New technology
How technology is impacting the future of care homes
Silas Campbell at Blueleaf discusses how technology is impacting on and enhancing the way care homes are run; from smart home integration relieving stress and demand for staff to robots helping to fight loneliness in residents
The care sector is undergoing a period of change, but while there is a degree of uncertainty as to what the future holds, the opportunities are also exciting. However, there are current and future challenges that the sector needs to adapt and prepare for - for example, staff shortages, the ageing population and the negative image of a career in the care sector, which is exacerbating the ongoing skills shortage.
Currently, only some care homes take advantage of the technology already on offer, so there is still a huge way to go to achieve mass implementation. The whole sector needs to be aware of the opportunities available and to get on board with and implement these new technologies as they could be the key to solving future challenges. At present, 11.6 million people in the UK are aged 65 or over and this figure is set to rise by 2.4 million over the next 10 years. The number of people living with long term health conditions such as dementia, heart disease, arthritis and stroke has also risen, partly due to an improved healthcare system, but also due to an increase in life expectancy and poor life choices.
All of these factors are putting a strain on the care sector. Skills for Care reported that every year, 130,000 additional workers are required within the sector, but this figure is expected to rise to 650,000 by 2035 due to the ageing population.1
Of course,
technology is advancing at an incredible rate, with systems and processes becoming increasingly digitised and automated. If the care sector doesn’t
continue to adapt to these changes, it faces the risk of being left behind.
Existing technology
While care homes were once notoriously behind the times when it came to technology, the sector is slowly catching up. The role technology has in the sector has become increasingly prevalent over recent years, with many care homes using it and enabling both residents and staff to enjoy the associated benefits. Nevertheless, despite the many care homes that are welcoming new technology, there are just as many that
While care homes were once
notoriously behind the times when it came to technology, the sector is slowly catching up
March 2020 •
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
shy away from it. Shockingly, only one in five care homes have WiFi and even those that do often have dead spots and no reserved bandwidth for essential services.2
Care homes across the country need to stop being wary of introducing new technology and start implementing it so they can experience the associated benefits. For example, there are aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) that have been introduced into care homes across the UK, allowing residents to be monitored in order to predict the need for early intervention. This particular technology will help make the delivery of care 24/7 a possibility.
AI-based tools can track habitual behaviour, identify changes in real time and provide a platform for the end to end digitisation of healthcare. Co-ordinating the ecosystem of local authorities, healthcare providers, NHS trusts, GPs, registered nurses and care homes will also become more streamlined through the use of AI-based solutions. These innovations are transforming the way in which care is delivered and improving the quality and personal aspect of care, which in turn will help to alleviate
13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
