Technology for active aging

The Philips Center for Health and Well-being Insight Series on Active Aging nr.3 - May 2011 Technology for Active Aging Who is ready to enter? The Philips Active Aging think tank believes that active aging technologies have the potential to create a better aging experience for people around the globe.This insight shows the spectrum of technologies to support aging well and discusses what it takes to increase stakeholders' readiness to adopt the advances of home healthcare technologies. In the previous insight the think tank has presented the Aging Well model, as it enables people to age well in the Aging Well model, which shows how maintaining place of their choosing and stay connected to and independence and engagement are key elements of a better aging experience. As a follow-up, the think tank now explored how technology can contribute to these two elements. Active aging technology fits well within the engaged with their communities. The first part of this insight shows the thoughts of the think tank on how technologies can support active aging at home. It then zooms in on the healthcare domain, where the 'readiness' of stakeholders to embrace the Safety and security Home and personal monitoring advantages of home healthcare technology is an important challenge. The 'road to home healthcare' shows what readiness looks like for different stakeholders and can prevent accidents and improve what is needed to improve it. emergency responses. Home healthcare examples: Medical alert services, fall detection Health and wellness Active aging technologies at home Out-of-hospital care for chronic patients and solutions for healthy aging can enhance independence. Home healthcare examples: Telehealth, medication dispensing systems, activity monitors Learning and Contributing Empowering people to keep learning, working and contri- buting to society can increase patient activation. Home healthcare relevance: Technology literacy, educate family care givers Communication and engagement ICT and communication solutions can increase social connectivity and engagement. Home healthcare examples: Online social networks, digital consults with doctors and care givers. Senior person Seniors want to be with and spend what readiness looks like time with their families, and home In the healthcare domain, advances in home healthcare products healthcare enables them to do so. However many seniors still fear that and services are promising. However at the same time uptake technologies can be socially isolating. has been slow in many countries. Improving the 'readiness' of This fear should be balanced against stakeholders to accept technological advances is key to stimulating this uptake. The think tank identified several aspects the rich communities that can be developed for seniors in their own home. At the same time, patients of what this readiness looks like for different stakeholders. need to be health and technology literate enough to benefit from home healthcare, and solutions need to Policy maker / politician match their capabilities. Empowering patients to play a greater role in their healthcare decisions and shifting care from institutions to patient's homes can revolutionize the delivery of care and play an important role in addressing the challenges in healthcare globally. Such a change could both save Care giver (e.g a family member) The needs of care givers and their pressures money and ease pressure on health systems suffering from worker shortages and capacity constraints. To enable this, changes are required in the overall should be addressed. Technologies can provide structure of the healthcare systems, economics of reassurance and practical help. The current. generation of care givers are boomers. As their healthcare delivery and healthcare policy. mortality approaches they will demand services offering choice and convenience. Insurers Insurance companies need to reconsider current payment systems that tend to pay by 'encounter" with medical professionals and do not recognize the value of home healthcare solutions. Patient Healthcare professionals incentives and insurance coverage should support Education and training of the healthcare workforce rather than hamper a shift to home healthcare. needs to keep pace with the development of tech- nologies. There is significant need to prove the value of technology and to convince physicians to recom- mend it to their patients. Training is needed across I healthcare disciplines and governments/societies need to get a better sense of how healthcare profes- sionals see the role these technologies will play as part of the overall continuum of care. * Based on 2011 Market Overview by Laurie Orlov, www.ageinplacetech.com/ The Philips Center for Health & Well-being is focused on improving the lives of people around the world. The Insight Series shares the work-in-progress of the think tanks operating within The Philips Center for Health & Well-being. Through illustrating a snapshot or a concept, they are aimed at stimulating discussion and debate around critical challenges in improving health & well-being worldwide. www.philips-thecenterorg twitter @philipscenter