If you visit a care home, you may notice that their use of technology is increasing. From handheld devices used by care staff to motion sensors in bedrooms, technology is as evident in a care facility as it is in your own home.
There are lots of reasons why care homes are ‘going digital’, with one of the main drivers being government and regulator policy. The Government wants care providers to have computerised records for their residents and medication, both to improve efficiency and so that records can be shared between local authorities and the NHS if required.
Increased resident safety is a significant benefit of using technology, but there are many more ways in which it can help improve resident wellbeing.
Improved understanding
Many care homes, including Elliscombe House, have digitised care records for each resident. This enables the care staff to read about a resident’s history, and add their own updates and observations, meaning that everyone at the home will have a better understanding of the residents’ preferences and current health.
Care Management Systems (of which care plans are a part) have advanced in recent years and the most holistic systems include a portal for friends and family, nutrition, activities, and much more.
Improved communication
Technology such as iPads are made available to residents (if they do not have their own), enabling them to have video calls with friends and relatives who may not be able to visit. The most advanced care management systems even have a feature which allows family and friends the ability to see updates and photographs of their loved one. For families, who may have found their loved one’s move to a care home difficult, this additional communication is reassuring.
Motion Sensors
Motion sensor pads in beds and on the floor of bedrooms trigger a notification to the staff on duty if they detect movement. This can help staff to become aware of restlessness or distress, pain, coughing or choking, air quality, potential accidents, and increased trips to the toilet.
Motion sensor technology allows residents to remain independent in their own rooms whilst knowing that if they have a fall or encounter physical difficulties then staff will be made aware and can come to help them.
Cognitive Assistance Tools
Memory apps and Virtual Reality headsets can be useful for residents with condition such as dementia, as they offer meaningful activities and experiences for them.
Smart Speakers
Smart speakers are particularly useful in improving the wellbeing of residents who struggle to operate electronics, either because they do not understand it or struggle to operate it due to dexterity issues. A smart speaker can be used to play music or audiobooks and can also be used to dim lights without assistance from a member of staff. In a busy care home, especially in the evening or at night, this may mean that the resident can have what they require immediately without having to wait for a staff member to become available.
Talking Menus
Meals are a part of the day which residents look forward to, but it is difficult to anticipate a meal (and make selections about your meal) if you do not know what is on the day’s menu. Elliscombe House has large buttons positioned on the walls which, if pressed, speak the menu for the day. This technology allows residents to maintain choice and control over what they eat.
The use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is being used in several ways in care homes. The most advanced care management systems are utilising Ai in their care planning, as it can detect anomalies in a resident’s activities, nutrition, or vital signs; thus alerting staff to a potential problem before it becomes significant and reducing the need for medical intervention.
It is also being used to provide companionship, although this technology is at an experimental stage. Pet therapy robots are being tested in place of the real thing, whilst a Swiss professor created a robot version of herself to keep her mother company whilst she was in a care home.
As we can see, technology is being used in a number of innovative ways in care homes. Not every home will use every one of the technologies available, as there is naturally a cost to each one. However it is clear that the use of technology in care planning, monitoring and resident experience is enhancing the safety and wellbeing of people living in a care facility.