What are trends in Senior Health Care that we are seeing on an increasing basis? We see that seniors are feeling comfortable using virtual care technologies in the home, that they are demanding more tech in independent living communities, and they are becoming more engaged in their own health. Beck, Lenox & Stolzer Estate Planning and Elder Law, LLC, LLC., started noticing these trends in the last few years as they met with clients and their family members. While this particular article is focused more how independent seniors are better able to help themselves to these technologies, we know technology is playing a significant healthcare role at higher care levels as well.
Health Tech’s recent article entitled “3 Senior Care Tech Trends to Watch in 2022” gives us the top three trends in senior care for 2022:
- Senior Care Will Continue to Adopt the Hospital-at-Home Model. Hospital-at-home is a growing trend in healthcare, as increased adoption of virtual care technologies permits the care of seniors with acute conditions to take place at home.
A 2018 AARP survey found that 76% of adults ages 50+ said they prefer to stay in their homes and communities, aging in place rather than moving to an independent living community. According to the American Hospital Association, the hospital-at-home care delivery model can reduce costs, improve outcomes and enhance the patient experience. However, traditional healthcare organizations have a part to play in this care delivery model with telehealth and remote patient monitoring that can extend care to the home setting.
- Organizations Will Create Tech Concierge Roles to Help Seniors. Tech ownership, adoption, and use among older adults increased during the pandemic, with nearly half of those in an AARP saying that they used video chats more than before. With growing use of texting, email, smartphones and wearable devices, seniors are using more technology. As a result, the trend is likely to continue.
- Consumerization Will Give Seniors More Control Over Their Health. Wearables and apps place health data in consumers’ hands. Healthcare organizations will not have to provide patients with all of their health information, which will create even more patient involvement in healthcare. This will give older adults more information and empower them to be active in decision-making about their health. Another impact of consumerization on senior care is that older adults are getting more comfortable with technology and are joining independent living communities’ selection committees to make decisions about which technologies the community will acquire.
Consumerization and the desire for personalization are expected to impact the types of technology preferred by older adults and offered by independent living communities, as well as the ways seniors interact with digital health solutions. Beck, Lenox & Stolzer believes it is a good thing for seniors to use technology more than ever to enhance their healthcare in this new year.
Reference: Health Tech (Dec. 14, 2021) “3 Senior Care Tech Trends to Watch in 2022”
