When Scott Morrison became Prime Minister on 24 August 2018 he was advised that as a result of the Government’s commissioned audit work the Department of Health has closed almost one aged care service per month since May 2017. An increasing number of aged care services are under sanction to improve their care.

Putting in place clear requirements for better standards and providing the resources and powers to police those standards has led to an additional $5.3 million being committed to the budget with an emphasis on the use of innovative technologies.

“The best teams will always want to do better, and will always want to be honest about the performance of the sector as a whole. If you care about aged care, which those who work in the sector do, you will want it to be at its very best,” Mr Morrison said in a statement released 16 September.

“Despite the further reforms underway, including the coming establishment of a new Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, there clearly remains areas of concern with regard to the quality and safety of aged care services.”

What kind of technology innovations are we talking?

The aged care industry is in a state of transformation with a high demand to find “smart, more efficient, new or better ways to deliver superior care,” said Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) Chief Executive Sean Rooney.

“The focus on new technologies is to produce outcomes such as independence and re-ablement, workforce efficiency, quality of life and ageing well.”

Examples of technology innovations include:

Sleeptite

Among the most recent innovations to receive a Federal Government grant is Sleeptite, a new technology involving a sensor. This sensor provides real-time monitoring on a patient’s health and movements, particularly at night, allowing aged care and medical staff to be alerted on potential concerns.

Developed by researchers at Melbourne’s RMIT University, Sleeptite is a silicone fabric covered with sensors which can monitor a patient’s heart rate and breathing. The Sleeptite team are planning on integrating the sensor into bedding products so carers can monitor sleep habits and movements.

The goal is to have the product ready for market within the next three years.

PainChek

Previously known as ePAT, PainChek is being rolled out nationally via Dementia Support Australia (DSA) after four years of trials. The tool, which runs analysis of a 10-second video of a person’s face to detect expressions correlated with pain, showed promise in trials in Western and South Australia.

PainChek, developed by Curtin University’s School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences is being rolled out to 150 consultants caring for up to 5,000 people each year.

Holographic doctors

Community health provider Silver Chain has began trials for a technology that uses “holographic doctors” to visit patients in their home. The technology was launched by Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Ken Wyatt in July and will see nurses linking to doctors and data through holograms and video conferencing when visiting clients’ homes. The Federal Government has invested $948,400 in the trial through the Perth North and Perth South Primary Health Networks with the aim of cutting hospital rates and keeping older people living independently for longer.

Balancing technology with human interaction

From cutting-edge sensors to virtual reality and smartphone apps, technology in the aged care sector has come a long way. Technology shows huge potential for delivering care to older Australians but as with any health care delivery, balance between technology and human interaction is key. Human interaction is still vital in the aged care sector and always will be.

Image courtesy of painchek.com