Hybrid Care and the Future of Technology in Home Care

We want our loved ones to stay in their homes as long as possible, and with the added layers of both passive and active technologies in the home, families can be sure that they are doing everything they can from afar. When you need to have a compassionate professional caregiver step in, call Visiting Angels Cincinnati West at (513) 598-6770 to find out more about how the human touch can make a difference in the life of your loved one.

With the emergence of the pandemic, stay-at-home orders and cancellations of non-essential appointments turned into virtual visits by phone or video where possible, and the role of hybrid care came to the forefront. As noted in this article in the National Library of Medicine, Innovations in Technology, there are many ways that technology is critical to home care. “Future advances in home health care technologies have the potential not only to facilitate the role of home health care within the overall health system but also to foster community-based independence for individuals,” the author states.

Whether it is something as small as a smartwatch that gathers information for a doctor’s visit or a face-to-face meeting with your doctor on a tablet, embracing technology in home care now can help keep your loved ones safe as well as save money and emotional health.

The Importance of Wi-Fi

While your elderly loved one may not use Wi-Fi on a daily basis, it is important that the home has the capability to connect. Many devices will need to use a router in the home, including simple voice response devices like Amazon’s Echo or Google’s Nest pods. Having working Wi-Fi in the home can be the first step in providing care with technology to keep your loved one safely in their homes for a longer period of time.

Active Versus Passive Technologies

One distinction that can be made among types of technologies is whether they are active or passive. Someone must operate an active technology, like a tablet or a smartphone with apps, or a passive technology, like cameras or sensors. Active and passive technology can also be distinguished according to whether the user needs training. Passive technologies are embedded in the residential infrastructure and allow your loved one to be monitored without requiring someone on-site to operate them.

Physiological Monitoring

Active home telemonitoring devices can capture vital signs, weight, or symptoms and report them to a family member, remote provider, or a home health agency. Passive telemonitoring technologies include bed sensors that capture restlessness, sleep interruptions, or pulse and respiration during sleep. These sensors can catch patterns and address physical issues before they become too advanced.

Monitoring and Detection of Emergencies

Active technologies include devices that can detect falls and that people can wear. They also include personal emergency response systems that an independent older person can wear and that allow them to quickly press a button to summon help if they fall. Passive systems may be embedded in the carpet and can detect falls or near falls.

Safety

For the safety of elderly clients, alarm systems can actively detect fires or floods; and whole-home alarm systems can give peace of mind to family members away from the home. Passive systems can also be added, using motion and heat sensors, for example, to distinguish between heat that occurs during meal preparation and heat that builds up when a person turns on the stove and forgets about it.

Security

For remote monitoring, camera systems allow the spaces and visitors to be seen and recorded if necessary. There are also new assistive systems that use sensors to capture the level of activity and whether unusual patterns of activity are occurring.

Social Interactions

Social interactions with isolated elderly loved ones can be improved through the active use of social networks, and face-to-face video connections are helpful in combating loneliness. Family members can install passive sensor-based systems to track the number of visitors, the amount of time spent inside and outside the home, and the sedentary behavior of their loved ones.

Cognitive and Sensory Activity

Active technologies from watches to tablets to “Alexa” can generate alerts and reminders, aid with the location of lost objects, or dispense medications for elderly people living alone in their homes. Passive automated features can operate in the background and trigger warnings, alerts, and reminders or turn on lights.

Home care in the future necessitates embracing technology today. Visiting Angels Cincinnati West is here to provide professional caregivers to bring a smile to your loved one’s face while passive and active technologies protect them 24/7. Contact us at (513) 598-6770 to set up a consultation for your family.