Technologies for the Benefit of Home Care and Assistance

2023-07-10

Nothing can replace the human touch required to provide quality care and assistance to seniors. However, at Amika, we firmly believe that technology - combined with the human aspect of our Caregivers - can greatly enhance the experience and supplement the delivery of care and assistance. Technology can also enable seniors to stay in their homes longer and in a safe manner.

Technologies and their Benefits for Clients and Caregivers

In recent years, the adoption of new technologies has been on the rise in the home care and assistance industry, commonly referred to as gerontechnology. Here are some applications:

Remote monitoring through connected devices

It is now possible to remotely monitor changes in the health status of a senior in their home through the combination of connected objects and mobile applications.

For example, the company Howz has developed a non-intrusive and innovative technology that uses a combination of information from the senior's care network, smart sensors placed inside their home, and connected objects. These track any changes and developments related to the use of electricity, lights, and heating inside the home, as well as the movements of the occupant(s). An alert is sent to the family when these systems detect changes in behavior or anomalies (for example, if the refrigerator has not been opened for 24 hours, or if the room temperature has been abnormally high for 2 nights). This allows seniors to keep their family informed if a problem arises and they need assistance.

Support for family caregivers

Thanks to a multitude of mobile applications, family caregivers can now receive all the necessary support to fulfill their role:

• Informing: An application like "Alzheimer Infos" provides free access to the latest information on developments and advances in care and research.
• Assisting: It is also possible to use mobile applications to support caregivers in their tasks and efficiently coordinate their activities. For example, Stibox is a tool that stimulates emotions through personalized brain games and visual daily routines, helping maintain the person's autonomy. This tool also aims to share the elderly person's memories with all family caregivers and professionals.

Personalization of care and assistance through artificial intelligence

In recent years, there has been much talk about artificial intelligence and the revolution it could bring to various industries. Montreal is a global leader in artificial intelligence research.

In home care and assistance, service providers can use artificial intelligence and machine learning to personalize their service by:

• Developing a highly personalized care plan based on the senior's personality and needs.
• Matching the client with a caregiver with whom they are most likely to develop a strong, friendly, and trusting relationship.
• More effectively predicting the frequency, duration, and timing of required home visits.

To effectively use artificial intelligence, service providers need access to a wide range of information about the client's health profile, environment, personality, and interests. By combining this information, algorithms can propose an optimal care plan and continually improve and refine it based on the client's feedback.

Medication reminder

User-friendly mobile applications allow seniors and their loved ones to better manage medication intake. For example, the free application MediSafe is a tool for those who need to take one or more medications: it helps manage medication intake and offers a convenient reminder function to prevent missed doses. You can also authorize family members or friends to receive an alert if a dose is missed.

Emergency alert system

Wearable accessories and smart sensors placed inside a home can detect falls and other types of physical injuries to a senior. When such an event occurs, an emergency call is automatically sent to 911, and family members are notified.

Amika's Technology

Amika aims to draw inspiration from these new technologies to reinvent the home care and assistance industry in Quebec. Our web and mobile application have been created to simplify the lives of family caregivers, personalize the care and assistance plans for our clients, and help Amika Caregivers perform their work efficiently. The main features include:

• The ability for family caregivers and clients to manage their visit schedules online.
• Real-time information about visits (arrival and departure of the Caregiver, visit reports).
• A matching system between our clients and Amika Caregivers based on the clients' needs, preferences, personalities, and interests.

Amika aims to position itself as an innovator in the home care and assistance industry. Many more features will be added in the coming years. However, rest assured that technology can never replace the human touch, love, and compassion of our Amika Caregivers. :)

More information on our approach and services is available here: https://www.soinsamika.com/en/services or by contacting us at 514-543-4450.

You can also visit our frequently asked questions section:
https://www.soinsamika.com/en/about