As people get older and older, they'll start to lose their balance. This can make residing alone incredibly dangerous. Couple this with mentally debilitating diseases, such as Alzheimer's, and many elderly individuals will not be able to live alone safely. A trip and fall could result in the patient lying on the ground for many hours, without assistance. Senior care homes help to fill this void, with the Alert1 Medical Alert Services. They'll protect the patient, while giving their family members peace of mind. Of course, senior care facilities could be enhanced substantially with the introduction of new technologies. Some of these technologies will be explored in greater depth below.
Medical Monitoring
The Fitbit and other similar products have grown incredibly popular over the past few years. Of course, younger individuals, with the intention of losing weight and getting into shape, primarily utilize them. Nonetheless, medical monitoring devices can also be thoroughly beneficial for seniors. Some of these technologies are capable of monitoring the individual's blood pressure and other vitals continually throughout the day and night. This makes it possible for the nurse to obtain the necessary vitals, without needing to enter the room and disturb the patient.
Therefore, it could prove to be a win-win for everyone involved. The oxygen saturation monitor or pulse ox will help patient's maintain a suitable oxygen level. The pulse oximeter is a great way to monitor heart rate and blood oxygen levels.
Medication Reminders
Dear Jane recently explained how patients could be reminded of their medication needs through the use of technology. Many patients must take daily medications, in order to remain healthy. This is where a medication reminder or dispenser will enter the picture. A smart dispenser will be able to detect the time of day and dispense the appropriate medications at the proper time. This will encourage the patient to take their necessary drugs, even if they have a memory lapse. The e-pill CADEX Watch will definitely be helpful in the senior care home and they may even be able to keep the elderly in their home for a longer duration.
Smart Cameras
NetgearArlo cameras are primarily utilized to track and stop nefarious behavior. Nonetheless, they can also be very beneficial in a senior care home. Smart cameras will make it possible to track patients around the facility effortlessly. In fact, some of these cameras are capable of detecting and tracking human beings. This will ensure the nurses and other staff members are consistently aware of their patient's location. This can make it possible to detect falls instantly, while also stopping patients from exiting the facility on their own accord.
GPS Patient Monitoring
Most patients residing in skilled nursing facilities suffer from some form of dementia. While not all cases are severe, there are still moments of delusion and confusion. When this occurs, the patient will wander around in the hallways, into other patients' rooms and try to escape out the front door. Hundreds of Alzheimer's patients escape undetected from nursing homes every year in the United States alone. These patients are very vulnerable to the outside world, since they do not know the area and they are completely confused.
The best way to prevent dementia patients from exiting the facility is to attach a GPS monitor around their ankle. When the patient nears the entrance, an alarm will be initiated, alerting all the staff of the incident. The staff will respond, by assisting the patient back to his/her room, preventing an emergency crisis, while saving the reputation of the facility.
Electronic Documentation
Back in the day nurses and physicians had difficulty accessing their patients' charts, because they were stored inside of a plastic binder. These charts were kept inside of a record room, where an employee had to retrieve and transport them to the appropriate department in the hospital. While this worked well for many decades, it compromised patient care. Today, all nurses and physicians document on a computer, so all approved medical staff and the federal government can access the electronic records whenever the need arises.