While “telecare” is generally used to describe the utilization of technology to offer remote care and emergency alarms for the elderly and physically less able people, the definition of telecare is continuously changing with the emergence of newer technology. Telecare is typically used to remotely aid patients in recovery, provide them with remote access to care, or even monitor warning signs of various illnesses and health conditions.
Through innovations such as cloud-based platforms, providers are now able to offer efficient and effective digital telecare services that eliminate the downsides of traditional and analogue care systems. An example is the use of an alarm management platform for elderly care—through digital technology, it is now possible to implement a quick and responsive alarm system without depending on a physical response center. The handling of the alarms is now possible through just a computer or a mobile device.
Simply put, digital care is the next generation technology that allows and supports integrated, innovative, and person-centric care.
Embracing and implementing digital telecare has a multitude of benefits that will keep growing alongside the evolution of systems and technologies. Through the years, these advantages will also evolve with the advancement of technology.
When compared to analogue telecare systems, implementing and maintaining digital systems is more cost effective in the long run. The maintenance of analogue alarms still depends on human input, while with digital systems, software updates can be delivered and implemented remotely. The elimination alone of physical visits to service analogue systems is already enough to see an increase in cost savings.
Through digital telecare systems, the time it takes to transmit emergency calls and connect users can be reduced greatly, leading to much quicker response from health care providers. Telecare centers are also able to reliably monitor the functionality of the health devices thanks to consistent feedback from the devices in the form of status updates and notifications.
With digital telecare systems, calls, alarms, and emergency prompts can be done from an array of devices, ranging from mobile phones to personal computers and other smart devices that can all be integrated within the digital telecare system. Through digital telecare, users are able to access the services right at their fingertips.
While digital telecare clearly offers a great deal of benefits both for the end users and the providers, the switch from analogue to digital is not without challenges and obstacles. Shifting to digital telecare also equates to fully embracing and integrating IT systems, as it is now essentially an IT service.
Operational and logistical processes and systems also need to be taken into account and maintained regularly, to ensure that telecare services are constantly up and running, and able to respond promptly whenever needed.
To operate reliably and consistently, digital telecare also has multiple requisites that need to be maintained regularly in order to prevent and eliminate downtime, and ensure that all the telecare services are able to be delivered on demand—a reliable internet connection, a regularly maintained cloud-based service, as well as a robust security system are just some examples of these requirements.
Read more: All You Need to Know About Technology Enabled Care
Given all the benefits of digital technology in telecare, it is clear that this is the future. Through these innovations, remote care is now much more accessible for both the providers and the users. Digital telecare also shows clear and enormous potential for healthcare, providing users with much needed freedom and quality of life services to enjoy their lives and live independently. While the transition to a digital telecare system might be initially daunting, tapping a technology company and solutions provider such as Skyresponse can make the process as easy and as seamless as possible. Skyresponse provides partners with alarm and event handling management, primarily in personal care, including elderly care and personal safety, in addition to smart buildings and areas of Internet of Things.
Through their platform, Skyresponse offers a future-proof alarm management platform for elderly care, using the latest technology to create a safe environment for caregivers and provide caretakers with the best and most efficient solutions.