Amid an ageing UK population, the need for better quality of care for the elderly is imperative. Max Parmentier tells Agetech World how Birdie works with care providers to transform the lives of older adults.
Advances in healthcare have helped millions to live longer than ever before. As a result, the number of older people is growing significantly, with more than one in five people in England over the age of 60, according to the NHS.
While the rise in new technologies will benefit longevity, the ageing rate of the population is likely to create challenges for both care providers and the NHS.
“Around 65-70 per cent of the healthcare costs are spent on elderly care,” says Max Parmentier, CEO and founder of Birdie, a social venture that aims to improve care for the elderly.
“We’ve designed our entire healthcare system around episodic care, but those with a chronic disease, especially the elderly, can be helped and supported to live a better life in a much more personalised and preventative way.”
His company uses digital products, Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning to help deliver better care for the elderly and maintain the comfort they need to live longer at home.
“My grandfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” the founder says. “And six months after we placed him in a care home, he passed away. Unfortunately, this is a common story for many of us. Our relationship with ageing is broken and we missed a turn when it comes to this sector.
“And because the healthcare system is very much designed around those who delivers care – primary, secondary and specialist care – the patient is often forgotten,” the CEO explains.
“So, when we established Birdie, we wanted to provide those care providers with digital solutions and technologies to move towards healthcare at home and improve efficiency.”
Although Covid has accelerated tech adoption across the healthcare sector, analysis from AgeUK shows that the pandemic has significantly increased the need for social care with one in four older people feeling limited to do everyday activities.
“The stats show us that around 90 per cent of the elderly do not want to stay in a care home,” Parmentier says.
“During the pandemic, we saw care providers dealing with their care workers remotely and we saw patients connecting with doctors on online platforms. That has worked tremendously well and I think offering support via various channels is great because it can improve the quality and ensure that everyone gets the right care at the right time.”
Parmentier says that when it comes to technology adaptations, there is still reluctance.
“Covid has made it easier to some extent, but at the beginning, one of the key obstacles we had was that care workers were not willing to use an app or a smartphone.
“The [elderly care] sector is not very tech savvy, so we still have to have conversations around how much money and quality of life technology could save compared with the current system.
“In order to make care providers listen you have to show them the best performing agencies, explain how they operate and how technology is part of that journey,” he adds.
“Adopting new technologies is a partnership. As a software provider, you should discuss what kind of solutions would help care providers, but also listen to them because people in this industry don’t feel listened to.”
Currently, 700 care providers use Birdie and around 25,000 close to 30,000 recipients are being supported every day.
The technology can also help with fall prevention, identifying patterns of infections and signs of depression, Parmentier says.
“Having the right intervention at the right time is extremely important. An older lady who has access to early support and is not admitted to the hospital, for example, can remain much healthier for much longer.
“Because the data is very powerful, we think we are capable to significantly improve the health of the ageing population.”
However, the sector is still underfunded. The Local Government Association (LGA) has reported that 98 per cent of councils do not have confidence that the government’s funding earmarked for the reforms is sufficient.
Parmentier agrees. We don’t have enough funding, particularly when it comes to the technology side, but I think we’re going to see more and more emerging models of federated data sets and technology players aiming to enhance the overall healthcare experience of the patient.
“It’s healthy competition and it will help us move forward. Working with all the providers, patients, families and team members and knowing that you are doing something meaningful can be extremely gratifying.”
For more info, visit birdie.care.