How digital supervision works in elderly care

Digital supervision is one of the solutions to the challenges in dementia and elderly care. But do you know what digital supervision means and what benefits it can bring? Here are the answers.

According to forecasts, the number of elderly people in the UK will increase sharply in the future, and by 2040 almost 1.4 million are predicted to be affected by dementia in the UK. At the same time, the care sector needs to recruit 128,000 new staff members every year to replace those leaving and retiring as well as meeting the increase in demand.

«The introduction and implementation of care technology and new digital working methods are crucial to solving the staffing crisis in elderly care and ensuring the best possible quality care for the elderly and people with dementia. Here, digital supervision is an important part of the solution and plays a central role in the digital transformation and modernization of elderly care», says Product Director Jon Slorer (pictured) at Sensio.

Receive the latest news from Sensio – sign up for our newsletter

What is digital supervision?

A simple definition of digital supervision is «the monitoring or follow-up of patients or residents using technology and digital solutions». This is in contrast to physical supervision, where a person is present with the patient or resident. This technology therefore makes it possible to monitor both the health and safety of residents both in care homes and home care, without being physically present. At the same time, it is important to note that digital supervision is a supplement to physical supervision – not a replacement for physical care.

How digital supervision can be used in the «digital first» working method

There are essentially two different methods of digital supervision; supervision based on cameras and supervision based on sensors. These two have significant differences that affect privacy, areas of use and how the technology is perceived by patients, residents, relatives and, not least, healthcare professionals.

Digital supervision means either that healthcare professionals, on their own initiative or as part of a routine, take a photo or start a video transmission via a screen, for example, or that sensors or alarms automatically notify healthcare professionals of unwanted events via a screen – such as a mobile phone or tablet.

Digital supervision with RoomMate

Here we will focus on sensor-based digital supervision, where the market leader is the multi-sensor RoomMate. RoomMate is used in more than 20,000 rooms in care homes and home care services in the Nordic countries and the UK – the majority of which are installed in Norway.

RoomMate is not a camera, but a sensor that «sees» a three-dimensional image of the room via infrared rays or laser beams.

The primary function of RoomMate (pictured) is digital supervision where the alarm is triggered when the sensor recognizes, for example, that the resident or patient falls, is active in the room, gets out of bed or is in bed for too long. RoomMate is then used to transmit anonymized images/grayscale images and/or audio and video via mobile or the nurse's station to allow healthcare professionals to determine if the resident needs physical assistance. These images/videos are anonymized, safeguarding the person's privacy, providing predictability and minimizing the feeling of being constantly monitored.

RoomMate makes big benefits in elderly care

Benefits of digital supervision

Digital supervision in elderly and dementia care has many benefits that make it attractive to patients, residents, relatives and healthcare professionals.

For residents and patients

First and foremost, digital supervision improves safety for the residents and patients, knowing that help will arrive quickly when needed, for example in the event of a fall or other unwanted events. This helps to increase the quality of care.

Sensor-based systems such as RoomMate monitor patient or resident activity and health conditions, such as movement, falls or abnormal behavior. The solutions automatically alert the staff, without them having to be present (passive alert). With this early warning, healthcare professionals can intervene before the person falls and prevent injury. This is particularly important for people with dementia, who are not always able to alert themselves.

At night, digital supervision is sufficient in many cases, and the residents does not have to be disturbed by nightly visits from healthcare professionals and thus gets better sleep. One of the benefits of introducing and using digital supervision is greater independence, which can also lead to a better quality of life for the elderly and people with dementia. Digital supervision can also be an important measure to enable a resident or patient to live at home for longer if desired.

For healthcare professionals

Digital supervision and the «digital first» working method (always starting with digital supervision) give staff in elderly and dementia care a good overview of patients/residents and act as a decision support to optimally prioritize their time. This allows healthcare professionals to focus on the situations that require physical action, without the need for continuous monitoring.

This results in more efficient use of resources and frees up time for staff, leaving more time for care. Digital supervision also provides a safer and more predictable working day for staff, which in turn results in lower stress levels and reduced sick leave over time.

Sensor-based solutions and digital supervision also provide healthcare professionals with invaluable insights into resident's behavior and the effect of various treatment interventions. This paves the way for person-centered care, among other things through the innovative and award-winning e-health solution Sensio Insight.

For relatives

It gives relatives a better sense of security when they know that their loved ones experience better safety in everyday life. Another benefit of digital supervision is that better insight enables better information for relatives, which in turn leads to better communication between relatives and healthcare professionals.

In summary

With the demographic challenges facing dementia and elderly care in the UK now and in the years to come, the widespread introduction of care technology and the use of digital working methods are crucial to solving the staffing crisis in healthcare. Central to this is digital supervision that combines safety and security with respect for both privacy and personal data, while optimizing the use of resources in elderly and dementia care.