If caregiving were a relay race, the baton is growing heavier each year. With an aging population and a shrinking workforce, the burnout among care teams is overwhelming. Yet into this fray of exhaustion and high expectations strides a new competitor – technology. And unlike the headlines warning of computerized care replacing humans in nursing homes and eldercare facilities, technology’s role is to assist.
The caregiver of the future will not be overwhelmed by tasks to complete or patients to care for. An AI assistant will have taken care of the details of the day. A smart mattress will alert the AI about changes in sleeping patterns of an elder. Wearable devices will alert caregivers of changes in vital signs or medication schedules. These technologies will act as the lighthouse guiding the ship – the caregiver – to the best route to care.
Artificial intelligence will be the tireless intern working in the background to assist the seasoned caregivers who bring years of experience. Artificial intelligence will automate scheduling, documentation, and data collection. Yet in the future, care will always require the humans who understand the emotional needs of the elderly – not the technological assistants that operate on rules and routines. For HR teams, this means a change in job descriptions for care professionals. Digital fluency will be required. Yet the most important skills will still be human qualities such as empathy and judgment. Technology will enhance the role of the care professional – not reduce it.
Caregiver burnout is an issue that HR departments have ignored for far too long. Innovation in the caregiving field offers a tranquilizer dart that HR can inject into the population of care professionals. Platforms for care professionals can predict burnout within a team as easily as meteorologists can. Virtual reality programs can train new caregivers in safe environments. Furthermore, tele-caregiving allows for the best caregivers to extend their expertise across large distances. For recruitment, this innovation will be the rocket fuel that allows HR teams to attract candidates who are techno-savvy and want to work with the latest technologies.
There are three main things that HR leaders should do in the face of the changing world of caregiving. Above all, invest in training the existing workforce to use these technologies. Redesign care professional roles to let technology handle the logistics of care. Finally, build trust in these technologies – the best outcomes will emerge from a workforce that has had a chance to shape these tools.
The future of caregiving will not be between humans and robots. Rather, it will be a partnership between the two. While robots will monitor and care for patients in ways that technology can optimize, care professionals will offer the compassion that can never be automated. As HR leaders for care facilities, we have a role to play in ensuring that the future of caregiving comes to pass – and in time, the caregiving industry will be ready to play its next note.
The orchestra is warming up. The question is not if the caregiving industry will change in the future – it is if your organization will be ready to play with the innovation that is about to take the stage.
