Home Telecare Technology for Older Adults

By Richard Shank

Experts from Norway and the United States have recently provided an overview of the available home telecare technologies that can aid in the care of older adults. Telecare is designed to increase independence and enhance the quality of life for elderly who desire to live in their own homes.

Home telecare was first developed for patients with chronic diseases such as heart failure, diabetes, asthma, and COPD. It has now expanded beyond these chronic conditions and can be applied to a wider variety of people. Telemedical devices can improve the quality-of-life of these patients because they can rest more comfortably at home and still receive clinical monitoring, consultation, and education.

Considering that a large percentage of older adults prefer to stay in their homes, it is important to utilize methods of care delivery that will best support their needs. Telecare advocates argue that telemedicine can provide more frequent access to different levels of care for older adults (health care staff, family, and friends); provides cost-effective results for service providers; allows for earlier diagnoses of health abnormalities because of the ability to more frequently monitor physiological data; and it provides a more direct outlet to supply more education and counseling, social support, and disease monitoring to older adults than could otherwise be done.

For patients with asthma and COPD, telemedical devices are available that allows them to monitor the oxygen levels in their oxygen tanks via a telemonitoring device. They can also utilize telecare as a way of transmitting physiological measurements via a telephone network.

Older adults with cardiovascular disease have similar options available to them. Intensive home-based monitoring equipment is available for patients suffering from severe congestive heart failure (e.g. electrocardiogram telemonitoring). These devices can improve the quality-of-life of these patients because they can rest more comfortably at home and still receive clinical heart monitoring.

For patients with diabetes, there are a range of telemedicine applications available including web-based education programs and glucose meters that can transmit data through telephone networks or can be converted to handheld devices that operate over computer networks.

Persons living with dementia who often struggle with wandering can also benefit from telecare devices that utilize satellite positioning systems and mobile phone technologies that can be used to make sure they are monitored in a way that ensures their safety.

Experts believe that these technologies will enhance the homecare environment and allow older adults to maintain more autonomy within the community than previously thought possible.

Source: Botsis, T., Demiris, G. Steiner, P., Hartvigsen, G. 2008. Home telecare technologies for the elderly. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare 14: 333-337.

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