The pandemic has propelled digital health to the fore, accelerating the development – and uptake – of a vast array of innovations. Agetech World looks at what this acceleration means in terms of enabling older people to live well longer.
Tackling reluctance
It may be a cliché, that of the older generation being wary of new technology, but there is a degree of truth in it.
That’s why, as the pandemic took hold, there was a great deal of focus on getting elderly people to engage with the tech available, particularly when it came to healthcare.
However, with no other alternatives, as face-to-face appointments were discouraged or even refused altogether, seniors began to embrace telemedicine.
According to a study by the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging of adults aged between 50 and 80, from 2019 to 2020, there was a substantial increase in the proportion of older adults who reported that their health care providers offered telehealth visits.
In May 2019, just 14 per cent of this age group said that their health care providers offered telehealth visits, compared to 62 per cent in June 2020.
Similarly, the percentage of older adults who had ever used a telehealth visit personally rose dramatically from four per cent in May 2019 to 30 per cent in June 2020. Of those surveyed in 2020, six per cent said they had had a telehealth visit prior to March 2020, while 26 per cent reported having a telehealth visit in the period from March to June 2020.
And while the majority of respondents said they felt office visits as providing higher quality of care and better communication with health care providers, telehealth visits were accepted as being more convenient by most.
Furthermore, the research suggested that the effects could be long term; those who had a past telehealth visit were also more likely than those who never had one to be interested in future virtual appointments with a primary care provider (70 per cent vs 55 per cent), a specialty care provider (58 per cent vs 45 per cent), or a mental health provider (41 per cent vs 28 per cent).
More support
With greater reliance on tech comes greater government and financial support – and that’s true of agetech developments.
A report from Deloitte found that ‘Agetech … will become commonplace and health information exchanges seen as an integral part of the health ecosystem’.
Meanwhile, a paper by Andrew Sixsmith, of the department of gerontology at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, stated that: “Technology has increasingly been seen as a potential solution for supporting seniors and caregivers during this time – helping to connect people at a time of disconnection.”
It also highlighted that, in early 2020, Canadian president Justin Trudeau created a $350m fund for community organisations to support vulnerable groups, including seniors, specifically through the use to technology.
Combatting isolation
Aside from healthcare, one of the key concerns, particularly for the elderly, was isolation. Many older people may live alone, or with existing health conditions that required them to shield.
Those in care homes also suffered as family visits were banned and group events within the home were cancelled.
To help alleviate loneliness and isolation, and recreate the natural interactions that form part of our daily routines, chat apps such as Quarantine Chat were developed.
The free digital voice service was created in 2019 by long-distance friends Danielle Baskin and Max Hawkins, and really came into its own during the pandemic.
By downloading Dial Up, an app for hosting Quarantine Chat, users could subscribe to periodic calls to randomly pair them with a chat partner who was also staying at home.
According to the developers, the aim is to recreate the experience of spontaneously talking to a stranger as part of the daily routine.
Spotting loneliness
In January 2021, Leeds County Council adopted a government-backed, satellite-powered app to spot the early signs of loneliness in the city.
The satellite-enabled Care View app is aimed at tackling social isolation and loneliness in urban areas. It does this through enlisting the help of professional volunteers across a city, including police officers, postal workers and charity workers, who register on the app when they see signs people may be experiencing social isolation.
Signs of potential loneliness include rubbish dumped in the garden or curtains that always remain shut.
The app also provides a digital tool to help volunteers find people in need of help by creating a heat map, pinpointing streets and homes where people might welcome need help.