A growing elderly population combined with a shortage of home health aides will predictably pose quite a challenge for the future of senior care. Chronic illnesses are on the rise which will only exacerbate the problem further. In order to effectively care for our seniors, Direct Care Innovations agrees with many other healthcare agencies that alternative solutions, like digital healthcare technologies, will need to be considered. Not only can they bring costs down and improve the quality of care, but these solutions can also provide a sustainable business model that will offer holistic care for senior patients.

Challenges in Senior Care

There are several challenges in regard to providing beneficial and practical care that will meet the needs of our growing senior population:

• Physical limitations like arthritis and osteoarthritis can make it difficult for some individuals to live alone 24/7.
• Mental conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia usually require around-the-clock care.
• The current shortage of home health aides can significantly affect the quality of care our senior residents need.

With all these issues in mind, we truly need a business model that can create sustainability in the senior home healthcare field. Taking advantage of and increasing the use of digitization is one such sustainable solution.

Digital Solutions for Senior Care

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we became very familiar with medical telehealth services where we could meet with our healthcare providers for appointments that took place over the phone or via laptops or smartphones. Many healthcare clinics and mental health agencies still use this practical technology today. 

Other valuable digital solutions to optimize senior care include using smartphone apps, wearable devices, and voice assistants:

• Many smartphone apps can assist seniors in preventative healthcare by reminding them of their appointments, setting alarms to take their medications, and following a customized exercise regimen.
• Wearable devices with sensors can track and detect abnormalities in heart rates, breathing patterns, sleep patterns, and more. 
• Voice assistants like Alexa from Amazon Echo or Google Home can assist seniors with their daily hygiene routines, specific diet plans and instructions, and also medication and appointment reminders

Providing Digital Software for Home Health Care Management

Another helpful solution that many home healthcare agencies utilize is our business management software. We serve home and community-based service providers, Medicaid and Medicare agencies, managed care organizations, and government agencies with software that provides customized goal and task tracking, customized care plans, real-time authorization management, and many more features. Contact us today by calling (480) 295-3307 to request a sales demo. We gladly serve home healthcare organizations and agencies throughout all 50 U.S. states.

Source: Meola, Andrew. “Future Demand for Elderly Care Services Like Assisted Living & In-Home Care are Rife for Digital Disruption.” Web article. Insider Intelligence. 15 Apr. 2022. Web. 04 Nov. 2022.