Across the healthcare industry, there are problems with shortages of staff. This is being caused mostly because there just aren’t enough younger people to provide care compared to the number of older people who require care.
When there aren’t enough care staff, levels of care are affected, and some facilities can struggle to meet their residents’ needs. Technology companies are quickly stepping in to provide solutions that allow facilities to provide top-quality care, even when staff numbers are low.
Maintaining Connection
Maintaining connection is one of the most important contributors to the well-being of people living in senior communities. When a person feels connected with the people around them, it helps them to feel valued and engaged with their life.
Staying connected is a difficult undertaking, however. Decreased mobility and not being able to take part in as many social activities can mean that older people are often left feeling alone and isolated. This issue is exacerbated if they are living in a care facility where there is a shortage of staff because there is nobody available to facilitate visits or take them to visit people.
Technology is a huge help in these situations because things like video calling and access to social media help someone who might be physically isolated to feel socially connected with their family, friends, and community.
Prediction of Adverse Events
Perhaps one of the most innovative uses of technology in elder care is the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to predict behavior and anticipate events.
One of the independent living solutions that care providers can get from Sentrics is a system that uses AI to collect and analyze the data from hundreds of data points. Using this information, the system can predict resident behavior and predict possible conflicts and hazards.
This not only keeps residents safe, but it eases the mental and physical load on staff who, without this system, could be confronted with a hazardous situation with no warning. Having advanced warning means that these situations can be mitigated, and the working environment becomes less stressful. This means that the environment is safer, and residents and staff are happier, which means staff are less likely to leave.
Enabling Independence
Technology can also be used to keep a virtual eye on residents, which means that they have a greater independence level. By using technology in this way, residents don’t have to be kept in one place in order to be near staff members.
This means that they can lead much more fulfilling lives because they are free to continue engaging in the activities they wish to engage in without restriction. It also means that staff members are freer to focus on other aspects of their work.
The promotion of independence in older people is important for maintaining physical and mental health and also for boosting self-esteem and improving the overall quality of life. Even just facilitating one small act of independence can boost confidence so that a person feels able to attempt to do other things independently, too. This then helps to give more meaning and purpose to their lives.
