Better Digital Geriatric Care (Bridging the Gap with Seniors) | technology


The case of Lorenzo G (pseudonym) is very common. He is 80 years old and lives in a nursing home. He eagerly awaits the monthly visit from his grandson, who takes the opportunity to bring all his technology questions to him. The boy, a digital native, explains how to send a file waspOpen an email and save a new phone number to your mobile phone. Lorenzo is one of the older people with no digital knowledge. If not for his grandson, he would be cut off from the high-tech world around him.

Bridging the gap between accelerating digitization and progressive population aging is more than just a necessity. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), a third of Spaniards will be over 65 years old in 2050. Today, 28.6% of that age group do not use the Internet frequently.

Basic digital training for the elderly is the first step, but the applied technology offers multiple advancements for age health. new Programming They favor independence and cognitive development, avoiding isolation and providing entertainment and learning experiences.

Castilla-La Mancha, a leader in wellness technology

One of the outcomes of the sectoral conference, which took place in October 2022, confirmed that Castilla-La Mancha is the best in the implementation of EU funds for the next generation in the field of digitalization. A total of €7.6 million of these funds finance our ambition Digital autonomy planSupports Juan Alfonso Ruiz Molina, Minister of Finance Juan Alfonso Ruiz Molina, Minister of Finance and Public Administrations of the Autonomous Community.

New and latest technologies work
New technologies and the latest “software” promote independence and cognitive development, avoid isolation and provide entertainment and learning experiences for older adults.

Nearly 8,000 devices will transform the Ministry of Social Welfare centers into digital learning spaces. Most of them (157) are centers for the elderly, and the plan extends to another 32 for people with disabilities, two for minors and ten for various care. In addition to 756 computers and 5,670 digital tablets, 581 virtual reality glasses will arrive at the centers to transfer travel and other experiences to people with disabilities.

The plan’s hardware includes fourteen Iris-Bond eye-tracking systems, which are essential for those who cannot use speech or other means of communication.

The service of 29 technicians guarantees training and support in the use of all devices and the resolution of doubts and incidents remotely and on site. In addition, the plan includes: Programming Resiplus that facilitates the management of centers and frees its staff from administrative burdens to focus on care.

Isolation is one of the biggest problems experienced by the elderly

José Luis Castaño, Education Consultant at SMART Technologies

SMART Technologies, a Canadian manufacturer of interactive displays, is an essential part of this digital revolution in the Spanish region. In addition to implementing the plan as a whole, the company provides 419 interactive panels with Programming Created to promote the personal independence and active aging of residents with stimulating therapies for the body and mind. This technology trains caregivers and occupational therapists to use the devices with residents.

Super screens change lives

“Neither in Spain nor in the rest of the world has there been an event like the Castilla-La Mancha event,” says Jose Luis Castaño, Educational Consultant at SMART Technologies for Iberia and LATAM. “Outside, we see that some centers are doing this on their own initiative, but this is the first time that the latest technology has reached all public housing in the region and is regulated by the government.”

The expert highlights three aspects of the interactive panels that help improve the lives of the elderly. The first, purely physical: ‘the impulse to get up and walk and move their arms, because they are going to touch the screen or paint with digital colours. The 80-year-old needs mobility. The recuperation and gymnastics that we now see in Spanish residences are not enough: an elderly man sits in a chair, moves his arms at random.”

Secondly, psychological care. “For example, with applications that make the brain work to remember things, and games to match words with sounds to associate something with what is heard. They are ways to slow down the decline in cognitive abilities that, in addition, provide new experiences for the population.”

Castilla-La Mancha President Emiliano García Page (left) with Jeff Lowe, Executive Vice President, SMART Technologies.
Castilla-La Mancha President Emiliano García Page (left) with Jeff Lowe, Executive Vice President, SMART Technologies.

Finally, José Luis Castaño emphasizes the improvement of social relations. And not only because it is more convenient to make a video call with the family through webcam And be able to see it on a big screen. “Isolation is one of the biggest problems the elderly have,” Castaño explains. Collaborating or competing with other residents adds to the activity with the company, creating a community like classic bingo. There is a pottery app that scores each player based on the time they spend finishing a pot. or interactive picture-to-word matching games in which multiple players collaborate. It may be difficult for an elderly person to read, but two or three help each other: one moves the text; Else, the picture to associate it with a word…”.

The best is yet to come

Although the scope of the digital autonomy plan is unprecedented, the relationship between SMART Technologies and the government of Castilla-La Mancha goes further. In the agreement signed between the two institutions, the company extends its commitment to training the center’s specialists in the use of the new tools. In addition, it will expand the Technology Center applied to education in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo). With a large investment in hiring programmers and developers, you will build a real technology center applied to social welfare.

Develop Programming For interactive boards with the elderly population themselves, it will be closer. Or try any new solution that benefits active aging.

José Luis Castaño highlights the challenge for the projected technology center: “One of the keys to the future we are working on is the inclusion of artificial intelligence in social care. It would be very useful if the application used by the resident provides data about their condition to their psychologist or occupational therapist. It can be achieved That with artificial intelligence, or you know through a webcam And having the necessary permissions, how many times this person smiled. These are resources that have already been applied in the educational field. Why not use it for social welfare?

With such initiatives, the Lawrence J.. More dynamic and fulfilling times await you in the near future.

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