Published
14 February 2025Last updated:
14 February 2025This is the «digital first» work method
Learn more about what «digital first» in elderly care is and the benefits and advantages of this work method.
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. There will not be enough hands to provide a sufficient care to all those who need it in care homes and home care
«In order to handle the major care challenges and maintain an efficient and well-functioning healthcare system that also ensures patient safety, local authorities and healthcare workers need to change the way they work. We need a digital transformation in elderly care, underpinned by care technology, digital supervision and a «digital first» mindset», says Torbjorn Aamodt (pictured), CEO of Sensio.
Digital supervision
In order to understand what the «digital first» approach entails, it is important to know what digital supervision is.
A simple definition of digital supervision is «the monitoring or follow-up of residents and patients with the help of technology and digital solutions», and supervision can take place either via cameras or sensors.
Digital monitoring involves either healthcare professionals taking a photo or starting a video transmission via a screen on their own initiative or as part of a routine, or sensors or alarms automatically alerting healthcare professionals to unwanted events via a screen – such as a mobile phone or tablet. In other words, this is a technology that makes it possible to monitor both the health and safety of residents, both in care homes and home care, without being physically present.
What is «digital first»?
The «digital first» work method consists of four main parts:
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Use of digital supervision as the first choice.
The starting point for the «digital first» work method is to use digital supervision as a first choice in elderly care. In other words, digital supervision should be the primary solution before the more traditional physical, event-driven supervision. At the same time, it is important to add that digital supervision is a supplement to physical supervision – not a replacement for physical care.
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Transition from active to passive notification.
The «digital first» work method involves moving from active notification via pull cords and alarm buttons to passive notification via cameras or sensors. Passive notification means that the sensor/camera alerts the staff automatically without the resident/patient having to do anything active. Our focus here is on sensor-based digital supervision, where the market leader is the multi-sensor RoomMate. RoomMate (pictured) 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.
Read more: RoomMate makes big gains in elderly care
The primary function of RoomMate is digital supervision where the alarm is triggered when the sensor, for example, recognizes 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/greyscale images and/or audio and video via the mobile (Sensio Pocket) or nurse's station to allow healthcare professionals to determine whether the resident needs physical assistance.
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Broad implementation.
Broad implementation is about introducing and using digital supervision and the «digital first» work method throughout the local authority or in all rooms in a care home – in some cases also in all rooms in a ward in a care home.
«It's only when you introduce the same systems and solutions in several places that employees get the necessary amount of training with the technology. Yes, it can be a major investment, but our experience is that broad implementation yields far greater benefits in the long term than having the technology in just a few rooms», says Sensio's Torbjorn Aamodt.
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Using data for person-centered care.
Knowledge and insights about residents and patients enable person-centered, individualized care. Mapping residents manually and with high quality is very demanding. That's why there are modern and advanced solutions such as Sensio Insight, designed to reduce this challenge and give healthcare professionals better insight and a better basis for decision-making based on objective and automatically collected sensor data.
Benefits of the «digital first» approach
Adopting digital supervision and the «digital first» work method in a care home or home care can potentially provide many benefits and advantages.
One of the most important benefits is improved safety and security for residents, who knows that help will arrive quickly when needed, for example in the event of a fall or other unwanted incidents. This helps to increase the quality of care.
«With digital supervision and the «digital first» work method at night, the residents does not have to be disturbed by nightly visits from healthcare workers. This leads to a calmer night and better sleep for the patient/resident, who experiences a better day and has a better quality of life. When using digital supervision in home care, this can be an important measure for the resident to be able to live longer at home if desired», says Sissel Ulstad (pictured), Team Leader Customer Success at Sensio.
Ulstad has extensive experience of the «digital first» work method, and works, among other things, with training healthcare workers in this method. She says it is important that the employees become familiar with the technology and how to use it optimally.
More time for care
For healthcare professionals, digital supervision and the «digital first» work method provide a good overview of patients/residents and act as a decision support to optimally prioritize their time.
This means that healthcare workers can focus on the situations that require physical action, without the need for continuous monitoring. This results in more efficient use of resources, better workflow and frees up time for staff, leaving more time for care.
«We experience that digital supervision and the «digital first» work method also provide a safer and more predictable working day for staff, which over time results in lower stress levels and reduced sick leave. This can also result in cost savings through more efficient operations, especially when it comes to staffing at night», says Sensio's Sissel Ulstad.
She has also found that digital supervision largely safeguards the integrity and personal space of patients and residents.
«This is appreciated by residents and helps to increase trust between them and the staff. Digital supervision can also contribute to better communication between healthcare staff and relatives, and give relatives a sense of safety when they know that their loved ones are being well looked after», she says.
In summary
If you look at the benefits of the broad implementation of care technology and the use of digital supervision and the «digital first» work method, there is little doubt that this can help solve the demographic and personnel challenges in dementia and elderly care in the UK.
«A digital transformation is necessary to improve the quality, efficiency and safety of elderly care for the benefit of employees, residents, relatives and society in general – and it is urgent for the local authorities to introduce this», concludes Torbjorn Aamodt of Sensio.
