independent living,
Assisted Living,
Assistive living
| 17 May, 2023
Ireland has the longest life expectancy in the European Union, and while this a positive testament to the quality of life and healthcare in Ireland, it is one of the factors that puts a strain on Ireland’s healthcare system. The healthcare staffing shortage continues to be an ongoing problem not just in Ireland, but across the UK also.
What does Healthcare currently look like in Ireland?
Political leaders across Ireland have recognised the great work that the health departments have been doing but have highlighted that given the long-waiting lists and staff shortages, it’s no surprise that healthcare professionals are under immense pressure.
Figures released at the end of 2022 reported that over 812,000 patients were on the national public hospital waiting lists, and while this was a 4% decrease from the previous year, this puts immense pressure on health professional which can lead to burnout and staff shortages.
Assistive Living Technologies could be the solution for supporting Ireland’s healthcare system and give patients the opportunity to live at home, while receiving the highest standard of care.
What are Assistive Living Technologies?
Assistive living technology is a broad term used to describe any product or service that’s primary function is to maintain or improve an individual’s independence. Assistive living technology allows people to live independently at home, empowering the individual while also supporting traditional health and care services.
How can Assistive Living Technologies support health staffing shortages?
Reduces prolonged hospital stays
If there is not a support package in place for a patient that needs additional support at home, unfortunately they cannot be discharged from hospital until the correct support is in place. This means that patients who are physically well enough to return home may have to stay longer in hospital than required.
Assistive Living Technologies means that patients that are healthy enough to return home can do so, and with a combination of home support services and assistive living technologies in place, they can continue to receive quality care from the comfort of their own homes.
Improving hospital discharge times positively impacts the shortage of hospital beds, which will in turn help relieve pressure on health professionals.
Aids clinical prioritisation
Technology enabled care allows for improved prioritisation of clinical staff.
Smart Devices, one aspect of Assistive Living Technologies, allow clinicians to collect vitals including blood pressure, without the need for the client to visit an acute hospital setting. Clinicians will have real-time access to patient vitals, which means data-driven decisions can be made regarding the patients' health, all remotely and from the comfort of the client's home.
This allows for improved prioritisation of clinical staff as virtual care reduces the requirement for home visits, without compromising on the quality of care the patient receives.
Offers a long-term cost-effective solution
Assisted Living Technology offers a long-term solution that supports the individual's sense of independence, providing safe & effective healthcare for the individual to live at home.
Reducing the need for clinical visits, reducing hospital discharge times and allowing for the remote monitoring of patient care all result in savings for the health economy and reduces pressure on health professionals.
About HaloCare
HaloCare is a 24/7, 365-day technology enabled care solution for people who wish to remain independent in their own homes but need a little extra support day-to-day. HaloCare adopts a holistic approach to patient-centred care and have three core pillars at the foundation of everything they do: Safety, Social & Wellness, and Clinical.
Safety: Keeping clients safe at home is paramount. HaloCare technologies are best-in-class and developed to promote independence which gives HaloCare clients and their circle of care the peace of mind that, should anything happen in the home (for example an unusual pattern in client behaviour), the HaloCare team will be alerted and can intervene when required.
Social and Wellness: Social isolation can become a problem, particularly for older people or those living with a disability. HaloCare offer a bespoke service where trained care specialists will call clients, at their request. This service helps to keep clients connected and works in conjunction with family visits and homecare support. The HaloCare solution supports clients, so they can carry out their activities of daily living while delivering better physical and mental health outcomes through a blended approach of virtual homecare solutions.
Clinical: HaloCare have adopted Remote Patient Monitoring to provide health professionals and clinicians with timely access to client’s vitals for better health outcomes and wellbeing.
HaloCare is built to the highest International Standards and Best Practice in Governance and is led by a highly trained team so clients and their circle of care can put their trust in HaloCare.
