How the Long Term Care Industry is Embracing Technology

The long-term care industry is facing unprecedented challenges to address resident acuity while providing assistance in daily activities and personal care. Evolving technology’s role in the long-term and post-acute care industry is especially important, given the rising number of older people in the U.S. Namely, by 2030 almost one in five Americans will be 65 years or older, straining the long term care system as well as the caregiving capacity of most American families. According to Ephraim Zagelbaum, founder and CEO of Personal Healthcare, the number of people across the U.S. who are dependent on long-term care is expected to rise to 27 million in 2050, which will put an additional burden on providers who must keep track of so many patients.

As in every industry, technology has provided long-term caregivers and their patients with new ways to approach old problems. Technological innovations have made long-term care not only more affordable but also easier, and now caregivers are using computer technology to enhance the way they attend to, monitor, and interact with their patients, while those patients are using software, devices, and apps of their own to enjoy greater mobility, security, and quality of life than ever before. Although the long-term care industry has gotten off to a slow start when it comes to embracing technology, Ephraim Zagelbaum, says now, electronic health records and mobile devices are being embraced in the post-acute care setting.

In fact, technologies that were a vision just five years ago are no longer just visions or prototypes—they are real products on the market that service providers and seniors can integrate,” says Ephraim Zagelbaum, Chief Executive Officer of Personal Healthcare, a senior care management company. Today, caregivers have access to information online that helps them to fulfill their roles more effectively than ever. Patient data can be shared more easily, and vital information regarding medications, treatment options, and breakthroughs can be disseminated in the blink of an eye. Clearly, the long-term and post-acute care industry is moving in the right direction. Hopefully, in the near future, more providers will embrace technological advancements and thus improve care and their workflows.