Adopting digital solutions within the aged care sector is becoming increasingly crucial as technology becomes a more prominent term in our lives, especially after COVID-19. Innovative technologies that are integrated into aged-care services have the potential to significantly improve the lives of Australians who receive these services as well as those who work in the Aged Care sector.
In order to improve the lives of elderly residents of residential care facilities and those getting care in their own homes, the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety's final report emphasized the need for increased innovation and research in the aged-care sector. The report recommended creating an Aged Care Research and Innovation Fund with money equal to 1.8% of the federal government's annual total spent on elderly care.
The benefits of technologies in Aged Care
Even though it will never be a good substitute for human care, technology can nonetheless significantly enhance the lives of residents. Here are a few examples:
- The elderly can take virtual tours from the comfort of their own chair to "virtually" explore popular destinations.
- Streamlines administrative procedures, allowing personnel to interact with residents over longer periods of time.
- When a senior is likely to encounter a future health incident, such as a heart condition, fall, or mental illness, AI systems and data analytics can predict this.
- Technology allows for a quicker response to emergencies, which practically saves lives.
- Older individuals are able to chew and digest their meals more readily thanks to 3D-printed food, which helps them acquire the necessary nutrients.
Technology solutions that can support Aged Care Services
1. Data Management
Data management is specially designed for Aged Care providers to help improve the quality-of-care experiences for patients and their families through more efficient data management and extended capabilities for care personalisation through integrated data management, with a view to recommendation 27 from the Royal Commission report (focused on being able to provide records in a standardised manner to ensure faster decisions). There are several applications for better content management, but the following ones are the most common:
- Plans for integrated care and control over service delivery
- Management of resident and patient records
- Quality and compliance management
- Management of cases and complaints
2. Process Automation
Process automation has the potential for a wide range of existing high-volume, basic, and complex processes by lowering the time demands on employees and reducing the risk of errors. In order to allow digital solutions for data management, providers can begin to go paperless. These advantages have a significant impact on many business areas, such as enhancing digital communications to guarantee that patients and their families receive the appropriate information when they need it. Additionally, where this transformation is put into practise, data can then be managed more efficiently and its value may be retrieved to enable better care and improved experiences.
3. Technology Partnership
Look for areas where work can be handled by professionals more quickly than it has to be done internally, saving time and resources. The team at Boileau have extensive experience in managed services that are either provided on the premises of our clients or from our own offices, ensuring that providers receive the products and services they require. This could facilitate better resident communications or optimised hardware utilisation within your organisation's infrastructure. By eliminating administrative processes and redundant IT infrastructure, you can lessen the strain of IT.
Explore Boileau's Managed Solutions further here or start a conversation with one of our experts to start finding the RIGHT solutions for your business: Contact Us