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Demographic Shift: How Will It Impact Your Home Healthcare Agency?

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The baby boomer generation has been a buzzing topic of conversation in the healthcare industry for some time now. According to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), seniors will make up 20% of the population by 2024, and 25% by 2036 at which point they will account for 62% of health costs.

The same goes for the U.S. with the number of Americans 65 or older to increase 73% by 2029, according to Census Bureau estimates.

With the majority of this population preferring to age in their own homes, and the home care industry already undergoing major transformations, the effects of having to care for such a large demographic will put massive amounts of strain and demand on home care providers.

Aging in place will be soon be considered the norm, and home healthcare agencies hoping to survive in this landscape will need to keep pace. Meeting these future challenges will require more resources, new approaches to care delivery and a greater focus on prevention and reduction of hospital readmissions.

Aside from the obvious need to hire and retain high quality care workers to meet growing demands, technological advances have the ability to further aid in making home care the ideal solution for the boomer generation—both on their own and under the care of a provider.

Here are some examples of the tools technology being used today to help providers get ahead of the curve:

Mobile Care Technologies

Having the tools to be more efficient is crucial for future success in the home care industry. Mobile technology allows care workers to have complete visibility into client data remotely, ensuring they can deliver quick and reliable care.

Agencies that embrace the mobility trend can gain access to streamlined communication, which can make all the difference in times of high demand. AlayaCare provides an impeccable user experience across multiple devices allowing Nurses and PSWs updated access to patient information while working in the field.

Care workers are informed on their mobile devices and automatically have access to patients’ location, care plan, vital signs, and all other essential information needed to ensure more clients can receive the fastest, most efficient care possible.

Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring technology will make it possible to provide care to boomers remotely, helping keep patients out of the hospital and reducing overall healthcare costs.

The aging population can monitor their own conditions through wearables and other devices, while also communicating with their physicians from home. Providers can monitor vitals and streams of information ensuring they can respond appropriately and proactively from a distant site, reducing travel times and increasing efficiency.

Data Reporting & Analytics

In order to operate efficiently, home care providers need full visibility into all agency and clinical data. With the help of remote monitoring tools and electronic reporting, providers have access to massive amounts of data that can be utilized in a number of ways.

By leveraging analytical tools such as machine learning or optimization, providers gain insight into any key patterns or trends in their data, which can expose any shortcomings in processes and further aid in decision-making.

Having access to this depth of information can allow agencies to evaluate their preparedness for an influx of patients, and also enable care workers and clinicians to be pre-emptive and outcome-focused in their care delivery.

AlayaCare provides innovative technologies such as a home care app, Telehealth Dashboard,  Family Portal, RPM software, and Machine Learning algorithm-based clinical support tools, which allow for better coordination, efficiency and quality of care across the healthcare continuum.

Our platform provides all the tools your agency needs to prepare, and even thrive in a time of shifting demographics. See these forward-thinking technologies in action by requesting an in-person or web demo of the AlayaCare solution, and see how our platform can ensure your agency is ready for the impact of the boomer shift.

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