08/12/2022
Technology Can Assist in Home Caregiving
At Livability Home Health, we realize how important it is for the senior adult population staying heathy, managing chronic disease, and allowing them to age in place more effectively. We are o offering virtual resources and digital health resources to our clients.
Technology can help lighten the burden for caregivers and homecare patients alike. By working together through digital tools that empower people to help manage their own care better, homecare and home health providers can better allocate their resources.
In addition to telehealth, people are tracking their health with gadgets such as wearables and monitors and remote patient monitoring services that provide instant feedback. Some of these options are even available free or at a reduced cost in select Medicare Advantage plans.
Personal alarms can help if there is a fall, allowing the user to use a pendant or bracelet to call for help. Sometimes with the support of a speaker in the home, the person can speak with emergency services or a loved one in order to receive assistance.
Smart devices can help make homes more aging friendly. While smart tech requires an initial investment, in the long run it can help save money on bills, reduce travel time and prevent worry for both the patient and their family. Below are a few tasks smart devices can help with.
• Fall prevention: Voice command or motion detecting devices can allow people to turn lights on and off without risking a fall in the dark.
• Set reminders: Voice assistants such as Google Nest and Amazon Echo can remind people to take their medicine on time and not forget important medical appointments.
• Monitor movement: Cameras and less invasive light detection and ranging sensors can monitor older adults when caregivers can’t be there. Sensors can send communications to caregivers about movement or its absence. There are even monitors for stoves and showers to ensure people are staying safe and taking care of themselves.
• Entrance safety: Smart doorbells can let residents see who is at the door without opening it. Smart locks can lock doors automatically when people leave, allow select people to come and enter a home without keys, and provide a simple solution to forgotten keys, especially when multiple people have codes.
Online communities provide a sense of purpose and passion. Communities offer a safe space for older adults to learn, share and create with peers and, in the case of GetSetUp, are available at no extra charge for many older adults through Medicare Advantage SilverSneakers plans.
Virtual learning can help those being cared for learn skills that can allow them to be more independent, like how to use Uber to get to doctors’ appointments or to make video calls to help make caregiving check-ins easier.
There are so many opportunities to use resources that appeal to the senior adult population and assist them in staying healthier, managing chronic disease, and allowing them to age in place more effectively.
