HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN SUPPORT AGING IN PLACE

BY ALFRED POOR

Studies show that 73% of employees bear some responsibility for caring for an aging parent, family member, or loved one. These obligations can directly impact a worker’s productivity due to increased absenteeism and the stress of being a caregiver. Fortunately, technology can help ease these burdens by monitoring physical and cognitive impairments and providing solutions that can compensate for impairments that might otherwise threaten the senior’s health or safety.

As the world continues to grapple with various sustainability issues, we often focus on energy and environmental concerns. However, it is crucial to also pay attention to the needs of our elderly population, specifically the unsustainability of senior care. Currently, we rely heavily on unpaid caregivers to provide senior care, not just in the United States but worldwide. We must recognize and address the need for paid caregivers, the impact of unpaid caregiving on the workforce, and the potential of technology to relieve the burdens on caregivers in general.

In the U.S. alone, 53 million unpaid caregivers actively provide care for family members and loved ones. Only 10% take care of only children; the remainder are responsible—at least in part—for the care of seniors. These unpaid caregivers contribute an estimated $500 billion in annual value, with most of them being women. However, some people might be surprised to find out that 40% of unpaid caregivers are men, indicating that this issue matters to everyone and not just seniors, their family members, and caregivers.

The cost of unpaid caregiving also impacts employers, civic planners, and health care systems. One out of five employees is an unpaid caregiver, contributing an average of 20 hours per week. This means that they are working an additional half-time job without pay. Furthermore, it costs employers about $20,000 per year for each employee caregiver as a result of decreased attention, increased absenteeism, and loss of productivity.

Ignoring the needs of unpaid caregivers is not only a social issue but also an economic one. If we continue to ignore this problem, the stress on unpaid caregivers will manifest itself in other ways, resulting in increased costs for employers, government agencies, and health care systems. Some studies indicate that as many as 8% of caregivers quit their full-time jobs, which adds to an already difficult employee retention problem for companies. As a society, we all have the responsibility to help caregivers provide services for seniors.

About 90% to 95% of seniors prefer to live independently at home for as long as possible. It is familiar, comfortable, and financially more feasible than managed care settings, which can cost up to 10 times more than living at home. The problem is identifying impairments that might jeopardize a senior’s safety and ability to live independently. Often, seniors do not notice the changes in their conditions, and it can be difficult for family members and caregivers to objectively assess a gradual decline.

Physical impairments such as arthritis and cognitive impairments including dementia can make it difficult to perform daily tasks. These impairments can occur suddenly or gradually over time. Falls are quite common among seniors, and sudden cognitive decline impairments such as strokes can result in a crisis requiring rapid response.

With the high cost of 24/7 private care, few families can afford to pay someone to attend to seniors. Additionally, few caregivers can devote their full time to their care recipients. Technology can offer a solution to make caregiving more efficient and less time-consuming. Remote monitoring devices like PERS (personal emergency response systems) can alert caregivers, staffed call centers, or emergency services when seniors need help. However, these devices are not always reliable, as seniors often forget to wear them or refuse to use them.

New technologies using machine learning (ML) and other artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can provide a more efficient and effective approach to caregiving. AI can be used to monitor seniors and provide early detection of changes in their conditions. For example, AI-enabled systems can track seniors’ daily routines, including when they take medication and eat meals, alerting caregivers if there are any deviations. Additionally, ML can be used to detect patterns of behavior that suggest cognitive impairment or the onset of dementia. This technology can also track movement patterns and identify any risks of falls, which is particularly critical for seniors living alone.

While there is no single solution that fits every situation, we have many products and services available to help monitor and compensate for possible impairments among seniors who are aging in place. These can not only help the elderly live more safely and comfortably, but they can also help ease the burdens of caregivers and family which can reduce the chances of burnout.

We all bear responsibility for supporting these caregivers. Certainly, government and private agencies can help make products and services available, but that’s not enough. Employers need to recognize the caregiving responsibilities of their employees and provide access to information that can help them adopt technology to take over some of the load. Employers might even find it in their own financial interest to explore ways to underwrite the costs of such products and services.

Caring for the elderly is a problem that is not going away any time soon, and is likely to become an even greater challenge for our communities. Taking proactive action now will be far more effective than waiting until the crisis gets worse.

Alfred Poor Editor, Health Tech Insider Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Alfred Poor, Ph.D., is the founding editor of Health Tech Insider, a website and industry newsletter that covers wearable and mobile devices for health and medical applications. He is a technology speaker, writer, and analyst with an international reputation. Author of more than a dozen books, he has a broad perspective of where the global industry stands today and where it’s headed tomorrow. He meets with more than 100 C-level executives from health technology companies every year, giving him access and insights that few other experts can claim.