Restrictions to most senior living community residents’ daily lives have really changed a lot throughout the course of the pandemic. For residents, the future of senior care is bright.
In this blog post, Sympaticare, a senior management company, explains what the future of senior care looks like. For many senior care facilities across New York state, the integration of technology into senior communities will take senior care to the next level.
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| From resident experience to increasing quality of care, technology is sure to change the future of senior care. |
I know what you’re thinking - technology and older generations don’t mesh. But hold on - they do. Pretty impeccably, actually. And the future of technology and senior care is, well, bright.
From medication management, to reminding seniors which medications to take and when to take them, to being particularly useful for seniors in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's, technology has really re-shaped senior care as we know it, for the better.
According to the Senior Living Innovation Forum, future plans for residents include a ‘wearable’, or a smart band worn on the wrist, with the idea that it will be similar to a Fitbit or Garmin, but with more ‘bells and whistles’. The idea is that it will be able to tell you how long a resident has been sitting for and inactive, as well as how long a resident interacts with nursing home staff and other residents or visitors in general.
Advances in technology also equate to more data kept and tracked on nursing home residents, with the intent being to collect more information, analyze patterns and determine best care plans to take to best improve quality of life for residents.
Technology and Medical Procedures
Not only will technology increase the daily quality of life for residents, but it will also increase the number of outpatient surgeries vs. in-hospital stays.
Many experts predict that a skilled rehabilitation facility stay will be much more cost-effective and a proper alternative to an inpatient rehabilitation stay. The future of assisted living is planned to combine senior housing support services with clinical ancillary services in effort to provide the highest quality customer care experience while minimizing healthcare maintenance costs.
Technology is Advancing Senior Care, but It Won’t Replace Hands-on Care
Keep in mind that as great as technology is and has been for aging seniors, it won’t replace the hands-on care element, as some experts from the Senior Living Innovation Forum say.
The intent is that technology will bring about a brighter future for senior care by becoming part of the collaboration between the two; not definitively one or the other.
Smart bands worn on wrists can remind seniors to take their medication, but they’ll never replace the warmth of a smile, a touch of the hand, and a ‘good morning’ from a skilled nursing staff member or caretaker.
But, as always, brighter days are ahead, and Sympaticare is here to help through all the technological advances in senior care. Because our seniors deserve the best - and we’re here to ensure they receive it.
Contact Sympaticare
At Sympaticare, we care for those who care for others. Our senior care management and consulting agency is deeply committed to our elderly community and the professionals who care for them.
Ready to get started? We can’t wait to hear from you! Contact us today.