Question

You are asked to build a new hospital: This will be an elderly hospital. And It will be a digital hospital, which will use all technological facilities. This assignment will be prepared in 2 parts.

a) FİRST PART: Remember all the topics you learned in this lesson. Plan the technological applications that should be in the digital hospital you will build using this knowledges.( Information: This section will be at least “2” pages.)

b) SECOND PART: Using your creativity and modern technology, plan a communication method for elderly patients who can be used in this hospital and also after discharge. ( Information: This section will be at least “1” page.)

Answer 1

Greetings of the day!

Answer:

Introduction

The elderly are the fastest growing age group in the developed countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), two billion people will be over the age of 60 by 2050.

Technology outpaced them, but it does not mean that it should not help them live a better life. Lately, more and more start-ups and companies discover that the elderly have their special needs and it is worth attending to their wishes.

FIRST PART : Technological applications to build an elderly hospital

Technological applications that should be in any digital hospital to be built .

• Redefined care delivery: Emerging features including centralized digital centers to enable decision-making, continuous clinical monitoring, targeted treatments (such as 3-D printing for surgeries), and the use of smaller, portable devices will help characterize acute care hospitals.

• Digital patient experience: Digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can help enable on-demand interaction and seamless processes through a choice of devices to improve patient experience.

• Enhanced talent development: Robotic process automation (RPA) and AI can allow caregivers to spend more time providing care and less time documenting it; as well as help enhance development and learning among caregivers.

• Operational efficiencies through technology: Digital supply chains, automation, robotics, and next-generation interoperability can drive operations management and back-office efficiencies.

• Healing and well-being designs: The well-being of patients and staff members with an emphasis on the importance of environment and experience in healing will likely be important in future hospital designs. Technology will likely underlie most aspects of future hospital care, but care delivery especially for complex patients and procedures may still require hands-on human expertise. Many future technologies can supplement and extend human interaction.

Technological applications scpecific to elderly care:

1) Technology helping with eventual falls

As our cells are ageing with us, healing takes a lot more time when you grow old. A lot of seniors have the fear that if they fall, the recovery will take a long time and they will not be able to move around as before. It can result in a lack of mobility, causing depression and other serious conditions that can put the patient in a downward spiral.

91-year-old Barbara Beskind, product designer told The Wall Street Journal it would be great to design airbags against fracturing the hip during a potential fall. Unfortunately, it does not exist yet, but there might be other means to help.

The TASK Fall Detector, a waterproof, hypoallergenic, watch-like wearable automatically detects, when the person wearing it falls on the ground. The user can press its integrated panic button in an emergency situation to send a message that someone should get some help. WalkJoy is another company offering help to solve this problem. Its non-invasive technology aids in the restoration of gait and balance for people with peripheral neuropathy. Devices are attached to the knees to re-establish a signal, telling the brain that the heel just struck the ground. The brain’s central nervous system incorporates the new signal from the device, and the motor system responds as if there is no loss of sensation in the foot, thereby returning the person to a normal gait.

2) Support for better physical activity and walking

In any case, physical fitness and healthy daily movement are critical to healthy aging. Even if you have a good balance, you might want to keep it up for a long time. That’s what RespondWell is offering. It uses a Kinect sensor to help understand a person’s physical limitations and connect them with a therapist who can then create an individualized physical fitness plan. The plan is then plugged into RespondWell, where an avatar helps the patient follow along and determine progress. It sends feedback to the designated therapist, so he or she can monitor progress and make changes to the plan accordingly.

When I visited some of my elder relatives, I also noticed how difficult it is for them to admit that they need some help while walking. They also often refuse walking frames because somehow they have the impression it stigmatizes them. Beskind also said that it would be great to have designed dynamic walkers, because regular walkers encourage poor posture and balance issues.

3) Devices for sensing the world better

When you grow old, your sense of hearing and seeing deteriorates gradually. You might had that experience as well, when your grandma or grandpa turned up the volume of the television. Next time you might suggest them to buy TV Ears, which helps people with hearing loss hear the television clearly without turning up the volume.

Beskind also suggested that it would be high time to design high-tech glasses with a camera or a photo-identity [feature] for people who are approaching, maybe coupled with a voice-recognition technology. These are certainly awesome ideas, but until you get those, it is worth getting familiar with the existing technologies – phones with huge buttons and volume regulators might be only the first step. How about using a picture press home phone, which allows for speed dial for four people using their photos. The MP3341 Man Down mobile phone app provides a potential lifeline for seniors. It can store up to five contact numbers for instant dialing in case of emergency.

The 91-year-old designer also mentioned it would be great to have phones which would slow down messages. I believe that function might come in handy not only for the elderly but for everyone in a foreign country not yet possessing the full capacity to speak the language.

4) Tricks to keep the brain active and to help remembering things

Do you often search for your key before leaving? Do you sometimes wonder whether you left the window open or put your wallet in the drawer? Perhaps you should also think about buying the Click ‘N Dig object locator, try it out and then suggest it to your senior relatives. It comes with 6 receivers that can be affixed to important objects such as house keys plus a transmitter which is used to help locate the items themselves. Be scared, those constantly disappearing car keys and glasses, we’re going to find you!

You might also find that the amount of pills and medication you have to take grows exponentially with age. Tabsafe medication manager was developed to help you keep up with your medication regime. It dispenses all the pills and drugs based on an automated schedule. Pill Reminder Pro might be of great help, too. If you use a smartphone, you only need to download the app, and once you enter the name of the pill, how many to take and when, the app will remind your parent to take the right pills at the right time with a message.

People with Alzheimer’s and seniors with memory losses tend to forget where their home is and sometimes they wander off from places they are supposed to be. A company called GTX Corp developed smart shoes with which patients can find the way home and they can orientate quite easily while walking around the street. With the help of Buddi, a smart wearable, a ‘safe zone’, an area that is trusted enough for an elderly person to travel within comfortably, can be established so that if the person travels outside the zone, caregivers are alerted.

5) Dress up and eat with comfort

People usually hate the idea that they need another person’s help with such basic tasks as dressing up, walking or eating. Unfortunately, with some diseases or after certain injuries you might experience how awful it feels when you cannot use your body as before. It rives your independence and freedom from you, and you would do anything to get it back. Elderly tend to have the same feeling.

This is exactly the reason behind The Wright Stuff, which offers a range of products that makes dressing up easier for anyone who cannot use of one of their hands. The company has Dressing Sticks, one-handed belt, sock aids, they even one-handed nail clippers for people.

For many elderly people and patients with hand tremor, eating is torture. They lift their hands, but the food falls out of the spoon, and at the end of the meal they will be just as hungry as they started. The Liftware stabilizing handle might mean salvation for them. The smart utensil stabilizes hand motion, and enables the hand to shake 70 per cent less. Besides, the utensil comes with soup as well as fork attachment to broaden the horizon of meals.

6) Healthcare wearables and telemedicine for fewer visits at the doctor’s office

For elderly, getting to the doctor’s office is often a difficult, energy- and time-consuming activity by itself. Some of them would otherwise never leave the area where they live. Or they do not drive anymore due to their age, so they have to ask for someone’s help to get to the hospital or to the GP. Or they know that they walk slower in the rush-hours than the world around them. So, it is also a mentally burdening activity, since they usually are not that confident anymore in public spaces.

Healthcare wearables such as Withings Blood Pressure monitor, the AliveCore Heart Monitor, the Fitbit Aria for measureing weight, Viatom Checkme for tracing ECG, measuring pulse rate and rhythm, oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, physical activity and sleep might help elderly gather data about their organism, and send it directly to the doctor’s office. Thus, they would not need to travel there for check-ups, but only if there is a serious problem.

MC10 develops a Biostamp that is thinner than a Band-Aid, and it has the size of just two postage stamps. You can attach it to any part of the body. The sensors monitor temperature, movements, heart rate, and all these vital signs which can be transmitted wirelessly to an application. In the future, these biostamps might mean the solution to all the data-problems, medical professionals might have today.

Intouch health and its telehealth network could also help manage diseases for the elderly. Through its waste network, patients in remote areas or not able to travel have access to high-quality emergency consultations for stroke, cardiovascular, and burn services in the exact time they need it. Another device called Canary might also offer remote help. Its monitoring system enables caregivers to keep an eye on elderly people living elsewhere.

7) Relatives do not have to worry about their loved ones anymore

In many families, it causes a great deal of stress, when the parents, grandparents or beloved older relatives live alone in another town. What if something happens to them and the family is not around?

There are already many devices which offer help. Using Lively, small sensors are placed on objects within the home – such as prescription pill bottles or the refrigerator – to detect when the resident is taking medications, getting food, or leaving home. The sensors send activity signals to Lively’s website (no Internet or Wi-Fi connection required), where family members and caregivers can access the data to monitor. Independa, a software company, provides supportive independence products and services to older adults and their caregivers who typically are remote some or all of the time.

Guardian offers the Virtually There Care camera monitoring system. It allows family members to check in on their loved ones living independently via remove camera viewing and audible communication. This decreases the need for paid caregivers and daily check-ins. It lowers home care costs in assisted living or nursing placement, and extends independence.

The digital elderly hospital to be built

In the past, typically every major hospital design project started with the same discussion: How many beds do we need? This conversation is changing and bed count is no longer the primary design driver for many hospitals of the future. Many health systems are shifting their efforts to improve care quality, create more efficient processes, and enhance the patient and staff experience.

Health care executives with an aging hospital facility may have to decide whether to retrofit the structure or build something new. Building can offer greater flexibility to embed all of the digital elements discussed in this paper. Retrofitting an outdated facility could pose challenges due to limited space and flow options, and make it more difficult to fully embrace the hospital-of-the-future concept.

SECOND PART : Communication method for elderly patients

Technical communication tools for the elderly:

• Text-to-Speech: Most modern devices offer text-to-speech functions and apps. Jitterbug Smart2 External link disclaimer owners can call customer service if they need any help turning on this option. Otherwise, peruse these Android-compatible options External link disclaimer , or explore Apple’s speech selections External link disclaimer to turn typed words into spoken ones.
• Voice Control: If a Parkinson’s tremor or severe arthritis hinders keyboard use, voice control tools may be a better fit. The more time an individual spends using them, the better; the technology can often adapt to the person’s voice and decode heavy accents or stroke-induced slurring, per Kathy Birkett, co-founder of Senior Care Corner External link disclaimer. Birkett, an advocate and educator who has worked with seniors in their homes, hospitals, and various residential care settings for 30+ years, also recommends voice-activated apps like Siri, Alexa External link disclaimer, or Cortana External link disclaimer—and sees a “real future” in their assistive abilities.
• Touch-Only Tablets: Besides the motor skills required to type, the presence of words and numbers can be offsetting to a person who can no longer process them with ease. The visual clutter of a smart phone can be overwhelming too, particularly for people with dementia. Enter user-friendly tablets and touch-based devices, which rely more heavily on icons and pictures for easy navigation. Some tablets allow caregivers to control the content, setting up family photo libraries, a streamlined email inbox, games, music, and more.
• Wearables: Wearable tech has significantly advanced in recent years. Products like the Lively Wearable2 present a stylish, and perhaps less intrusive, alternative. Many of today’s call button systems do have a newer, more sophisticated look, can work outside, and also feature fall-detection sensors, including GreatCall’s Lively Mobile Plus.
• Accessibility: Sometimes, just a little tweak in the way an individual uses technology can make a big difference. Rebuilding fine motor skills after a stroke or surgery? Apps like Abilipad and Dexteria address such motor challenges. Or, Android users can search for “Accessibility” options in Google Play External link disclaimer.
• Remote Monitoring: Birkett’s son, who is profoundly deaf, relies on the Ring doorbell system External link disclaimer to notify him when someone is at his front door—whether he is at home or away. “He can’t hear the doorbell, but his phone vibrates with a message alert,” she says. Caregivers of those living alone with dementia may also benefit from Ring or similar systems (GrandCare External link disclaimer, for example), which allow them to monitor and address time-sensitive elopement incidents or other safety concerns.
• Cloud Platforms: Thanks to cloud-based tech, all of these communication tools can “talk” to each other and move with you and your loved one (i.e. on vacation, to doctor’s appointments, trips to the grocery store, etc.). Giving long-distance caregivers and other care team members access to a virtual dashboard also means all can stay informed and keep in touch more readily, an important utility particularly in cases of emergency.

Introducing new technology to the elderly :

The elderly and new technology may not always seem to get along, but in the medical world they have to. Technological advancements are happening every day and many deal with the elderly. In this guest post, Blake Marggraff, CEO of a company that offers interventions using automated phone calls or text messages to manage patients’ conditions, reveals how to engage older patients with new technology and overcome the barriers unique to them.

New technology has changed the face of medical care and will continue to do so. Progress in caring for the elderly is relatively slow, though, as a result of several obstacles unique to dealing with older patients. Some concerns include:

• Initial patient consent. The paradox of the older patient populations is they desire, and even demand, to remain in their homes. Problem is, many of them resist innovations that make in-home care possible.
  Assistive technologies that can track chronic diseases and associated symptomatologies or can automatically alert providers to changes in a patient’s health are vital to effective home care. But the status quo is, understandably, more comfortable. So a patient might reject a new technology, because he’s perfectly happy with everything as it is or because the technology seems like a lot of work.
• Engaging the caregiver. The provider-to-patient feedback loop sounds like a two-party system, but for elderly patients, a concerned caregiver is often a crucial player. Any protocol or software that doesn’t account for the caregiver’s role may create more problems than solutions.
  For instance, protocol might dictate that a nurse follows up periodically with an older patient after a major surgery. But what if the patient doesn’t answer the phone or return the nurse’s emails? If the nurse contacts the caregiver as protocol, too, then the caregiver could note that the patient’s lack of a computer and difficulty standing and moving to the phone prohibits communication.
• Provider barriers. The idea exists that introducing older patients to new technology is more trouble than it is worth – and that information technology therefore should play a limited role.
  The resistance can be felt both inside and outside the doctor’s office. Some medical offices, for example, may collectively agree that electronic medical records have made staff spend more time supporting the technology than supporting patients.

Overcoming barriers

The obstacles confronting technological advancement in elderly care aren’t insurmountable. First, we must embrace the fact that older patients aren’t inherently bad with technology; they’re bad at using bad technology.

From health technology startups to large established systems, the winners emphasize research and data above all else. They make sure patients and providers stay engaged with a specific solution, whether it’s a mobile app or a hands-on disease management protocol.

To make digital health tools more appealing to medical experts, make the tools align with workflows. Patient monitoring and population management tools should give providers the most pertinent information at the right times. Good technology and products help patients feel connected and safe, and they provide a sense of empowerment to even the most overworked providers.

Involving patients in product development might sound obvious, but many providers assume they understand their patient populations well enough not to include them. That omission can result in technology designers developing aspects of a product in a vacuum – an avoidable mistake. If the technology is designed in isolation, then it doesn’t stand a chance of approval by either patients or providers and will thus be ineffective.

Engaging older patients

No matter how hard it may seem, you can engage older patients with new, useful technology by following a few important principles.

1. Quantify real value. Analyze a potential purchase’s benefits, including time savings, value-based economic gains, or the advantages it would afford medical staff members and patients.
   Vet all new solutions, technologies and processes by demanding a hard return on investment. (If working with a third-party vendor, request that the vendor assemble ROI and explain the calculations.)
2. Train the trainers. The care provider is only as effective as his or her understanding of the solution. Many providers don’t dedicate the time or define the procedures to effectively train employees. Any vendor-provided technology solution should include good training. Customer-centric companies often prepare instructional videos and graphical materials to facilitate employee training.
3. Involve “boots on the ground” providers. The providers who are the face of elderly care should be intimately involved in the purchasing decisions. Ask for volunteers to pilot the new technique or tool, and make sure physicians, nurses and case managers are all well-represented. Ideally, volunteer teams won’t skeptically view the decision to adopt a new solution, and will instead welcome and celebrate it.

Conclusion

Technology offers a good change in the hospital environment for the elders, but cannot change your way of life or your way of thinking. Technology is only there to offer help. In relation to our seniors, I think what we need the most is empathy. To have a sense of understanding what they are going through, what they are experiencing. It is especially critical for medical professionals. we need more projects like that and we need to offer a helping hand to our senior friends, relatives with empathy coupled with our technological knowledge or gadgets. Since we are all hopeful to reach a certain age, and I am sure we would like to be treated just as nicely by our kids, grandkids and the younger generation in general.