When it comes to caring for the vulnerable, there’s no substitute for the personal touch. When people are afflicted by chronic disease or incapacitated by the ravages of old age, the carers in their lives are instrumental in ensuring that they get the quality of life, individual care and dignity that they deserve. Whether the carer is a professional or a member of the family who has been trained to properly administer care, the efforts of the selfless, giving, loving and skilled individuals make a universe of difference to their charges. However, caring for an individual can take a toll on even the most dedicated and talented carer.

There’s a great deal to remember, and carers may feel like they have to put their own lives on hold to better care for their charges. Maintaining a patient, caring and calm demeanor can become a challenge when trying to administer a Bard Catheter to an irate patient. When that patient is also a parent, spouse or close friend, it can further compound the fundamentally tiring nature of the job. However, fulfilling it may be. Fortunately, technology is hard at work transforming the lives of live-in carers and the people they rely on. From the specialist to the quotidian, let’s take a look at some new technologies that have helped to lighten carers’ loads.

Voice assistants

Until very recently, if someone with a debilitating condition needed to change the channel on their TV, or play a particular song on their stereo. However, the rise in voice assistants like Alexa and Siri gives back the gift of independence to people who need care while also lightening the load of carers. And because these voice assistants can also be used for things like changing the ambient temperature or lighting in a room, this can work wonders in helping patients feel in control and helping carers to conserve their energies for the important interactions that make their job so indispensable.  

What’s more, this sound recognition technology can also be leveraged to keep patients safer. This device, for instance, detects important sounds like smoke alarms or breaking glass and sends an alert to their carer’s smartphone. 

Connected care devices & machine learning

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are transforming virtually every facet of healthcare in the 2020s. And as connected care devices grow more sophisticated, they’re better able to define the parameters of normal behavior and alert carers if there are any deviations, whether they’re on-site or not. Devices could conceivably be calibrated to detect the change in velocity that accompanies a fall, or the physiological triggers associated with an epileptic seizure. They can provide carers with peace of mind, and help to facilitate independent living for patients. 

Bringing more meaningful human contact

There’s a fear that technology has the potential to remove the human component from caring that is so very important to carers and patients alike. However, if anything, technology can enhance human interactions and make them more pleasurable and meaningful by lightening carers’ administrative loads and helping patients to feel more autonomous and independent.