Meet Andrew Finch, HaloCare's Software Developer Team

We caught up with Andrew Finch, a valued member of HaloCare’s Software Development team, as he shares his journey to HaloCare, the vital role technology plays in the HaloCare solution, and why he’s proud to work alongside the dedicated Care Hub team.

Tell us a bit about your career journey so far and what led you to your current role in HaloCare?

It's a funny story about how I got the job, I saw this one job advert that I was really interested in for an innovative start-up based in Carlow. I went straight up to my desk to try and find out more information about the company, and when I logged onto LinkedIn, I had already received a message from the recruiter asking if I would be interested in applying for the role! It must have been meant to be!

I went through the interview process, and even had an interview with David Walsh, one of HaloCare’s Co-Founders, to make sure I was a good fit for the company and aligned with the culture. I knew I always wanted to work for a company that was making an impact but to be honest, I didn't even know this kind of role was out there! In my first interview with Declan [Chief Technology Officer at HaloCare] I realised what HaloCare was doing was truly innovative.

It’s a great company to be part of. We’ve really identified a gap in the market and it’s a special feeling to be part of the team.

What’s a typical day like for you as a developer at HaloCare?

It’s a small development team here at HaloCare so I tend to wear many hats which is a lot of fun. While every day is very different, they do follow a similar pattern.

At the beginning of the day, I come in and look at the Pull Request reviews (a quality control step to help ensure code is correct and doesn’t introduce bugs or security risks) and see what code changes have been done by the other developers. I then check over to see if my reviews have been approved.

We have our stand-up each morning where we go over the goals for the day, and I begin working on the feature I’m implementing that day.

The Care Hub are the main users of our software really and they have a direct line to our clients, which is great for quick feedback and collaboration, as we are always looking at new features and how we can continuously improve the solution.

A big part of what we do is maintaining what we’ve already done. That’s a huge part of software development, making sure that whenever you add a new feature, you’re always checking it and making sure it reliable, and the system is stable to guarantee that seamless experience for the clients and their Circle of Care.

Can you share an example of a feature or product you helped build that makes a difference in your client’s day-to-day life?

AI is an important focus for us, and we’ve been intentional about how we use it. Rather than applying it across the board, we’ve taken a strategic approach, using it where it can genuinely make an impact.

For example, in the event of an emergency, such as a storm, and we need to batch notify people as quickly as possible, we have an AI software we can use to reach out and get the message out efficiently and effectively. In everything we do, we always keep the human touch in the AI loop. Being able to get urgent messages out quickly, means a member of the HaloCare team can do the follow-ups and will have more time to dedicate to the individual clients who might be especially worried or need additional support.

“For me, the star of the show really is the Care Hub team. It feels great to be a part of the software development but when you see the impact and relationships the Care Hub team have with the client, you remember what we are facilitating and why we do what we do.”

We also use our innovation proprietary technology; Aura, to support with the analysis of our daily data. Data is logged in our clients ‘day view’ which is a breakdown of our client’s routine throughout the day. For example, we will know if a client typically gets up at 10AM and goes out to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. We can detect inconsistencies or anomalies in the clients ‘day view’ and then this will send a preliminary alert to a Care specialist to check in with the client to make sure everything is okay. It allows HaloCare to deliver a truly preventative solution for older people at home.

Most importantly, it ensures the client is safe and enables us to be proactive.

How do you ensure the software is accessible and user-friendly for a range of users, including older adults?

When we're designing and implementing new features, we always follow best practices and the standards for web, but also for additional elements which are particular to our cohort of older clients or those with a disability, such as screen readers, which some of our clients rely on using.

"We don’t want to overcomplicate the apps for no reason. Our goal when we're developing and designing is always to keep it as simple as possible".

We always aim to keep the technical side of HaloCare away from the residents in a direct way. We don’t want it to become a barrier to care, in fact, the technology should be an enabler of care.

We want to create a seamless experience between the carers and the clients and ensure they are able to get the best from the technology without it having their daily routines disrupted.

The beauty of having a small team is that we can get feedback very quickly and resolve issues right away. For example, if I speak with Paddy [HaloCare Technical Services Manager], he will regularly speak directly with the client and the Circle of Care and if there’s an idea or bug, he can come directly to me, and I can fix the problem as a priority.

Is there a particular moment or story that made you feel proud to work here?

Honestly, it’s hard to name one moment because every day working here there’s so many moments to be proud of!

I typically work more in the background, but when the Care Hub come to us with a story about how they were able to help a client, who otherwise wouldn’t have gotten help, and prevented a potentially bad situation such as a fall or medical emergency from happening, it’s nice to feel like you’ve had a role in supporting that.

"It becomes the norm, but sometimes I need to remind myself how incredible it is that what we do in HaloCare has an impact, every single day, on our clients' lives".

From my own perspective, I have a Smart Watch that has built in crash detection if I was ever to be in an accident and it gives me some peace of mind when I’m out that there’s something working in the background to help keep me safe. I can only imagine for clients, especially for those who are living alone, how much peace of mind HaloCare helps bring them. Especially with our fall detection and safety solutions. I’m very proud to work here at HaloCare.

HaloCare’s commitment to innovative health technology is evident in the experiences of Andrew and the wider HaloCare team.

By continuously evolving and integrating new technologies, HaloCare is shaping the future of proactive healthcare, making a tangible difference in the lives of clients and their families.