3 Ways Technology Can Diversify the Care Circle for Seniors

During the COVID-19 pandemic, seniors and vulnerable populations became more dependent than ever on their care circles, which included people from grandchildren to neighbors, professional helpers and health care providers and home medical equipment (HME) providers. Care circles played a crucial role in assisting with errands and nursing care, and offered essential human connections that seniors were no longer receiving from the outside world.   

The pandemic has also drastically impacted the homecare industry and pushed many older adults to receive care at home rather than at long-term care facilities or nursing homes. An analysis of federal data by the Wall Street Journal found that nursing home occupancy rates in the United States have dropped 15% since the end of 2019. Meanwhile, an AP-NORC Center study published in May 2021 found that 88% of Americans prefer to receive care at home as they age, while only 2% said they want to receive care in a nursing home.