The United States population is aging. In fact, by 2030, the U.S. Census estimates that 20% of the U.S. population will be over the age of 65, that’s over 70 million people. We also know that over 75% of older adults, would prefer to remain in their homes, according to a 2018 AARP survey. The need and demand for a new approach to care for the health needs of seniors is increasing rapidly.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), new broadband enabled health technologies are emerging that will allow seniors and their caregivers meet the challenges of independent living by focusing on remote, as opposed to in-person care. We would like to address each of the needs brought up by the FCC and expand on the existing remote broadband enabled health technologies that can help fill those needs.
1. Staying Connected
Living alone has the potential to physically isolate seniors and/or cause loneliness, resulting in depression and poorer physical health outcomes. The FCC suggests “tablets, smartphones, and computers have texting and video applications that can help loved ones stay connected.” We agree, but we would add that smart speakers (e.g. Amazon Echo or Google Home), can make communication even easier for seniors who previously could not use a phone or computer due to poor vision, mobility, dexterity or cognitive impairment.
2. Medication Compliance and Adherence
Taking multiple medications, multiple times per day can be challenging, especially for seniors who might be suffering from mild cognitive impairment and poor vision. According to the FCC “smart pill bottles with built-in broadband technology can alert seniors” to taking the right medications at the right time. There are several technologies the FCC might be referring to here including smart pill box organizers, that allow caregivers to organize multiple doses for a 30 day period. However, there are also smart medication dispensers, which notify and dispense the exact combination of pills to be taken. Moreover, the medication dispenser can automatically re-order medications from the pharmacy, when pills run low, notify caregivers when doses are missed and keep a record of if and when medications were taken and at what times.
3. Chronic Conditions
Chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, COPD and arthritis can require a lot of healthcare oversight. However, mobility issues, poor transportation options and remoteness can all make it very difficult for seniors to travel to their doctors. Fortunately, there are a significant number of new in-home monitoring devices, such as blood pressure monitors, portable electrocardiograms, pedometers and digitally connected scales, that combined with big data, can not only help doctors heal the sick but also anticipate health issues, and help researchers study correlations and causations.
4. Emergency Help
Many older adults living alone may need urgent help, in the event of a fall or medical emergency, but are unable to reach a phone. The FCC mentions emergency alert button devices, like a life alert system, which can act as an activity or fall alert devices to remote caregivers or monitoring centers. Newer life alert technologies now come with automatic fall detection and GPS tracking for out-of-home scenarios. Newer fall detection technologies use wall hung devices that through machine learning, and RF frequency can identify falls, without individuals having to wear a device on their person. While in the past, life alert systems were enabled over landline systems, connectivity is now enabled over landline, cellular, Wi-Fi and GPS systems.
5. Early Diagnoses and Cost Reduction
According to the FCC “broadband enabled health technologies can help with earlier diagnoses, allowing for earlier intervention.” Earlier intervention can reduce infection rates and / or illness progressions, reducing doctor and / or hospital visits, thus reducing costs in the healthcare system. For example, specialized trackers that monitor urination frequency, can detect the early onset of a urinary tract infection or something more serious like diabetes, by measuring and identifying increased urination frequency. In some cases, seniors may be cognitively impaired and unable to notice a change in frequency. Specialized trackers will allow healthcare workers to identify and treat symptoms early, avoiding the worst.
The hope is that remote healthcare technologies, combined with the big data insight they can provide, will improve the ability of seniors to live independently, while maintaining their health and safety.
