For the two decades spanning between 2010 and 2030, approximately 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 years old daily. The unprecedented growth of the aging population throughout the world presents a high demand for senior care. Also, with an increasing average lifespan, the senior population is forecasted to double by 2050. With such an exponential increase in senior care demand, many social and economic concerns of healthcare need to be resolved in order to cater to such a large demographic. With help from science and technology, Artificial intelligence (AI) has come to the aid of healthcare geriatrics. Here are 5 ways in which AI is revolutionizing elder care:
1. At home health monitoring
Many older adults need to keep a close eye on their vitals and health performance. Especially with diabetes and dementia, seniors may need assistance in monitoring their blood sugar or blood pressure at least once a day. Some technologies like Biotricity have developed a medical diagnostic system that remotely delivers biometric monitoring solutions. CarePredict is using AI to continuously detect changes in activity and behavior patterns for early detection of health issues. Amazon Echo and Orbita Health are voice-based virtual assistants which use AI to enable medication reminders and care coordination for seniors.
2. Smart advice Assisted Daily Living
Blood pressure, stress levels, and physical activity are important to monitor and maintain, especially for seniors with health concerns like diabetes. Fitbit and the Apple Watch make personal monitoring simple and accessible. Advanced features of these fitness watches use AI to check for unhealthy or inconsistent biometric results.
3. Smart device assisted fall detection
Falls are one of the leading causes of death and injury in older adults. Xsens, Kardian, and Qventus have built AI-powered fall detectors which automatically notify designated emergency contacts for seniors in need.
4. Virtual companions
In the battle against isolation, AI robots are even becoming popular companions for older adults. Robots like Catalia Health‘s Mabu, Intuition Robotics‘ ElliQ, CT Asia Robotics’ Dinsow and Reiken’s Robobear are virtual home assistants for elderly who live alone and require daily assistance as well as companionship. Some help seniors stay active and engaged by connecting them with family and the outside world. Other robots are conversational robots that provide tailored conversations while also collecting data on treatments.
5. Anti-aging research
AI is also assisting countless other research initiatives dedicated to understanding the aging process. Calico uses interactive learning to understand the fundamental biology of aging. Knowledge from such studies can be applied to medical procedures, or even everyday living, to continue increasing the average lifespan ove time. Insilico Medicine is a drug development company that uses AI to explore ways to end aging and age-related diseases. Nuritas is using AI to find bioactive peptides in the food we eat for applications including anti-aging.
If you or an aging loved one is in need of extra assistance for senior living, the modern age of technology offers many unique solutions to the most specific difficulties. You can also contact WellPath Partners to help you get ahead in eldercare and wellness.
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By Prithvi Chauhan
