The Benefits of Age-Tech Monitoring Technologies in Aged Care
This article was published on the website of ARIIA (Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia – the Australian Government body for advancing innovation in aged care): original version
New technologies are now being integrated into aged care. These systems are becoming part of the Age-Tech world and offer many everyday benefits for older people, carers and families.
New technologies provide real-time monitoring of vital signs, activity levels and behavioural or environmental conditions, allowing carers and family members to respond quickly to emergencies such as falls, health crises or accidents. These remote care systems are now considered essential for improving older people's safety and reassuring carers and families.
Today, risks in the home can be assessed with a variety of sensors and an AI algorithm. Families who live far from their older relatives, and older people who prefer to age in their own homes rather than move into retirement living or move closer to family – away from their familiar surroundings – benefit especially from remote sensing technologies.
Many monitoring technologies include features that support communication between older people, carers, healthcare providers and even families. This enables collaboration, care coordination and the fast transfer of important information.
With monitoring technologies, older people can maintain greater independence and stay healthy for longer, while still receiving support and assistance as needed and as their abilities change.
As children, nieces, nephews and siblings, we all want our older loved ones to age well and be happy. Changes in health are a natural part of ageing. Continuous monitoring makes it possible to detect health problems or behavioural changes early, intervene and treat them in time, and improve health outcomes and well-being.
In addition, these systems collect valuable data that makes it possible to build care plans tailored to each person. A personal plan ensures that everyone receives the right care and support, optimising their health and quality of life. The data also provides insights into health trends and patterns over time and can guide data-driven decisions about care, lifestyle changes and treatment plans.
Economically, automated monitoring systems streamline care tasks, save effort for carers, older people and families, and free up time for everyone. Above all, they allow carers to focus on quality care and meaningful time with clients and residents. By preventing emergencies and hospitalizations, they can also reduce healthcare costs for people and their families. Even if setting them up seems expensive at first, it may bring long-term savings – for the individual and for the healthcare system.
All in all, new monitoring technologies allow older people to age at home safely and comfortably, while providing valuable support for carers and peace of mind for families.
* The opinions expressed in ARIIA blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARIIA, Flinders University and/or the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.