Telehealth 2.0: Using Telehealth with Companion Device Technology to Connect Senior Patients to a Culture of Prevention and Self-care

Abstract

The long-term care of the elderly population has increasingly been a concern. The problem grows as the senior population ages. Despite the availability of institutional and community-based care, most people, for emotional and financial reasons, still prefer to remain in the comfort of their homes as long as possible and to receive whatever care is available from spouses, children, siblings, and close relatives, or the so-called uncompensated caregivers. The psychological and financial stress for the care of elderly relatives and the growing demand for caregivers is the catalyst for the invention of senior-focused technologies. Technologies such as robots, simulated pets, and wearable accelerometers are designed to help seniors to carry on with their daily activities and to help caregivers provide better care for their loved ones. Legal problems such as privacy issues and regulatory concerns still lurk in the corner. The future of elderly care will inevitably involve technologies, but there is much to explore in the ethical and legal terrain.^[1]

^[1] ARTICLE: Bridging the Uncompensated Caregiver Gap: Does Technology Provide an Ethically and Legally Viable Answer?, 22 Elder L.J. 399 at Highlight