My topic as a panellist in the 'Leaders Summit '23 The Business of Ageing' was 'The Future Role of Technology in the Delivery of Home Care'.
© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
Last week I participated as a panellist in the Leaders’ Summit 2023 The Business of Ageing[1] at Sydney’s Hyatt Regency. My topic:
The Future Role of Technology in the Delivery of Home Care.
It’s a critical topic as we know that the vast majority of Australians (in fact 80%)[2]&[3] have said that should they require support or care, they wish to receive it in their own homes.
However, for most of us there will come a point where home care becomes too expensive and residential care is the only option. With current care workforce shortages and wage increases, my experience is that moves to residential care are being fast tracked.
In a world where technology, such as Smart Watches and Smart Rings, can monitor our steps, falls, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and so on, decisions on placing ageing loved ones into residential care are being questioned, particularly by our younger generations.
Entrepreneurs are now exploring ways to use every day affordable technology devices to deliver 24/7 care in the home.
Take for example the App, Lookout™[4], created by the Australian start-up Five Good Friends[5].
Fellow Leaders’ Summit panellist and Five Good Friends Co-Founder, Simon Lockyer spoke of how the App can provide 24/7 remote health monitoring of your loved one by fielding information from:
Technology devices either worn by your loved one and/or installed in their home, and
Carers, family and other health service providers by way of notes and observations made on their visits.
Lookout™ automatically detects, concerns and notifies one of the health professionals on the Five Good Friends team, who then contacts the loved one and principal carer to investigate.
The diagram below illustrates how the App works.
For a working relative responsible for the care of a loved one, this 24/7 monitoring of the wellbeing of a loved one living at home could bring tremendous peace of mind.
It is another starring example of Australian entrepreneurs solving a commonplace problem. Another Australian entrepreneurial group to watch is HSC Technology Group led by Graham Russell.
Since 2004 HSC Technology has been developing, and is now delivering, monitoring technology solutions for residential aged care and home care providers. We’ve covered some of those technologies in this blog[6].
Needing assistance to organise care? Please feel free to call me, Danielle Robertson, at any time for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance at the right time and in the right place.
[1] DCM Group Events: Leaders Summit 2023 - The Business of Ageing
[2] Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety: What Australians Think of Ageing And Aged Care
[3] DR Care Solutions: Royal Commission Study - Australian Views on Ageing
[4] Five Good Friends: Assistive Technologies
[5] Five Good Friends
[6] DR Care Solutions: Top 5 Technology Tools for Aged Care & Senior Living