AI to support elderly care under pressure?
German care workers respond positively, but limited wifi connectivity in aged care facilities poses a challenge.
Berlin, May 8th, 2023 - Friday May 12th -on the "Day of Care"- international eyes will go to the millions of healthcare workers who will have to perform their job under ever-increasing pressure. While digital innovations have a lot to offer as part of the solution, they are only used to a limited extent in German aged care institutions. However, the recent 'Nobi AgeTech Survey 2023' shows that more than 90% of nurses are open to digital innovations that support them.
To identify the underlying issues, German experts will delve deeper into the question "Can AI save our elderly care?" during a panel discussion on May 9th ('Haus der Zukunft' - Berlin). They will address questions such as why digital technologies and AI-based solutions are implemented so sparingly in elderly care. Is it a matter of budget, insufficient digital education, or is the digital infrastructure of German nursing homes simply inadequate? Together, the experts will formulate recommendations on how to give digital innovations every chance to support caregivers who need our support more than ever.
No reliable wifi connection in 80% of German healthcare institutions
The current Nobi AgeTech survey sheds light on this question, as it shows that almost 80% of all facilities do not have stable and reliable Wi-Fi in all rooms. This means that, often, the minimum technical requirements are simply not met. This situation is clearly not down to the nursing staff as, according to the survey conducted in March 2023, caregivers would be quick to embrace digital systems. More than 96% of the respondents are convinced that these tools will play an important or even very important role in their daily work in the future and 94 % would be more than happy to use these technologies in their everyday work.
Nursing homes stretched to the limit - AI helps ease the pressure
The pressure on nursing homes to provide a high quality of care and ensure the safety of residents is extremely high. Yet staff shortages and high staff turnover are a major headache for management and operators. This is where digital systems come into play that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday tasks and connected to existing call and documentation systems. Not only do they unburden staff but also improve the quality of care. Deployed wisely, digital tools take over repetitive tasks, releasing staff and allowing them to focus on the human factor. What's more, in the long-term, digital solutions can boost employee satisfaction and cut staff turnover. The recipients of the care also stand to gain from the relief digital tools afford their caregivers. After all, nursing staff who have more time for human interaction equals happier residents.
Case study: 80 % more falls reported when falls detected with AI
One example of how AI-driven technology can support caregivers is the fall detection and prevention smart lamp from the Belgian startup Nobi. Caregivers constantly live in fear that one of the elderly people under their supervision will fall without them noticing and then lie on the floor for a long time, possibly injured, before help arrives. Bedrooms in nursing homes are therefore constantly checked, even at night. The result? A huge effort for the staff and constant disruption to the residents' privacy and sleep.
To find out whether this monitoring function can be taken over by an AI-controlled lamp, a six-month pilot test was launched in August 2022 at Gerstjens Nursing Home in Belgium. The result surprised and at the same time frightened everyone involved: in the 20 rooms equipped with Nobi lights, 62 falls were detected. This means that 80 % more falls were detected there during the test period than in the comparable number of rooms not equipped with the system. It can therefore be assumed that, without Nobi, many falls would remain undetected. Residents who are able to get up on their own after a fall often do not report it. Often out of a sense of shame or because they do not want to be a nuisance. However, those affected are hardly aware that even small, seemingly harmless incidents can sometimes have major consequences. Thanks to Nobi, the staff at Gerstjens Nursing Home now have an overview of 100% of all fall incidents and can come to the rescue quickly. Even falls that would otherwise have remained under the radar because the residents could still get up independently are now reported in the care file. This works automatically, without staff entering everything manually into the record.
Experts discuss "Artificial intelligence - just what the doctor ordered for our caregivers?" at the "Haus der Zukunft" in Berlin on 9 May.
Many industries are milking the significant advantages that new digital solutions and tools bring to their work. But why aren't the elderly reaping the same benefits? Experts will discuss this topic on 9 May at the "Haus der Zukunft" in Berlin.
Dr Kathrin Seibert from the Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research (IPP) at the University of Bremen is one of the most distinguished German researchers on the topic of "digitalisation and nursing". In recent years, she has mainly conducted research in the field of nursing projects and AI and is convinced that digital tools have great potential in elderly care.
"The benefits of care technology must be tangible in practice for those in need of care, as well as their care professional and family," she said in response to the panel debate "Can artificial intelligence save our elderly care?"
Sascha Saẞen, who is responsible for quality management at Korian, one of Germany's largest providers of care services, is also enthusiastic about the use of digital innovations in elderly care. Saßen wants to take the internet and Wi-Fi equipment in the Korian nursing homes to a new level to enable a stable network connection in all areas. Staff will also be given intensive training to care staff in the use of the new technologies.
Liesbeth Pyck