There’s an excellent article in the January edition of Long-Term Living discussing trends in technology for senior care.
For the most part, it’s a pretty positive picture for a technology solutions company like Stanley Healthcare – spending on fall and wander management and other safety systems is already a big part of total technology spending ($2.3 billion out of a total of $2.6 billion), and it’s set to grow. (The full report on technology spending for senior care is available from consultancy BCC Research.)
But one point that the article does raise is the potential for a “backlash” against such systems because of concerns about loss of privacy or curtailed liberty.
Let’s not forget, however, that these technologies were developed and then rapidly adopted because they provided an alternative to restrictive and even degrading practices that used to be the norm. Before fall monitors and wander management systems, physical restraint was the only alternative. No one wants to go back to that.
Not to say that we should be satisfied with the status quo. Society’s approach towards privacy and dignity of care will continue to evolve, and the technology must move with it.
But today’s technology is already quite flexible, giving senior care organizations wide latitude to configure these systems to align with care protocols and privacy standards. Certainly that is the standard that drives Stanley Healthcare’s product development.
If you feel that your technology does not give you this flexibility, then it’s time to search out alternatives!
For a couple of decades now, senior care facilities have invested in radio-frequency-based systems to protect residents at risk of wandering. Typically, the resident wears a small tag on the wrist or ankle that triggers an alarm if they approach a monitored exit.
This kind of targeted protection to residents who need it enables homes to remain, well… homelike! No need for locked doors or other restrictions of movement.
The fact is, however, that RF technology has changed a lot over the last 20 years, giving you more options for protecting not just wandering residents but all residents.
The key here is having receivers to pick up tag messages not just at exits, but throughout the facility. Once you have this total coverage, a range of new options appears: emergency call, resident locating, or monitoring of remote devices like a fall monitor on a wheelchair.
Although not all vendors offer this kind of functionality, there’s enough competition out there that the price has come way down — so it’s something to consider if you happen to be in the market for a wander management system.
For some real life stories of facilities leveraging their wander management system for other applications, visit the Stanley Healthcare website.
