Pilot Project Begins at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton

By Published On: 14/05/2026
The Pilot Team from Whiddon, Jasda Care and Balance Metrix

The teams involved in a 3-month pilot at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton, NSW kicked off a balance testing and training project on Thursday 7 May 2026 and introduced participating residents to the Therapeutic Balance Mat.

Dr Jennie Hewitt, Whiddon’s General Manager, Clinical Research and Reablement, wanted a technology that could not only assess residents’ balance – because there are already techniques and technologies that can do that – but one that could be used as a therapy tool too as an addition to her SUNBEAM physiotherapy program.

She is pictured above (second from left) with (l t r): Ian Bergman, Co-Owner Balance Metrix Pty Ltd; Emmalita Abrenica, Field Manager / Physiotherapist, Jasda Care; Lisa Stedman, Physical Therapy Assistant, Whiddon; and Balance Metrix staff members Candice Bevan AEP, Margaret Metz, Co-Owner / Business Manager and Raelee Pietrzak, Assistant Manager.

New Therapeutic Balance Mat

“This is the first time our new Therapeutic Balance Mat will be used at a residential aged care home in a formally constituted pilot project,” Balance Metrix Pty Ltd Director Ian Bergman said.

“Under Dr Jennie Hewitt’s leadership our Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Candice Bevan, Balance Mat Pty Ltd IT Intern Bipin Shrestha and I will attend the home once a week for 12 weeks. We will be working with a Jasda Care Physiotherapist and Whiddon trained Therapy Assistant to collaboratively test, record and train residents’ balance in the Exercise4Life Gymnasium.”

“In a fun approach to data deidentification, the aged care residents who’ve signed up have chosen their own code names: The Spider, Mary-Jane, Summer, Slippery, Trouble, Lightning, Daya, Doris, Sausage, Isis and Spicy. This bodes well for our technology, because it shows that people are already engaged.”

The project will involve biofeedback on the Balance Mat during supervised static balance exercises.

E4L Gymnasium sign at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton NSW

Dr Jennie Hewitt with Team Balance Members Candice Bevan AEP and Ian Bergman inside the Exercise4Life Gymnasium at Whiddon Aged Care Home at Laurieton on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Ian and Candice will both attend for one morning per week.

Dr Jennie Hewitt stands on the Balance Mat displaying graph of resident results
Dr Jennie Hewitt with Candice Bevan AEP from Balance Metrix at Whiddon Laurieton
Dr Jennie Hewitt with Ian Bergman from Balance Metrix

Individualised balance exercise

The intervention will comprise individualised balance exercise based on postural sway assessment at baseline and throughout the project to address each participant’s balance priority.

Balance priorities will be determined by the team, drawing on Balance Mat results in the normal and semi-tandem (right-foot-forward, left-foot-forward) stances plus routinely collected Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) balance testing data.

At the conclusion of the pilot, staff and residents will be asked for feedback on the Therapeutic Balance Mat for assessment and intervention.

Any changes in postural sway scores before and after the intervention will be assessed via the Therapeutic Balance Mat and the SPPB balance tests.

Finally, the clinical applicability of the postural sway measurement scores will be assessed by comparison with falls incidents for participating residents, mapped to their identified risk.

A word from Candice Bevan AEP

Candice is thrilled to be working with Jennie, saying: “I’d read about the 55% fall reduction Dr Jennie Hewitt achieved during her PhD when she “invented” the Sunbeam protocol that’s widely used in residential aged care. To meet and have the opportunity to work with her now using the Therapeutic Balance Mat has blown my mind!”

READ ALL MY BLOG POSTS:

Pilot Project Begins at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton

By Published On: 14/05/2026Comments Off on Pilot Project Begins at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton
The Pilot Team from Whiddon, Jasda Care and Balance Metrix

The teams involved in a 3-month pilot at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton, NSW kicked off a balance testing and training project on Thursday 7 May 2026 and introduced participating residents to the Therapeutic Balance Mat.

Dr Jennie Hewitt, Whiddon’s General Manager, Clinical Research and Reablement, wanted a technology that could not only assess residents’ balance – because there are already techniques and technologies that can do that – but one that could be used as a therapy tool too as an addition to her SUNBEAM physiotherapy program.

She is pictured above (second from left) with (l t r): Ian Bergman, Co-Owner Balance Metrix Pty Ltd; Emmalita Abrenica, Field Manager / Physiotherapist, Jasda Care; Lisa Stedman, Physical Therapy Assistant, Whiddon; and Balance Metrix staff members Candice Bevan AEP, Margaret Metz, Co-Owner / Business Manager and Raelee Pietrzak, Assistant Manager.

New Therapeutic Balance Mat

“This is the first time our new Therapeutic Balance Mat will be used at a residential aged care home in a formally constituted pilot project,” Balance Metrix Pty Ltd Director Ian Bergman said.

“Under Dr Jennie Hewitt’s leadership our Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Candice Bevan, Balance Mat Pty Ltd IT Intern Bipin Shrestha and I will attend the home once a week for 12 weeks. We will be working with a Jasda Care Physiotherapist and Whiddon trained Therapy Assistant to collaboratively test, record and train residents’ balance in the Exercise4Life Gymnasium.”

“In a fun approach to data deidentification, the aged care residents who’ve signed up have chosen their own code names: The Spider, Mary-Jane, Summer, Slippery, Trouble, Lightning, Daya, Doris, Sausage, Isis and Spicy. This bodes well for our technology, because it shows that people are already engaged.”

The project will involve biofeedback on the Balance Mat during supervised static balance exercises.

E4L Gymnasium sign at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton NSW

Dr Jennie Hewitt with Team Balance Members Candice Bevan AEP and Ian Bergman inside the Exercise4Life Gymnasium at Whiddon Aged Care Home at Laurieton on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Ian and Candice will both attend for one morning per week.

Dr Jennie Hewitt stands on the Balance Mat displaying graph of resident results
Dr Jennie Hewitt with Candice Bevan AEP from Balance Metrix at Whiddon Laurieton
Dr Jennie Hewitt with Ian Bergman from Balance Metrix

Individualised balance exercise

The intervention will comprise individualised balance exercise based on postural sway assessment at baseline and throughout the project to address each participant’s balance priority.

Balance priorities will be determined by the team, drawing on Balance Mat results in the normal and semi-tandem (right-foot-forward, left-foot-forward) stances plus routinely collected Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) balance testing data.

At the conclusion of the pilot, staff and residents will be asked for feedback on the Therapeutic Balance Mat for assessment and intervention.

Any changes in postural sway scores before and after the intervention will be assessed via the Therapeutic Balance Mat and the SPPB balance tests.

Finally, the clinical applicability of the postural sway measurement scores will be assessed by comparison with falls incidents for participating residents, mapped to their identified risk.

A word from Candice Bevan AEP

Candice is thrilled to be working with Jennie, saying: “I’d read about the 55% fall reduction Dr Jennie Hewitt achieved during her PhD when she “invented” the Sunbeam protocol that’s widely used in residential aged care. To meet and have the opportunity to work with her now using the Therapeutic Balance Mat has blown my mind!”

READ ALL MY BLOG POSTS:

  • The Pilot Team from Whiddon, Jasda Care and Balance Metrix

Pilot Project Begins at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton

14/05/2026|Comments Off on Pilot Project Begins at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton

The teams involved in a 3-month pilot at Whiddon Aged Care, Laurieton, NSW kicked off a balance testing and training project on Thursday 7 May 2026 and introduced participating residents to the Therapeutic Balance ...

  • Saili Deodhar & Nitish Mathew get ready to launch the Better Balance Initiative

Better Balance Initiative launched at Highland Physios, Goulburn

21/02/2026|Comments Off on Better Balance Initiative launched at Highland Physios, Goulburn

Physiotherapists Saili Deodhar and Nitish Mathew are now incorporating postural sway testing on the Balance Mat into the Better Balance Initiative (BBI) program at Goulburn. Balance Metrix Pty Ltd partnered with Saili and Nitish ...

  • Better Balance Initiative at Bolton Clarke The Terraces with Charlie Gordon

Better Balance Initiative tackles resident falls risk at Bolton Clarke The Terraces

08/12/2025|Comments Off on Better Balance Initiative tackles resident falls risk at Bolton Clarke The Terraces

A tailored balance and falls prevention initiative led by exercise physiologist Charlie Gordon has helped residents at Bolton Clarke’s The Terraces, Varsity Lakes build confidence and independence. The Better Balance Initiative by Balance ...