May 21, 2020
The Acceleration of Virtual Care for the Rest of Us

I think we can all agree on how important staying connected is, now more than ever. As the song lyric goes, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.

The accelerating adoption of clinical virtual care for healthcare practitioners

The adoption rate of virtual care technology and screening is rapidly accelerating. Staying connected using virtual care devices, i.e., video and remote clinical monitoring technology is critical for treatment of general conditions as well as monitoring symptoms and recovery. Remote monitoring information provides real data to allow medical doctors and other healthcare professionals to make more informed decisions about our health. What happens when you are not at the doctor’s office is often more important than when you are there. Virtual care in the form of remote or contactless monitoring  is essential. We will be seeing more virtual care not only to keep the population as healthy and well as possible for ongoing maintenance and treatment, but also to be fitness screened for work, travel, etc.

But what about non-clinical virtual caregiving for families and caregivers?

This time has underlined the requirement for virtual care using remote non-clinical monitoring technology to stay connected. Based on a multitude of research studies, the massive boomer population reaching retirement, and our longer lifespans, people in the healthcare and caregiving space have known for a long time that a care gap was inevitable. New non-clinical virtual care technology is required to help fill the void in order for our older loved ones to stay connected to trusted family and/or professional caregivers.

It has become relatively simple for many of us to use technology to lessen the communication disruption. But not everyone can use or have access to a phone, social media or apps so easily. My mother-in-law still uses a landline phone, as she is not comfortable with the complexity of a smartphone or computer. And many of us have older loved ones who live alone and who we can’t always “get to” that easily. In normal times we’re working, managing our own lives and responsibilities, or maybe we live a plane ride away. Now we can maintain a family connection – to our older loved ones – using remote monitoring technology to support virtual caregiving.

Who needs virtual caregiving, and when?

Perhaps everyone. Families with older adults who are living alone or with a spouse/partner who has Alzheimer’s or some other form of memory loss are using non-clinical remote monitoring technology to stay connected and provide virtual caregiving. For example, this easy to use technology can tell us (via a simple phone app connected to a wearable on the loved one) if a loved one is active, where they are in case of a wandering incident, and if they are deviating from a usual routine – indicative that intervention may be needed. At the other end of the spectrum, receiving alerts for Alzheimer’s or dementia wandering can be lifesaving, as we have seen with many families already.

But it’s not just about memory loss. While we all want to be active and independent as we get older, the truth is accidents will happen, and activity changes are subtle and subjective. Maybe I think I am doing just fine, but what another trusted family member may see captured remotely via a smartphone app – my activity data – can help us both understand how I am. Perhaps I haven’t been as active? Have I started to wander but may be unaware of it? Being able to proactively address developing issues can potentially prevent a trip to the emergency room or hospital stay, which is not only upsetting and stressful, but can be very expensive:

• The average emergency room visit cost $1,389 in 2017, up 176%, according to a report by the Health Care Cost Institute.
• In 2018, the average hospital stay was just over $10,700 according to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project; Healthcare.gov reports that the average 3-day hospital stay is $30,000
• On average, the hospitalization cost for a fall injury is $34,294 (in 2012 dollars). According to the CDC falls are the leading cause of injury death for Americans 65 years and older.

Remote monitoring technology can help us “see” subtle and overt activity changes, allowing us to provide better non-clinical caregiving for our loved ones before a situation escalates.

The benefits of remote monitoring and virtual caregiving

More active independence. We are living longer than ever. We cycle, we golf, we power walk, we swim, we shop, we go to restaurants. We may (or may not) have memory loss, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or another condition, but all can benefit from this easy to use technology. We may be prone to wandering, or we may just want the reassuring yet discrete family connection and remote monitoring oversight as an additional layer of security. Our trusted family members receive activity information and alert notifications, with instant two-way hands-free communication in an emergency or just a simple check-in. And it no longer has to be a stigmatizing form factor.

Stay in your home of choice longer. People want to stay in their own home for as long as possible, but the US Health and Human Services reports 60% of those 65 can expect to use some form of long-term care in their lives on the form of nursing home, assisted living or in-home care.  The annual national median cost of a private room in a nursing home was $100,375 in 2018, according to Genworth Financial. Assisted living about $48,000 a year and a home health aide was $50,336 a year. Eliminating or deferring these expenses is possible with non-clinical remote monitoring technology.

Lessens social isolation. Social isolation can lead to depression and other mental and physical related illnesses for loved ones who are stuck inside, especially our older loved ones. Being able to check-in, and know where your loved one is, is a necessity. Using technology like a cellular wearable can be simpler, and not require staff time or personal skill sets to start communicating.  In more normal times being able to get out, stay active and independent with confidence from reassuring oversight improves quality of life.

More peace of mind for everyone. Only 8 million Americans have long-term care insurance (American Association of Long-Term Care Insurance) and there are 48 million Americans aged 65 and over (Administration for Community Living). With this number increasing rapidly, family caregivers will be the primary caregivers for our older loved ones. Remote monitoring and virtual caregiving are already supporting more peace of mind for forward-thinking families and their older loved ones. To be able to access information at your fingertips to know where and how a loved one is doing is priceless. And loved ones stay active and independent with the confidence that you are virtually there should they need you.

Communication, activity monitoring and alerts in a simple, non-stigmatizing form factor. Virtual caregiving technology no longer has to mean a lanyard or other stigmatizing device for the wearer.  A full-featured wearable just like a watch, but that has the power of a smartphone provides a perfect solution. It’s especially easy for those with memory or other issues that limit abilities, or simply those who are not comfortable with a smartphone. A complete wearable also means there’s no need to carry two devices anymore because cellular is integrated. Using remote monitoring technology means families can avert some upsetting and costly incidents by staying connected and informed.

Families already using remote monitoring technology say it best.

As we know from dozens of studies, the burden of care is likely to fall to family caregivers. It comes down to technology to make their lives easier, with more peace of mind, while keeping older family members and friends we support as active and independent as possible, in their home of choice. This is the best quality of life for all.

Family caregivers using remote monitoring technology to provide virtual care are the best referrers, and as busy as they are, always want to help spread the word that there is help available. Here are just a few comments we have received over the last month alone, during this crisis:

“I would have to put my husband in a home if it weren’t for this watch.”

“This watch has been a Godsend for my husband with Lewy Body Dementia. Three times he has been lost in the woods around our home, and because of this watch, we were able to locate him each time. I have used the Quik Connect feature (hands-free audio call to wearable) to talk to him and get him back home safely.”

Remote monitoring technology is now available for both clinical care and non-clinical caregiving. We don’t have to wait until it’s too late or an upsetting or potentially dangerous incident occurs to move forward. We can be proactive to help our families stay connected using non-clinical virtual care. We will improve everyone’s lives by applying the technology to alleviate the stress of caregiving for families and their loved ones. How can we help you?

“No matter what stage (of Alzheimer’s) the watch is one of the most important items you will ever purchase if your loved one wanders. I put it off because I didn’t want to admit what was happening. It looks like a very stylish watch anyone would wear. It has proven invaluable in locating Alan when he gets a stubborn streak and takes off. I would recommend you buy a Theora Care watch sooner rather than later, for more peace of mind and increased safety for your loved one.”