AgeTech World sat down with Dr Sanjeev Kanoria, owner of Advinia Healthcare, to discuss how technology could revolutionise the care home sector.
Advinia Healthcare is one of the biggest private care providers in the UK with 38 care homes around the country.
According to the 2019 ONS figures on internet users, there were four million people in the UK who have never used the internet of which 62 per cent were over the age of 75.
This is one of the reasons why healthcare providers and care homes are equipping technologies in their facilities. Under the TechForce19 challenge, 18 innovative digital solutions were announced with the aim of helping people particularly vulnerable or isolated people during the pandemic.
Advinia Healthcare conducted a trial that showed that artificial intelligence in care homes can reduce anxiety and loneliness in older people.
Dr Kanoria said: “Older people experience much more depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety than younger people do because of loneliness.
“We started using artificial intelligence softwares to combat older peoples mental health and lonliness.”
Advinia Healthcare uses technology to manage all the key aspects of the business, which it’s even enabling the company to manage the recruitment crisis that the UK is facing.
The number of technological softwares used by the company goes back to five year age<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> when they created the first culturally intelligence software for care homes.
Culturally intelligence softwares are a globally recognised way of assessing and improving effectiveness for culturally diverse situations.
Advinia is about to commercialise this new product by the end of this year.
“People are very used to technology and even older people do not hesitate to use it,” said Dr Kanoria. “People are more experimental that they used to be and even people in care homes are willing to try new technologies to see whether it works for them or not.”
Technology in care homes is also being used as a tool in the post-Covid world. After Covid-19, Advinia has acquired a new business that provides video services.
“We are expanding remote access to include the patients’ own data and where remote care of the patients can be done,” said Dr Kanoria.
“We are buying more care homes and we are experimenting with more and more advanced technological softwares as we want to be able to remotely monitor our patients.
“We’re putting a lot of technology in our care homes. Plus, the rollout of our dementia robotics will significantly change the way the older care sector works.”
