In the already stressful area of aged care, news about related recent elderly care center closures.
The reason for the closure is pending legal requirements, meaning that from July, aged care facilities must have a registered nurse on duty around the clock.
The sector is struggling in terms of staffing and this task will only add to the demand and increase the pressure on existing staff to work longer hours.
Despite significant opposition from parts of the industry, the government’s mandate is based on valid recommendations and health concerns arising from the Royal Commission on Quality and Safety of Care. Elderly people and the vast majority of nursing homes in Australia – 80% – have met nursing requirements.
Given what is known about current pressures on staff and the challenges surrounding attracting and retaining new staff to residential aged care facilities and the industry at large, the focus of the care industry is Today’s elderly care needs are how to support their caregivers and nurses and reduce the stress in their roles.
One of the most obvious, yet underused, ways to keep up with the growing demand for our aged care sector and the people who work in it, is to deploy public solutions. technology and digital to support the work of caregivers and health professionals. Many examples of similar technologies have been used in the broader healthcare sector.
A focus should be on understanding how existing technologies can be used to ease staff pressure and ensure high standards of care for all residents in aged care. Opportunities exist to implement technology such as:
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) – the use of artificial intelligence, such as voice-to-text capabilities, to enhance and assist staff in reporting and data collection (like a second pair of hands for care support staff and nurse).
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automation – to automate reporting for the Department of Health and Aging Care (DoHAC), families and internal stakeholders.
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Internet of Medical Things – considers the application of wearable and sensor technology to complement the work of the aged care workforce, supporting basic monitoring functions.
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Data and analytics – use data and analytics tools to support predictive workforce planning based on resident numbers and care needs.
Applying technology in these ways will reduce some of the demands on nurses and the aged care team, and will create space for staff to focus on the parts of the job that make them more satisfied instead of administrative activities. We need to see technology and digital solutions as an investment and not a ‘good-to-have’ as it supports the aged care workforce which in turn supports older Australians in inpatient care facilities for the elderly.
To retain good staff and ensure the needs of aged carers are met, the industry needs to build and deploy key technologies that can make tasks and services more functional and easier to perform. Flexibility as demand increases. As our aging population grows, we know demand will grow.
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Pauline Soo has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and aged care. As Datacom’s Chief Medical Officer, she’s focused on helping to solve industry-wide challenges – includes scarce resources and stringent regulatory and compliance requirements – with innovative thinking and smart technology.
