Aged care tech reviewed
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Experts have explored issues with using digital technology in aged care.
A Flinders University study has highlighted the transformative role digital technology can play in enhancing end-of-life care in residential aged care facilities, but found a need for improved design, comprehensive training, and sustained support to maximise their benefits.
The research urges greater involvement of nurses in shaping digital innovations to ensure tools meet real-world care needs.
“Nurses, those on the ground, working directly with residents and their families, should be actively involved in shaping the future of digital innovations in aged care,” said Dr Priyanka Vandersman, Senior Research Fellow at Flinders University’s Research Centre for Palliative Care, Death and Dying (RePaDD).
Digital tools such as medication management systems and telehealth platforms are already in use. However, nurses frequently navigate fragmented systems and report challenges like unreliable infrastructure and insufficient training, which increase workloads and detract from personal caregiving.
The study, involving 15 facilities across three Australian states, found that digital tools streamline care planning and enable quick data access, crucial in time-sensitive scenarios.
However, issues such as double handling of data, inconsistent connectivity, and resistance to technology persist.
Older nurses expressed difficulty adapting to digital processes, while some voiced concerns about technology detracting from the hands-on aspects of palliative care.
“With the digital reform agenda and new aged care standards, technology has a very important role to play, offering structured and accessible care solutions,” said Professor Jennifer Tieman, Director of RePaDD.
“However, its success depends on thoughtful implementation that supports, rather than replaces, the human connection central to compassionate caregiving.”
Nurses envision a future where integrated dashboards and automated systems enhance care.
Suggestions in the study included devices to assess symptoms like pain in non-verbal residents, automated alerts for medication and battery life, and tools consolidating data to track residents’ health trajectories.
Such advancements could streamline workflows, reduce errors, and enhance nurses’ ability to focus on interpersonal care.
Participants noted technology’s potential to reduce burdens in error-prone areas like medication management and to enhance collaboration through telehealth.
However, they emphasised the need for innovations to complement, not replace, the human connection integral to caregiving.
“End-of-life care is all about the human on human,” one nurse remarked,
With over a third of Australian deaths occurring in aged care facilities, the study highlights the urgency of equipping nurses with digital skills.
Continuous training and support are deemed critical for fostering confidence in using technology effectively.
The full study is accessible here.
