As new technology is being introduced into senior living and care at a rapid pace, new groups are forming to try and evaluate them.
One senior living tech service provider, Enseo, is forming a new advisory committee to help provide feedback on best practices and future technology needs, the company announced recently.
The five-member committee — a mix of tech and senior living and care experts –— will meet regularly beginning next year, the company said.
“Their [the advisory committee’s] insight will help Enseo drive effective digital solutions that remove the burden on caregivers and provide enjoyment and ease for residents,” Corey Rhodes, Enseo CEO, said in a statement. “Seniors are more and more comfortable with smart tech, and expect it. Our hope is to make it easier than ever to take advantage of smart features in senior living residences.”
The need to assist long-term care providers with technology is important, as the sector often is slow to adopt new technologies, and sometimes abandons certain services or software altogether, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News reported about skilled nursing providers earlier this month.
Although the tech Enseo provides for long-term care operators is fairly broad, including TV and Wi-Fi, other groups are working to vet specific categories of new tech tools, such as artificial intelligence.
Dandelion Health began a program earlier this year designed to evaluate AI programs in healthcare and determine where potential biases exist.
In recent months, both government agencies and independent researchers have offered possible frameworks and guidelines for future, responsible use of AI and other new tech tools aimed at senior living and care.
Much of that analysis is more generalized, but the Senate Special Committee on Aging recently addressed current concerns about AI and cybersecurity, which may require more immediate adjustments or awareness among both older adults and caregivers.
