Passive remote monitoring technologies that describe technologies embedded in the home to collect behavioral and physiological data and communicate between all stakeholders without requiring input from end users were central features of this new approach to home care, which held the promise of supporting older adults to maintain their independence for longer, delay institutionalization, and reduce costs. He imagined seamless systems that would foster client-centered care and immediate, tailored interventions based on real-time data. He envisioned a model of care enabled by technology that highlighted the potential benefits for older adults, their paid and unpaid caregivers, social and health care service providers, and health care and social systems. The trend toward increased use of technology in older adult care aligns with the model for geriatric care proposed by Alwan >10 years ago. Given the current workforce shortage in long-term care across Canada and the increasing number of older adults wishing to stay in their own homes, innovative technological solutions have the potential to play an important role in the lives of community-dwelling older adults and their families.
These technologies may also be cost-effective ways of supplementing in-person services and supporting family or friend caregivers and may ultimately prevent or delay hospitalization or institutionalization. Recently, there has been increased interest and investment in technological solutions designed to provide options for older adults to choose how and where they wish to live in their later years. In Canada, family caregivers are estimated to support 96% of individuals receiving long-term home care and are estimated to provide three-quarters of care services to older adults living at home, saving the Canadian health and continuing care systems an estimated US $66.5 billion annually. In Canada, this is often achieved through a combination of publicly and privately funded home care or home support services and unpaid caregiving by friends and family.
Īs older adults experience a decline in their health and functional abilities, they often require additional resources and support to safely live in their homes. As a result, attention has shifted from a focus on increasing life spans to healthy aging, an approach that emphasizes the quality of life and functional ability, not just living longer. It is well-established that at a population level, the prevalence of chronic diseases and disabilities increases with age. However, a longer life span does not necessarily mean living longer in good health. This increase in human longevity is largely because of advances in medicine and public health and high population fertility rates between 19 (the birth of the Baby Boomer generation), which increased the size of this aging cohort. Moreover, the number of centenarians grew by over 10% from 2019 to 2020, and the gap between the number of older adults and the number of children continues to widen. In Canada, it is estimated that 5.5 million people will be aged ≥80 years by 2068, up from 1.6 million in 2018. The growth in the number of people living past the age of 80 years has been even more rapid and is expected to triple within the same time frame. A recent 2020 United Nations report estimated that worldwide, the population of adults aged >65 years will double from 703 million in 2019 to 1.5 billion by 2050. Population aging is a significant demographic trend affecting countries worldwide.
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