Have you ever wondered how technology impacts in senior care take in effect? If you are someone who has a senior loved one, perhaps, you will agree that it may be a struggle to utilize the digital system in home care. Indeed, technology has a great impact not just in the life of an elderly person but in all aspects of people’s lives.
Since technology or IT is basically for everyone, it is no longer a surprising development. In fact, it is a fact that all types of advances have positive impacts on the lives of people, including seniors. Specifically, older adults residing in assisted-living environments are benefiting from IT. Certainly, assisted living residences are already developed to make the residents’ lives easy. However, life is even simpler since technological advances are improving senior living facilities.
Important Facts About Senior Living
According to the Census Bureau, “Seniors make up more than 13 percent of the population of the United States.” For centuries now, seniors have gone through a regular routine of senior care involving a doctor who diagnoses and maintains their medical needs. The same care also involves a caregiver looking after their everyday needs. As such, a senior may need assistance because of several issues like:
- Memory loss because of aging or related diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
- Lack of mobility
- Depression or loneliness
- Loss of hearing or vision
Impacts of Technology in Senior Care
If the elderly patient belongs to the baby boomers, consider him fortunate. Indeed, he is aging at the perfect time. Definitely, the perfect time when technology has never been better for such a service like senior care. Incidentally, for the past decade and a half, senior care has greatly improved. These were 15 years of ongoing and growing evolution of mobile devices like GPS and smartphones.
Consequently, senior citizens can already receive care without the presence of a human caregiver all the time. Now, it’s time for you to discover how technology is helping in the effective delivery of care in seniors. There are actually so many ways but below are the 3 best and effective ways:
Internet for All (Including Medical Things)
The Internet for all is undoubtedly a simple idea. It is a concept involving a network of devices that you can turn on and off using an Internet connection, allowing for data sharing. This is applicable too, in the area of medicine. Certainly, medicine has started utilizing this type of sharing of information to make it easier for seniors to live the quality of life he/she deserves.
Undoubtedly, through technology, scheduling of medications for illnesses like high blood pressure and irregular heart rate, to name a couple. Additionally, this advancement also helps in the monitoring of the senior’s vital signs, not to mention assistance with his general health care.
GPS for Easy Access and Exact Location
Global Positioning System (GPS) is not a new technology. In fact, it has been existing for decades already. However, in the last decade, there have been improvements on the system’s two features–a more accurate location and a more detailed conveyance of the satellite.
You’re probably wondering how the GPS contributes to senior care. Fundamentally, this device can help in locating an older adult who may get lost. Seniors with memory problems usually have that habit of wandering. As a result, this may mean getting disoriented even in a place he knows too well. The advances in technology through GPS helps address the problem.
Cameras for the Senior’s Safety
The National Council of Aging recently came out with a report. The agency has it that about 1 in every 10 adults aged more than 60 years old experience any form of abuse. The abuse may be in physical, sexual, neglect or emotional form. Cameras can help address these abuses. They allow the senior’s family members or caregivers to ensure they receive the proper treatment at any time of the day.
Many times, a camera captures hired nurses and caregivers taking advantage of seniors. This device also helps health professionals monitor the movements of older adults with mental and health conditions. Relatively, with this gadget, you can keep track of your elderly loved one’s activities even without the presence of the care provider.
Does your senior loved one hate the camera’s advancement? Don’t worry because there are other innovative alternatives like sensors. If you install these tiny pieces of wireless technology, you can still monitor how active your senior loved one is. Once the sensors have picked up on the unusual activities of your loved one, you will receive a notification through email, phone call or text message.
With or Without Technology, You Need a Caregiver
Now, you’ve discovered the three great impacts of technology in senior care. These then, make you realize all the more, the importance of hiring a caregiver. But what if you don’t know where to get the perfect fit for the senior’s home care needs? You don’t need to take him to a nursing home. Worry no more because we at Innovative Homecare Solutions, Inc. can help you.
With our home care agency, you don’t need to take your parents or grandparent to another assisted living facility. We are assisted living and live-in Care Specialists. More so and we pride ourselves on being friendly, competent, and dedicated to improving our clients’ lives. We offer Live-In Care or Come & Go Care, which we also call the hourly care. Call us anytime at (630) 225-0100. To know more about the services we offer, visit www.innovativehomecare.com.
