Technology is rapidly transforming every industry, and senior care is no exception. As we age, we deserve more effective, efficient, and compassionate care solutions. This blog explores the latest tech innovations for senior living. We’ll explore how the newest tech helps us live healthier, independent lives, from wearable gadgets to healthcare IT trends. We’ll also examine how new technology addresses caregivers’ critical challenges and how retirement communities can implement effective solutions.
What is driving the latest innovations in technology for senior living?
Innovation, for innovation’s sake, does not produce practical solutions. Sometimes, the “new and upcoming technology” that dominates the news is just flashy, impractical tech. This new technology looks good in a demonstration but is too inefficient, niche, or expensive for the real world. So, the latest tech innovations and their implementation in care communities must be done with focused intention.
“When we at Cogir Senior Living implement new technology, we do so to improve quality of life. We’re looking for practical and cost-effective solutions to real, everyday problems. How can we help our caregivers? How can we help our behind-the-scenes staff? How can we help our residents live better? And we’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with some great innovators,” said Chief Operating Officer Gottfriend Ernst.
The latest tech innovations that will most impact our lives and futures are often small and nuanced. They are behind-the-scenes automation that streamlines redundant processes. They are new, more efficient ways of handling time-consuming tasks so caregivers can spend more time with residents. They are predictive analytics solutions that will help seniors stay healthier longer.
There are countless problems driving the latest tech innovations, but we’ll focus on three primary motivations:
- New technology that helps seniors stay independent longer.
- New technology that helps caregivers and care communities work more effectively.
- New technology helping healthcare providers provide better care.
What new technology is supporting independent senior living?
Portia Goana— like many seniors her age— enjoys independent living in her senior home. She wants to age in place, so her grandchildren set up a voice-activated assistant to help her. Products like Amazon Echo, Alexa, Google Home, and Siri have enjoyed wide adoption over the past decade and a half. Portia can now make grocery lists, check the weather, and play music with her voice.
Recent innovation with voice recognition systems has empowered interconnectivity with automated home systems. Portia can turn on lights or adjust her smart thermostat. Portia’s adult daughter connected with the voice assistant’s calendar. Now, Portia receives automated reminders for medication and doctor appointments.
Portia lives in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest city. When she was struggling with her diabetes, making those frequent trips was difficult. She now consults her doctor through telemedicine. Virtual doctor visits exploded during the COVID-19 Pandemic; luckily, they are here to stay. Portia can easily share health records and receive proper care in her senior home. It is important to note that telemedicine is NOT a replacement for all doctor visits, as many medical situations require physical examinations.
Wearable gadgets like Portia’s continuous glucose monitor (CGM) help her manage her diabetes. Previously, she had to prick her fingers multiple times a day and manually track her glucose levels. Now, Portia is empowered to track her progress on her phone and receive alerts when her blood sugar is too high or low. She can even share that data with her doctor to show the headway she’s made.
At the end of the day, she settles into her favorite armchair and video chats with her grandchildren through her GrandPad. The GrandPad is a simplified tablet specially designed for seniors. Like the voice assistant, these tablets can connect with other smart devices for home. Portia can share photos, stay connected with her sisters, and access telehealth services. Living in a rural area can be a little lonely, but Portia stays connected with her extended family.
These are just a few examples of new technology empowering independent senior living. If you’re considering helping a loved one with the newest tech, assess their needs. For instance, if they are a fall risk and geographically isolated there are wearable gadgets for them. One such wearable is the Philips Lifeline GoSafe 2, a personal emergency response system (PERS) with a GPS for fall detection. It allows seniors to call for help from anywhere.
What new technology is helping caregivers and care communities work more effectively?
Tim Gardner is a Community Manager at a retirement home. Like many retirement communities across the industry, he is facing a staff shortage. So how can Tim help his caregivers provide the best care without overworking them?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on everyone’s minds. Tim utilizes these latest tech innovations to automate and streamline administrative tasks. AI automation takes care of clinical and operational documentation, relieving caregivers of those repetitive, tedious tasks. Tim understands that AI is a tool, not a replacement, so he implements specialized AIs to ease the burden of specific tasks. AI helps with accounting deferment with data entry and reconciliation for quicker, more accurate invoicing. This new technology also allows Tim to create more efficient schedules, optimizing the caregivers’ time.
“When new technology supports the administrative side of things, our goal is ultimately to support our caregivers. Less time filling out paperwork or worrying about scheduling means more time face-to-face with residents,” said Ernst.
New technology can also integrate communications, operations, and engagement into one platform. LifeLoop, for example, benefits the corporate team with organized data and helps staff and caregivers with their daily tasks. According to one survey, 78% of staff using LifeLoop said it makes their job easier. It is a holistic solution that keeps families in touch with their loved one’s caregiving, helps residents bond with their communities, and keeps staff connected with their mission. This platform was so successful in the pilot program, Cogir is expanding it to all of their retirement communities.
“LifeLoop has been instrumental in enabling us to cultivate communities that meet the unique demands, interests, and care needs of today’s residents, while preparing for the incoming generation.”
~ David Eskenazy, Cogir CEO
Caregivers can only help when they know someone needs help. Many assisted living homes and care communities are implementing environmental sensors to detect falls or alert staff if a resident is distressed. Cogir Senior Living partnered with one innovator, Safely You, for a pilot program using their advanced fall prevention. Safely You incorporates specialized, AI-powered cameras to detect when a resident falls. The engineers behind Safely You designed this program with privacy and dignity in mind. The cameras automatically delete footage every seven seconds if no fall is detected. If it does detect a fall, caregivers are immediately alerted, and the footage is saved for analysis.
The participating care communities reduced their response time to falls to under two minutes while the industry average remained at over 40 minutes! This new technology helped Cogir Senior Living reduce falls by 40% and fall-related ER visits by 80%.
“When implementing new technology, you can’t just assume it’ll be the right fit. You have to approach any pilot program like a science experiment. Start by assessing the metrics you want to improve. In our case, it was response time, falls, and fall-related ER visits. Throughout the pilot program, you measure these key performance indicators. So when making a case for further investment, we can show solid evidence proving its benefits,” said Ernst.
As the staff gets used to the new technology and key performance indicators improve, Tim explores new ways to improve his senior community. Memory care and assisted living are embracing robotic assistants for therapeutic benefits. The Paro Therapeutic Robot looks like a baby harp seal stuffed animal, but underneath that cute fur is advanced robotics. Paro uses tactile sensors to respond to being pet, and it can even cuddle. Some studies show that it can detect agitation and calm memory care patients through sensory stimulations. It is a programmable therapy animal and has been found to reduce patient stress and improve socialization.
While Tim would love to implement robotics in his memory care, it might not be the right fit for his senior community. So, he assembles a stakeholder committee comprising his memory care nurses, caregivers, and dementia experts to determine how best to implement something like this.
How are the latest innovations in technology helping healthcare providers provide better care?
How can hospitals, rehabilitation centers and other healthcare providers use the latest innovations in technology to improve their patient’s lives? Like Tim’s senior community, they can use AI-enhanced tools to streamline operations. Health monitoring platforms like Health Catalyst quickly integrate clinical, financial, and operational data into one centralized source. Providers can spend less time filling out repetitive forms and more time with patients.
New technology also illuminates new insights. For example, Health Catalyst used predictive analytics to forecast patient length of stay (LOS). In one case, over the course of 1.5 years, the LOS predictive model reduced expenses by $41M, eliminated 38K excess LOS days, and saved 5,000 hours of nursing labor. Another predictive model was able to predict hospital readmissions with an 80% accuracy. If these healthcare IT trends continue, healthcare providers could better anticipate and serve patient needs.
Could predictive analytics solutions be applied to chronic disease management? Could the latest tech innovations catch diseases before they take hold? Science says yes. One study used predictive analytics and machine learning to detect peripheral arterial disease (PAD) early. This method detected undiagnosed PAD with greater accuracy than traditional methods. The model also predicted the future risk of major adverse cardiac events with 14% better accuracy. Fourteen percent may not sound like much, but these kinds of early detection and risk assessment methods in managing someone’s chronic disease. These predictive analytics solutions could potentially be applied to all sorts of diseases, such as dementia or cancer, leading to earlier intervention and better treatment.
Conclusion: Let’s embrace new and upcoming technology to improve the quality of life for all seniors.
Technology is not just a tool for improving senior care—it’s a necessity. As innovations continue to emerge, the potential for enhancing the quality of life for older adults grows exponentially. By staying informed and embracing these advancements, senior care providers can offer more personalized, efficient, and effective care. If you’re curious about how new technology can improve your caregiving practice or an aging loved one’s life, let’s talk!
About Cogir Senior Living
What sets Cogir apart is the company’s devoted approach to creating healthy, vibrant communities that offer residents exceptional independent living, assisted living, and memory care lifestyle options. Cogir Senior Living develops, owns, and/or operates 80+ lifestyle communities throughout the United States.
