Historically, the ability to age in place was familiar. Multigenerational families would either share a home or be close by to help one another. Grandparents would help care for their grandchildren while their children took care of their own needs. Two significant events changed this way of life; medical advancements led to extended life spans, and the nuclear family replaced extended families.

These factors led to seniors having to fend for themselves in their “golden years,” therefore, people in need of long-term care move into nursing homes or a senior living community. Most people surveyed would prefer to age in place, i.e., at home or with family, for as long as possible.

Often, things happen quickly for many seniors, especially those most vulnerable to illness, chronic conditions, or injury. Government and commercial health plan reimbursement strategies for remote patient monitoring (RPM) are beginning to change this.

The advent of affordable, easy-to-deploy, and easy-to-use telehealth and remote patient monitoring technology for personal care options has revolutionized community safety and added a new sense of peace of mind. These technologies allow seniors to connect with their doctors on-demand via voice or video. So healthcare providers (primarily hospitals and health systems) can collect daily patient health data without the hassle and disruption of an office visit.

 

Scenarios Where RPM Can Promote Aging in Place & Senior Care

Telehealth and RPM ensure providers are always aware of their patient’s current health rather than relying on old, static health data such as weight, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, blood glucose levels, etc. With AI and ML, healthcare professionals can spot emerging trends earlier, reducing the risk of a costly and disruptive ED visit or inpatient stay. Using these early warning signs helps providers improve health outcomes while meeting CMS requirements for value-based care plans.

  • Patients with a History of Poor Chronic Disease Management
  • Early Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or Other Memory Loss Patients
  • Following Up After an ER Visit or a Hospital Stay

 

Contact EasyLiving

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring can help bridge the gap between visits. Engaging patients, daily biometric readings, and symptomology and assessment questions can alert hospitals and health systems to a patient’s worsening condition. They can then decide whether to contact the patient by phone or video, send a home health worker for a more in-depth risk assessment (especially if tests outside the norm are required), or send the patient to an urgent care clinic or the ED. Contact us today for more information on how RPM technology and EasyLiving’s senior care services can help seniors age in place in Clearwater, FL, Holiday, FL, and Temple Terrace, FL!