Home Care

This was conceived by Andrea Cohen, Founder and Vice-Chair of HouseWorks, a home care company started in Boston.  Andrea noted, "When employed to its fullest, remote care technology improves every aspect of how care is delivered in the home.  Imagine what's possible when every stakeholder wins."  The vision:  Change the work process to produce Engaged Caregivers, a Connected Care Team, and Informed Families.  Why does this matter now? The home care industry is enormously challenged today --  soaring demand, labor shortages and worker (and client) retention challenges.   At the same time, a vulnerable older adult population lacks adequate care in many parts of the country, sometimes due to wage issues, but more often due to the overall fierce competition for workers across industries. Yet the home care industry can attract those who care about older adults and provide them with improved working conditions that underpin their tasks with technology that improves efficiency and care effectiveness. [See report The Future of Remote Care Technology and Older Adults, where this graphic first appeared.]

The perfect storm has arrived to drive tech adoption in the home and care services. So many factors converge now that were highlighted during the pandemic – consider the need for telehealth services as an alternative to in-person visits. The lack of broadband access for older adults limited vaccine sign-up or even communication with families or friends. The slow rollout of Wi-Fi in senior living was, to say the least, a miscalculation about the future. And last, but not least, the worsening staffing shortage, noted for years throughout the older adult service industry, is now a full-blown crisis. And the shortages in home care, home healthcare, skilled nursing facilities and senior living are juxtaposed with an overall labor shortage, just as the oldest baby boomer has turned 76 and has significant remaining life expectancy. Consider that older adults remain in hospitals and rehab facilities because there are no workers to help them with care at home. And that's just today.