The Caring Corner®
The Caring Corner – Technology Is Coming to Home Health Care
High tech solutions are coming to the home healthcare landscape in fascinating ways. While there is still no solution to replace the need for a caregiver providing direct hands-on care for activities like bathing, feeding and providing precious companionship, technological solutions are slowly making their way into seniors’ homes. Some of these home health solutions are technology platforms that keep seniors and their caregivers connected. They make use of ambient sensors with voice-activated technology to help family members monitor the movements of their loved ones.
In the case of one product, a voice-based unit, which is Internet-enabled, is placed in mom’s home. Family members then download and install the app to stay connected with their loved one. Sensors track and measure what is considered mom’s normal activity. Over the course of time, it recognizes patterns and can let sons and daughters know when there is a change in routine behavior, when something unexpected – possibly a fall or accident – takes place.
Home Care Technology Is a Huge Market
Remote monitoring devices like these are seeing dramatic growth in many areas, including the home care markets of Chapel Hill and Durham; demand has heightened as a result of the coronavirus. Some estimates suggest that the market will exceed $30 billion by 2023.
Remote sensors not only detect when someone falls. Many also have the ability to connect mom and dad to a 24/7 call center, in case they need help. A significant advantage is that the only thing the senior has to learn is to use a voice-activated device. It’s as easy as asking Alexa for help. Products like these leverage the limited availability of family and friends. We are experiencing a dire shortage of caregivers and it is only expected to worsen as the population ages. A simple motion-based sensor with voice capabilities lets families keep tabs on mom’s status. At some point, however, the need for a live person will present itself and that’s when the services of a home care agency might be warranted. Nearly all elders want to stay in their home. In our experience, very few like the idea of moving to an assisted living facility. The distinct advantage of the sensor-based model is that there are no cameras; no one likes to feel as though they are being watched. Motion sensors are much less obtrusive and afford our loved one’s greater privacy.
Mobile Internet and Artificial Intelligence Join to Make Home Care Better, Safer
The trend for better, more helpful technology in the home care and home health industries follows the head start that took place in institutional health care facilities. Solutions that were common in clinics and hospitals have gradually made their way into the home setting. Many make use of mobile technology. With the ubiquity and power of 4G and 5G networks, devices are truly plug-and-play. Couple this with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and you have the ability to easily track mom’s movements, recognize patterns and identify when a common routine has been broken.
For loved ones with dementia, there are also tools that can tell when mom and dad are having a challenging time with tasks. The AI detects emotional changes taking place when a parent struggles with an activity. It can then offer prompts and guide them through the task. Another area of concern needing constant management are medications. Solutions that make use of bar code scanners can help verify that meds have been taken, the day of the week and time of day, and the quantity consumed. This improves the quality of care and leads to greater peace of mind for all.
Internet of Things Also Impacting Home Care
Broadly, the technology driving this is known as the Internet of Things, or IoT, for home health care. By Internet of Things, technologists refer to devices that are connected to the Internet and therefore, easily controlled by smart phones or computers. Connected items can be as mundane as clocks, refrigerators, stoves, scales, heart monitors and light switches. When you think about how such technology can revolutionize the needs of care for a loved one, the possibilities are endless.
With the Internet of Things, doctors can now monitor patients’ vital signs and other statistics remotely. Patient data can be tracked and measured reliably. Information can be shared automatically with medical professionals, family members and caregivers. The rapid and efficient sharing of this information helps reduce the care burden on family members and reduces overall costs of care by avoiding more expensive, care-intensive emergency situations through preemptive responses and treatments.
The world’s most developed countries are witnessing dramatic shifts in their demographic profile, with people aged 65 and above beginning to outnumber younger members of the population. We are living longer and the challenges of age-related disease such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, etc. exacerbate the challenges of caring for someone at home. Daily home care often is often the responsibility of nearby relatives; they manage grocery shopping, errands, house cleaning, as well as hands on care, all while wrestling with their commitments to families at home and full-time jobs. The opportunity for technology to solve these challenges is massive.
What’s Ahead for Home Care Technology?
The real elephant in the room is the issue of affordability for an aging population. Currently, home care is not part of Medicare insurance. It is provided for, to an extent, under many states’ Medicaid programs; however, Medicaid falls short for many. Some lawmakers have proposed that home care should be included under Medicare because it is more affordable in the long run to provide assistance to someone at home than pay for services in hospitals and nursing homes. As Medicare and Medicaid seek lower cost options for patient care, the intersection of technology in the home marketplace provides for a degree of consistency, measurability, and professional expertise that did not exist in the past. As with most aspects of our lives, technology is changing dramatically how we live. The potential benefits of home health and home care solutions are a welcome an exciting development.
If you are caring for a loved one in Chapel Hill, Durham or surrounding communities and need caregivers, please contact us for assistance.
