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1 Oct, 2024
7 Min Read
Today, there are more than 1,000,000 Americans residing in assisted living, a number expected to rise as our population ages.
With so many older adults depending on assisted living facilities and assisted living communities for safe, high-quality care, monitoring assisted living care levels in real time is no longer optional; it’s essential for ensuring residents receive the support they need at every stage of aging.
In this article we’ll look closer at the reasons why real-time monitoring in senior care is important, and the benefits it brings tocaretakers, families, and patients.
What is the Importance of Real-Time Monitoring in Assisted Living Facilities?
Many assisted living communities serve residents with a wide range of care needs, from those requiring minimal assistance to those facing significant health challenges.
Without the ability to track assisted living care levels in real time, subtle changes in a resident’s condition can go unnoticed, leading to delayed interventions, reduced quality of care and more frequent ED visits.
By continuously assessing daily living activities, such as eating, bathing, medication management, and mobility, assisted living staff and healthcare professionals can identify early warning signs of decline or the increase in care needs. This proactive approach allows assisted living staff members to adjust support quickly, improving resident safety and satisfaction.
Why do Assisted Living Care Levels Change Over Time?
Assisted living residents often enter communities with different levels of independence. Some may start with independent living arrangements, needing only occasional care, while others require hands-on assistance for most daily tasks.
Over time, factors like new diagnoses, hospitalizations, or worsening chronic conditions can change the way a resident needs care .
Monitoring assisted living care levels helps senior living advisors, family members, and care teams ensure residents transition smoothly between assisted living care levels or between wings of the facility such as memory care or skilled nursing areas .
Technology's Role in Tracking Assisted Living Care
Modern solutions, like BUDS Technology’s AKSSI virtual assistant, enable assisted living staff to receive real-time updates on resident needs. By leveraging AI-driven data, staff can measure mental health , physical health, and medication management more accurately than traditional paper logs or infrequent assessments.
When healthcare professionals use intelligent tools, they can quickly spot trends in the resident’s health, like increased calls for attention , reduced participation in activities, or missed medications, that may signal a need for more hands-on assistance or even a move to a new level of care
What are the Benefits for Assisted Living Residents and their Family Members?
Real-time monitoring gives family members peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are consistently evaluated for changes in condition. It also supports older adults by ensuring they receive appropriate personal care and medical services, regardless of how their needs evolve.
For many assisted living communities, embracing technology has helped prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, reduce falls, and improve mental well-being, all of which contribute to better outcomes for residents and a higher satisfaction rate among families.
1. Improving Care Coordination in Assisted Living Communities
Real-time data allows assisted living staff to coordinate effectively with healthcare professionals, ensuring each resident’s care plan reflects their current needs. This collaboration is the difference between catching a developing issue early and missing it entirely.
Consider a scenario where a resident begins requiring help from more than one caregiverduring transfers. A smart system can flag this as a shift from minimal assistance to a higher level of assisted living care,prompting a care plan update before it leads to injuries or a decline in mental well-being.
2. Addressing Assisted Living Costs Through Better Monitoring
While assisted living costs can be substantial, improving efficiency in your community through real-time monitoring helps communities allocate resources more wisely.
When staff know exactly how much support each resident requires, they can deploy personnel effectively, which not only saves money but also helps ensure quality care.
Moreover, when residents receive timely interventions thanks to better tracking of care in assisted living, there’s less risk of complications that could lead to costly hospital stays.Enhancing Medication Management and Safety
Medication management is one of the most critical components of assisted living care. Mistakes with medications can cause serious complications, especially for residents facing significant health challenges.
Real-time systems track medication schedules and compliance, alerting assisted living staff when doses are missed or refused.
This immediate awareness allows assisted living staff members to intervene early, adjusting care as needed and avoiding adverse outcomes; something that paper charts or outdated systems simply can’t match.
3. Preparing for Memory Care and Skilled Nursing Transitions
For residents with advancing dementia or Alzheimer’s, tracking mental well-being and behaviour patterns is key for timely transitions to memory care or memory care facilities. By monitoring changes such as wandering, confusion, or increased aggression, assisted living communities can engage senior living advisors and family members in proactive planning.
Similarly, if residents develop medical needs beyond what the assisted living staff can provide , real-time data helps to determine when it’s time to consider a skilled nursing facilities or a nursing home These tools help to ensure a smooth, compassionate transitions to the next level of care
4. Supporting Healthcare Professionals and Assisted Living Staff Members
Staffing shortages remain a challenge across all assisted living communities, making efficient workflows vital and difficult to develop. Real-time monitoring provides actionable insights into how many caregivers are needed on each shift, ensuring staff workloads are balanced and residents don’t wait too long for help.
This benefits both caregivers and residents by staff avoiding burnout, and residents receiving more timely personal care, which, in turn, leads to higher satisfaction for both your team and the resident's family.
So, what is the Future of Quality Care in Assisted Living communities?
For assisted living communities to thrive in an era of growing demand, they must adopt technologies that enable continuous monitoring of assisted living care levels.
Real-time data empowers healthcare professionals, assisted living staff, and family members to provide quality care, manage assisted living costs, and ensure residents remain in the appropriate living community, whether it’s independent living, assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing.
With smart solutions like BUDS Technology’s AKSSI, communities can stay ahead of residents’ changing needs, protect mental well-being, and provide compassionate, personalized support that supports each individual’s journey.
