What Does Home Healthcare Entail?

The collection of professional medical services rendered shortly or in the long term. That is what comprises home care technology. This can be in the comfort of your home. The technology to help in-home care is not limited to services for elderly people or senior care. It is also for those who have disabilities or special needs. This way, they can live or recover more from a medical setback. It can also be for those with chronic diseases such as obesity.

Nowadays, there are many available apps for caregivers at home to access. This can thus help patients have quick as well as effective solutions. Caregivers can now call via video conferencing. Doctors can now assist them more. Information sharing and operating home healthcare companies will be more efficient. This is because companies move from paper to digitalization of patients’ records.

List of Technology Designed to Help in Home Care

1. Fall alert systems

The main reason seniors can no longer age at home is fall. Most of those admitted at a nursing home are 75 and up, and this is five times more likely. Estimates claim that one in four seniors fall each year. Addressing this issue thus makes sense. This is considering there are a lot of home care technologies now.

The commercial “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up” is unforgettable. Nowadays, you see seniors wearing wristbands or necklaces. These contain devices so that wearers can call for help after falling. Yes, home care technologies have come a long, long way. fall alert systems available are those built into the Apple Watch. If inventors integrate technology such as this one into devices we already use, we do not see it as a sign of old age. The fall detection feature in the Apple Watch does not only give a way to call for help. It also detects if you take a fall. It is one of the many features of the watch that the person wearing it can turn on or off. The wearer can also add emergency contacts and medical ID info to their own.

It is notable that fall alert systems don’t cost a lot. It is also notable that more of this technology is coming in daily. For instance, hearing aids with this capability built-in are now available. Plus, more aging agencies and hospitals offer free or discounted access.

2. Electronic Visit Verification

Electronic Visit Verification or EVV is a modern technology. This helps verify caregiver appointments. This includes scheduling and cancelation of schedules. This is to avoid no-show home appointments. This way ensures the home caregiver’s appointment. This includes:

• Type of service
• Patient information
• Home healthcare personnel information
• Patient location
• Date of service
• Time in and time out of service

3. Medication Management Systems

Medication errors are fatal. More than 125,000 die each year because of it. What is more, many disabled people are not able to manage their medications. How can they age at home? These people need help, as well as those ¼ of all care facility residents.

What works best for you? It depends on your regimen and your tech usage. It also depends on your tech knowledge, as well as the nature of your medication problem. There are times when a reminder app or a simple pillbox will work. Others need systems that will help them check missed dosages. This, in turn, will alert the caregiver.

4. Remote Patient Monitoring Tools

Tools or devices used to track a patient’s well-being. These are home health monitoring devices. Today, fitness bands are available. These can keep regular track of one’s activities. This includes sleep frequency and length, the number of steps walked, as well as diet. For instance, it can detect how many times one goes into the kitchen to eat. This leads to obesity. Observable is this habit by whom? The caregiver or the individual himself or herself. Because of these apps in healthcare, there is assurance for the patient. Someone is watching over their every move towards a better, healthier lifestyle. These devices can now be smartphones. This is to reduce the cost as well as the time consumed visiting a doctor.

Measurements are needed to get our blood pressure, heart rate, and glucose level. There are now many modern devices available. RPM now allows families of seniors, caregivers, as well as doctors to cut risks. These come with aging. Seniors can also track their healthcare needs, as well as regular doctor visits.

5. Smart Home Devices

Smart home devices make life more problem-free as well as more convenient. What are some of these? It ranges from toothbrushes and camera systems to showers, as well as smart lighting. You should look into smart home devices if you live alone, are a “Snowbird”, or has a second home. These smart home devices can be set up for our aging parents. We can make sure they are safe and sound and that there is nothing unusual at home.

6. Hospital Beds for in Home Care

What is the best hospital bed for home care? This depends upon the needs of the user. For instance, let’s say the senior has trouble moving about. The best bed for him or her is that which can be lowered or raised and has adjustable angles and height. This way, getting in and out of bed will be easier. What if the senior is obese? Well, there is this bed called a bariatric bed. This can carry heavy weight. What if the senior suffers from sleep apnea, acid reflux, or snoring? The reverse Trendelenburg bed can help. How about if the senior has leg swelling and low blood pressure? The bed in a Trendelenburg position will help.

7. In-Home Healthcare Devices (Telehealth)

Who knows the hassle of treatment or constant appointments for monitoring? They are those with chronic medical conditions. Their lives might even center around trips to doctors’ offices. Good thing we have the technology. This makes it easier for us to manage and watch health conditions from home.

Today, we see people taking blood pressure or doing blood sugar tests at home. Now, a whole new range of conditions is done at home, thanks to technology. These can help us as caregivers track the results and then tell them to our doctors. Soon, we will see solutions to track nutrition and cognition. We can also track hydration levels and all kinds of ADLs. This will leave us with more time to live our life and even age at home.

Summary

This is the age of technology. We hear of robots doing tasks in hospitals and other institutions. We also hear of hospital beds bought for home use. It is clear that every single day, technology is there to serve us. Most especially our most beloved senior citizens. May we continue to use these technologies so that they can age in the comfort of our own homes.