shipping container specialists Royal Wolf have developed a creative solution to make visiting elderly family members possible and safe.
Royal Wolf’s “visitor pods” are made from a modified 20-foot container divided into two rooms – one for visitors and another for the resident – with a conference call phone to communicate.
The visitor pod is fully customised and comes complete with windows, air conditioning, and a lounge-like environment to make the tailored container solution homely and inviting.
Paul Creighton, Executive General Manager New Zealand, says lockdown impacts those in aged care hugely because they are unable to see friends and family face to face.
“We have a focus on creating container solutions that can help make a difference in people’s lives and the visitor pods are a simple but effective example of how containers can do that.
“The feeling of being isolated from family and friends is one of the most difficult parts of lockdown for elderly people in rest homes but these pods are a very practical way of helping bring people together.”
The idea was conceived in Australia through a collaboration with Victorian builder Mark West and the Multicultural Aged Care Services in Geelong.
West approached Royal Wolf Branch Manager Justin Van Loon with the idea of transforming a shipping container into a “visitor pod” where families and their loved ones in aged care facilities could come together.
Within two weeks, Justin and the Royal Wolf team had planned the project, modified the container and delivered it to site.
The product – one of many examples of Royal Wolf’s rapid response solutions to COVID-19 – was so successful it is now available in New Zealand.
Once the COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed in the coming months, the pods can be used for vaccinations – as well as providing a safe space for visitors when other medical restrictions apply.
Learn more about our Emergency Solutions and how we can help your business here: https://www.royalwolf.co.nz/disaster-and-emergency-response
