Everywhere you turn in life and society these days there is some form of technology changing the way things are done.
Whether it’s for the better or not is often up for debate, and aged care is no exception to that.
There has been no shortage of stories here on Starts at 60 about technology being used in aged care.
From robot assistants to virtual reality, researchers and scientists have been exploring ways to revolutionise our approach to aged care – and the results are set to completely change the way society looks at ‘nursing homes’.
The latest example of technology that’s making the news is a robot being used in a dementia care facility in Perth.
Alice, a small humanoid robot, is being used by residents at the Brightwater dementia facility – and as reported by the ABC, it’s making a big impact on their social interaction and communication.
The Zorabot was the first to be used in Australia at a dementia facility, assisting residents with exercise classes, playing games with them and running a weekly music group.
As one resident told the ABC about Alice, she “makes everyone happy”.
Chief executive Jennifer Lawrence told the ABC that staff initially thought the new technology would replace them.
“We’re delighted about the level of engagement we have got from residents and we’re delighted about the reaction we have got from staff,” she said.
But the expansion of robots into aged care facilities goes beyond just entertaining residents.
As you might have read on Starts at 60 earlier this year, a group of academics in the UK are developing robots that they hope will assist with looking after residents in aged care facilities.
The BBC reported the Pepper Robots were being developed by researchers at the Middlesex University and University of Bedfordshire.
Apparently the robots could be used for everything from companionship to everyday tasks undertaken by aged care workers such as helping with medications and identifying when one of their patients is unwell.
While a lot of people were concerned that robots such as the Pepper Robots could replace aged care workers, Professor Irena Papadopoulos told the BBC that the robots wouldn’t be replacing nurses or aged care workers, they’d simply support them provide care.
“As people live longer, health systems are put under increasing pressure,” she said.
“Assistive, intelligent robots for older people could relieve pressures in hospitals and care homes as well as improving care delivery at home and promoting independent living for the elderly.”
Another aspect of technology making waves in aged care is virtual reality.
In the form of virtual reality goggles, residents in aged care and dementia facilities across the country are being transported to other worlds and experiencing a little bit of the world outside.
Tech blogger Tom Uhlhorn points out that virtual reality could improve social interaction and motor skills among residents in aged care facilities.
“Using this technology could create a whole new environment of “virtual mobility” that would provide residents with the kind of freedom and joy that daytime TV just can’t match,” he writes.
“It’s not that hard to imagine the next generation of video calls as VR calls too, where it feels like residents and their families are talking face-to-face.
“A stretch of the technology also could mean that patients with mental health or motor skills problems that inhibit their ability to communicate could do so via electronic means.”
The ABC has taken a look at once facility in particular using virtual reality and the success they’re having with their residents with dementia.
Swancare’s dementia facility at Bentley in the south of Perth is using virtual reality goggles with residents and an interactive wall to transport residents to the outside world – from the beach to canoeing down a river.
Dementia design specialist Debbie de Fiddes told the ABC that technology was “wonderful therapy”.
“So the more you can get people talking about their past and talking about their life, the more comfortable people are going to be living in this type of environment,” she said.
“Technology’s going to play a huge part going forward and there’s so many new things available
The integration of technology into aged care facilities could also change the way residents run their days and give them more control over when they eat, sleep and participate in activities.
It seems the days of walking into a nursing home and seeing wheelchair and bed bound people staring at a quiet TV or knitting in bed could soon be replaced with tech savvy seniors walking around with virtual reality goggles on or sitting up in bed on their tablets or computers.