Can Technology Reduce Senior Care Abuse Cases?

The United States, Japan, and many European countries are experiencing a shift in population demographics. This year, for the first time ever in the United States, there will be more people over the age of 65 than there are under the age of 5. The country, and many others around the world, are seeing the population grow older. This is bringing about a certain number of challenges. Medical doctors are finding that there is a higher need for those that specialize in geriatric medicine. Non-medical caregivers are finding that there is a larger demand for their services than ever before.

 

This makes sense. As the senior population grows in size, the unique services that this population requires will also grow in size. Along with the logistical difficulties that might come along with this, there are other issues, too. One of these is a rise in cases of abuse. Senior abuse of any sort is already a major concern. No one deserves to be treated unfairly or in a harmful manner. As the need for senior care is set to rise, there’s a possibility that abuse cases will also rise. We should do everything that we can to help reduce the likelihood of that happening. In some places, care services are turning to technology to combat this. The hope is that this will reduce the number of neglect cases that occur so that all seniors can live safe lives, regardless of what type of care that they are receiving.

 

The technology already exists to monitor senior safety remotely. Sensors in rugs, smart home technology, and virtual communication devices, like tablets and smartphones have helped seniors to live safer and happier lives over the last few years. These are designed to help keep people safe, but they also help to reduce the strain that caregivers might be under. This can help families to not feel overextended, and to help professional caregivers to focus their efforts where they will be most effective.

 

Technology can be a valuable tool in the fight against senior abuse.

 

Finding the right care for an elderly loved one is important. You want someone that you can fully trust so that suspicions of elder abuse will never bother you. Unfortunately, that’s simply not what’s happening in our society today. For whatever reason, elder abuse is still a severe problem for many. Finding methods to help alleviate this issue is valuable to all seniors.

 

There is a bit of skepticism regarding technology’s place in monitoring neglect. This is definitely warranted. Even the smartest computer in the world cannot see the simple things that humans take for granted. A computer does not have the insight and levels of observation that a human does. Technology can never be a substitute for person to person contact because of this. However, technology can be a strong supplement to personal care. It all depends on what the specific needs of your loved one might be.

 

If you are concerned about the safety of an elderly loved one, you have many options in front of you. Give us a call and we can go over the steps and precautions that we put in place to ensure that each one of the elderly individuals that we care for are as safe as possible.

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