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Technology and Services to Help Your Elderly Loved Ones Live at Home More Comfortably
Over the past decades, it’s become readily apparent that American society has a growing problem with elderly care. Despite the majority of adults and older adults reporting not wanting to live in elderly care homes, many end up there in the last years of their lives.
Fortunately, technology and innovative services are presenting themselves as solutions to the problem by making it easier and more comfortable for older adults to live in their homes. Those wishing to gain a broader perspective on aging in America can benefit from an exploration of these new solutions.
Here are technology and services to help your elderly loved ones live at home more comfortably.
Enlisting the Help of an AGACNP
While most Americans are unaware of this, nurse practitioners can play a crucial role in the lives of the countless patients they serve. In fact, depending on their specialty, some nurse practitioners provide patients with primary care in much the same way a physician would.
Adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioners, or AGACNPs, are nurse practitioners who specialize in caring for older adults and their different healthcare needs. With the help of these skilled and knowledgeable healthcare professionals, older adults can live healthier and, potentially, more fulfilling lives.
To understand why older adults can live more comfortably by enlisting the services of
AGACNPs, it’s important to understand what types of care these professionals can offer.
Some key duties of AGACNPs include helping older adults navigate and mitigate instances of functional decline and cognitive impairment. To accomplish these aims, these robust healthcare professionals can give patients sage advice that helps them stay as healthy as possible.
As a result of this type of care, older adult patients will become more capable of living comfortably on their own. This being the case, older adults across the country can benefit from enlisting in the care of an AGACNP.
Utilizing AI to Mitigate Loneliness and Encourage Healthy Living
Believe it or not, AI is currently helping masses of older adults live healthier and more comfortable lives in their own homes. In particular, the utilization of digital companions is having an incredibly beneficial effect on the lives of the older adults using them today.
Similar to interactive AI-powered assistants such as Siri and Alexa, interactive assistants geared toward older adults help these users in many varying ways.
One key function of this technology is to decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation in older adults. These devices do so by prompting conversations with users and keeping their minds stimulated.
Another important function of these devices is encouraging older adults to engage in healthy activities such as exercising and socializing with others. What makes this technology so special is that it is proactive about starting conversations and giving suggestions.
As a result of using AI-powered interactive assistants, older adults can benefit their mental health and overall sense of well-being. Consequently, this is a great technological tool for making older adults more comfortable in their homes in the modern age.
Hiring an Aide or Home Health Nurse
One of the biggest reasons that so many older adults end up in assisted living facilities is that they eventually lose the ability to care for themselves properly. Whether this is the result of functional decline or cognitive impairment, it means that these individuals need extra care to remain in their homes.
Fortunately, aides and home health nurses offer services that can empower older adults to live in their own homes without sacrificing their well-being.
While aides aren’t always healthcare professionals, they have the skills to help their older adult clients in a wide variety of ways. This can include preparing meals, cleaning homes, and driving older adults to different places. Oftentimes, this type of care is enough to enable older adults to live in their own homes and experience a heightened sense of well-being.
Home health nurses, however, are trained healthcare professionals who sometimes specialize in aiding older adults. Given their healthcare background, these professionals are qualified to help their clients with more severe health problems navigate their specific ailments.
Which type of extra care an individual needs will depend on unique factors such as their physical mobility and overall health. Regardless, enlisting this type of care can be extremely empowering for older adults and can help them achieve their aim of living out their lives in their own homes.
Elderly Care in America is Evolving
Though America has had its fair share of issues in the realm of older adult care, this is steadily changing thanks to innovative solutions. In particular, technology such as AI-powered assistants and services such as home health nursing are making comfortable lives at home more accessible for this demographic of people. As these types of resources become more robust in the coming years, many are hopeful that assisted living facilities will soon become obsolete.