Technology
Taking advantage of technology to build a brighter future
John Ramsay, founder and managing director of Social- Ability, makes a passionate case for why the care sector needs to embrace technology as a matter of urgency
The population of the world is getting rapidly older as it grows. The World Health Organisation (WHO) expects that, by 2030, one in every six people will be aged 60 or over. The WHO also expects that population group to more than double in size from what it is today to about 2.1 billion people. It is important to say that this is a
wonderful thing. People tend to want to live longer. And although it is not the only factor at play, longer life expectancy is one of the major reasons that the world’s population is becoming older. But this trend does not come without its challenges – namely, the social responsibility to care for people who may no longer be able to work or care for themselves. The Health Foundation estimates that the British care sector will require an extra £18.4 bn to fulfil this responsibility in the next nine years. So, how can we find a sustainable solution that works for everybody?
A care sector in a vicious cost-cutting cycle The care sector’s response to this challenge has been, so far, as expected. To meet the rising costs of delivering care to more people, care providers have, as most businesses would, focussed on cutting costs in different areas to make more money available. They have reduced staffing to a minimum, reduced services delivered to necessities, and otherwise streamlined their operations as much as possible based on their existing models of operation. The problem with this approach is that there is a limit to how far one can cut costs before quality – and even quantity – of service falls below what one could consider
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a minimum standard. I have witnessed the consequences of this strategy myself when my own father was living in a care home, having developed dementia. The lack of stimulation in his environment only exacerbated his condition. Quality of care had been sacrificed for short-term gains. And these short-term gains are exactly that. Once a care provider starts cutting costs beyond a certain line, they initiate a vicious cycle that begins to undo the marginal gains they achieved in the first place. The people in their care deteriorate as the quality of service falls, which raises costs. This also increases staff stress, and reduces their fulfilment at work, since they feel unable to deliver the quality of service that they would like to provide. It is crucial, therefore, to continue delivering engaging experiences for the people in their care. The reality is that investing in care homes and new technology would not only benefit care residents, but also make good business sense. It would ensure care homes remain at capacity longer, allowing residents to live happier, healthier lives with the right level of care.
So, what does the future look like?
Technology: a means to break the cycle Up until now, the care sector has been slow to adopt new technologies into its operations. Compared to other sectors, it remains miles behind. Many organisations still use paper-based record-keeping systems and, if you go into most care homes, the most advanced piece of equipment is usually a radio standing on someone’s windowsill (it may not even be digital!) People talk about using robots to deliver care, but the sector is still waiting for functional video-conferencing software in some cases.
The major reason for this is that the
sector hangs on to an outdated perception of technology as an unnecessary supplement to operations. Instead of perceiving it as something that could transform the way they work – which is naturally daunting – care organisations all too often perceive it as something that will only increase their costs. While trying to keep costs down, it is no wonder then that the care sector has been slow to adopt new technologies. Doing so requires a somewhat radical shift in the way it thinks about technology. None of this is to say that technology
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com September 2024
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