The elderly are only rarely offered technological care, such as smart incontinence material or hip airbags. Healthcare providers struggle with costs, do not know which technical gadgets to use and experience resistance from clients and staff.
Research by care office CZ among 121 care providers in the southern part of the country shows that nursing home and home care institutions use an average of just under three proven care technologies. Most often they use sensors to see, for example, whether clients get out of bed and medicine dispensers that warn the elderly when they need to take their medicines.
More technical gadgets have been scientifically proven to save healthcare staff time or ensure that the elderly are better able to fend for themselves. “There may be some acceleration. At the moment, the use of healthcare technology is still too dependent on people within a healthcare organization who are enthusiastic,” says CZ healthcare buyer Bram Visschers.
‘Ambition up’
Last year, 3.3 percent of the insured who received district nursing at Menzis received ‘some form of home care technology’. Menzis believes that there should be more next year. “The ambition can be increased, 10 percent must be feasible for every healthcare provider,” says a spokesperson.
According to the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa), it is especially difficult for small healthcare providers to deploy more technology. They often have insufficient money, administrative vision and manpower to innovate. The regulator believes that care administration offices should help these care providers by sharing experiences and making agreements about reimbursement.
Read below the report that our reporter Ellen van Gaalen made on a visit to the 86-year-old Ave Vermeer-Spetter. She has a device at home that the emergency center can use to contact her when her watch sounds the alarm.
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