The care industry, like almost every other, is being revolutionised by a generation of new technologies, like the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence.
But while tech companies are making great strides to create new products and services suited to both health and social care, what they have largely failed at so far is to learn the language of care – or at least use language that helps the care industry understand what the technologies do and how they can help.
The rapid rise of Technology Enabled Care (TEC) means there are now multiple ways to describe all of the different elements of it, which can be difficult for older people, their families and care providers to understand. Assistive technology, digital care, smart care, eHealth, virtual care, telemedicine, mHealth… the terminology in this sector can be really confusing.
Evidently, there are a wealth of different terms and devices in the Technology Enabled Care sphere. For the sector to deliver on its promise, having simple, easy to understand and accessible terms matter.
We believe that confusion over the terms to use, and search for, is slowing the growth of the sector.
Which is why we teamed up with AgeSpace to campaign for “Connected Care” to become the default term for a particular part of the TEC world.
Connected Care is a simple term and can encompass all of the types of care technology and services that provide remote monitoring of older peoples’ homes.
Anthropos’ form of Connected Care uses discreet monitors and sensors in an older person’s home, to provide intelligence that family members and care providers can access via a dedicated platform. This intelligence builds a picture of an older person’s daily routine and identifies meaningful changes in that routine. In this way, connected care offers a view into the lives of older people when they are alone.
Using Connected Care helps carers and family members make better, more timely care decisions.
As the graphic below demonstrates, Connected Care is the natural evolution of telecare. If telecare is about reacting to problems in the home, then Connected Care is about spotting changes that allow pre-emptive action to be taken, before those problems occur..
Connected Care encapsulates what everyone in this sector is trying to achieve: using technology to support older people to stay safe in their own homes for as long as possible; preventing the preventable by using smart monitoring, data and insights.
Find out more about Anthropos’ Connected Care.