Providing digital support is now essential for aged care
“This report brings together original research, industry data and insight from our partners to support our core rationale – there is a paradox emerging between care providers, seniors and their digital aspirations. In fact, their desire to be active participants in the digital world is out-pacing the response of providers.
Our conclusion is that this paradox offers a great opportunity for leaders of these organisations to re-think their focus on digital inclusion and use it as a differentiator in their challenge to attract consumers.” - YourLink: The Digital Paradox for Seniors report, 2019
In the last few months we’ve spent more time talking to seniors, checking in with them on what's working, their needs and how they’re reacting to the current situation and have translated that into some key themes for providers to reflect on. As service providers in the aged care sector we cannot ignore what they say and we need to recognise their needs change with their context.
Their key message is that with the disruption of COVID-19, the insights of our 2019 research are even more relevant today. They want to participate in the digital world and are eager to learn how to do this.
This creates a more urgent challenge for service providers as they respond to deliver care. Just in case the world was not complex enough for providers, COVID-19 has added a level of strain which is still reeling from changes to funding, service offering and expectations stretching it to the limit.
In keeping with our commitment to ‘hear’ seniors and respond to their needs we think it’s time to take a look at what’s changed for providers with COVID-19 and how they can adapt their digital strategies to be more competitive and client focused.
Technology - not a nice to have any more, it’s a must
From our perspective, and with the voice of seniors in our ears, the silver lining of these recent challenges is that many providers are finally putting technology front and centre in their thinking. This is really encouraging for those of us working alongside them in the sector.
While it has not been by choice for many, the stories of iPads, video calls and devices being used to overcome the physical barriers have been numerous. The more these stories are being told, the more important the focus on digital enablement becomes for the senior executive teams across aged care and independent living.
The Government has also responded with genuine flexibility to use funding to support the sector. As KPMG identified - with additional funding for CHSP, Telehealth and Residential Aged Care, providers have the chance to take advantage of this temporary option to support their rapid embedding of technology so they can add to the services they offer their clients without impacting their committed operating budgets.
The combination of these two forces is stimulating service providers to accelerate digital literacy opportunities with their clients.
The experience window is open for all of us in the sector
The focus for service providers is on the client experience. With so many ‘familiar’ moments that matter for their clients being disrupted, the question remains - how can you meet the needs of clients in a period of uncertainty? And secondly, what are the ‘new’ moments that will matter in a more online world?
With social groups cut off and, cancelling of home care services by well intentioned families to protect their loved ones, sources of social interaction are more limited. In fact for many, if you are a service provider, yours may be the only social contact they know. This has a risk - once cancelled will they re-establish services with you? Because in this window of disruption other providers are active in engaging in this market and exploring new ways to expand their footprint.
Now is a great time to re-imagine what’s possible in how you can interact with clients and re-educate them and their families about how you're able to deliver a different service at this time.
The experience of what you deliver will be the decider - the perception and feelings your clients have as they interact with you. That’s what they’ll talk about with their families. The importance you place on every touchpoint as your care workers re-engage with clients will impact those perceptions.
If you listen to our seniors, they want to learn, they want to be enabled and engaged so they can participate in the digital world. The new moments that matter are in using a device, connecting with a friend using FaceTime and reading a book online. The questions providers need to ask - how will you differentiate yourself and what role will digital enablement play in that differentiation?
Filling the digital skills gap
In the Digital Paradox for Seniors report, only 3% of seniors identified care workers as a source of support related to technology. In the current COVID-19 landscape, this creates an opportunity for providers. Care workers may be the only people that an individual is seeing as part of their essential care service and if they are not confident in offering digital support it’s an opportunity missed. Providers can invest in their people today to enable them to be an even more critical ingredient in the value proposition they are offering their clients.
In the design and delivery of our online training for care workers, one common theme that we have heard is that they already feel overwhelmed with the situation and their workload. This means we have to make it easy for them to build their skills - being very practical and hands on so they get to apply as they learn. This will give them the confidence to share what they know more readily with their clients.
The time is right to use more interactive learning for the aged care workforce
While many parts of the economy have been shut down, the aged care and community sectors have recognised they need to attract more staff and in turn, skill this staff up quickly. Social distancing clearly being part of our future, this means more learning will need to be done online, in small groups or individually.
With so many aged care employees being from culturally and diverse backgrounds and the focus on interpersonal skills and critical problem solving emerging as essential, traditionally designed training needs to evolve. Virtual Reality and web based experiential learning platforms can support the post COVID-19 world. These create immersive experiences designed around scenario based decision-making that will improve learning and accelerate the confidence for those involved.
Our work with ADSSI Limited has helped to transform the digital literacy of more than 200 care workers and clients.
Together we co-created two digital literacy programs. One specifically for care workers and the other for their clients. The combination of these two programs proved powerful. By creating a team of Tech Mentors through the ‘Connect with Tech’ Care Worker program, clients could learn technology together with someone they trust, and overcome the key challenge they face - a lack of someone to help them.
Action today will have payback tomorrow
The announcement by the Federal Government for Medicare Benefits Scheme for Telehealth is an encouraging sign. Likewise, pharmacies allowing scripts to be dispensed without going in as well. The ongoing adjustment will take some time, but undoing that learning will be a great disappointment to seniors. The Federal Government has signalled it would like Telehealth to continue beyond COVID-19, and this is great for seniors and their families. Knowing that older Australians can access their GP or allied health from their home provides welcome relief. As we improve the overall digital literacy with the combined action of providers and industry groups, the numbers of seniors able to take advantage of these innovations will increase, providing the foundations for more innovation and efficiency in health service delivery.
“Seniors will be more savvy in their use of devices related to their health and the barriers to adoption removed though learning today.“- Digital Paradox for Seniors Report, 2019
Our tips on where to focus
There is so much to be done to equip our seniors so they can actively engage in the digital world. We are seeing the more adaptable and responsive service providers focusing on building the capabilities of their own teams to be digital coaches, creating small group learning opportunities for seniors and actively using the available government funding to invest in devices to enable it all to happen. It’s an exciting time and we’re loving being involved in this digital revolution with our seniors.
For more information about the report, or to chat more about how we can help your organisation please contact Richard Scenna on 0408 742 743 or richard@yourlink.com.au