Social care - go-to sector for digital?

While social care may not be considered the go to sector for the tech savvy now, our director Amanda Marques believes this will change radically in the coming years. 

Here’s why:

Millennials (the generation that really spanned the digital world making huge advancements) are now up to 41 years old. Generation X who came before them have spent many years adjusting to increasingly digitalised workplaces and using smart phones in their daily lives. As time goes on residents and care receivers become increasingly digitally savvy and want to live and be supported in a similar environment.  Access to fast speed internet for social media and other online activities will be expected as that is what they were used to in their own homes. Care home residents will want to be supported by people who can engage with them and support them to carry out tasks such as using mobile phone apps.

It isn't just the residents' expectations either; technology infrastructures in care settings are changing – both for competition between providers and efficiency of service. There are a wide range of products on the market already that can be used in a care setting to make caring easier. Monitoring tech that can be used to alert carers to their residents needs and investing in other technology infrastructure will become increasingly more important. These advances will help to alleviate some of the frontline workforce challenges.   

It is also likely that more joint working between the NHS and social care will drive change. The NHS tends to receive greater investment and is ahead of the curve on technological advances - these insights will then be shared with social care providers. 

As more personal healthcare apps develop, we will undoubtedly see an explosion in use in adult social care to drive better personalised healthcare results.

All of this is really exciting, particularly for young people with an interest in technology and social care. The demand for 'tech savvy' staff is only set to rise year on year so why not consider some work experience opportunities here or find out more about the different types of care here.