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The future of the senior care industry - Part #5
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While the senior care industry may currently be in its infancy, it will be forced to grow and adapt quickly to meet the skyrocketing demand soon to come from the Baby Boomers. Already, the industry is providing a means for seniors to receive complex care at home rather than in a skilled nursing setting.
But the senior care industry is also experiencing some growing pains, such as finding and keeping high-quality caregivers, lost provider productivity due to the need to travel from home to home communicating effectively with medical providers, and overcoming confusion in the marketplace. What’s next for this growing industry?
Future Senior Care Technology
The senior care Industry is in the early stages of using technology effectively, experts note. Communication about a patient between medical providers is not always shared electronically. And even when it is, the exchange doesn’t always function as intended. Many medical providers still communicate primarily via telephone, fax and e-mail rather than with modern telehealth technology. Few make use of beneficial video technologies to communicate with patients and their families. Experts anticipate that in coming years, a network dedicated to caring for senior patients will make information available across medical providers regardless of geographic boundaries. In addition, the industry will make better use of existing technologies, including smart home computer systems and dedicated wireless networks that provide patients with mobile support. Headline-grabbing technologies like personal care robots are expected to revolutionize senior care in the future.


