How Remote Patient Monitoring Helps Seniors Age in Place

While many people in our society may end up living in senior living facilities or nursing homes after they turn 80, the vast majority of folks would much prefer to live out their golden years in their own homes. In fact, one recent study found that 90 percent of Americans 50 and older would prefer to “age in place” if they have their way.

What Is Aging in Place?

As the name suggests, aging in place is the process of living out your life in your home instead of moving to a senior living facility, assisted living facility, or nursing home — or even moving in with family. Most seniors want to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, stay independent, and remain close to their community.

Unfortunately for many seniors their desire to age in place is easier said than done. For many logistics play a big role like financial constraints, remote living locations, and limited mobility to get to their doctor’s appointments. Some seniors might find living out their retirement years at home is quite isolating — particularly when family members don’t live nearby to help with their care. So the question becomes, how do providers help older folks who do wish to age in place get their medical attention and care.

One of the biggest concerns for seniors who choose to age in place is the ability to keep tabs on a senior’s health when they live at home and have no one around to help. For this reason, a number of healthcare practices are investing in new remote patient monitoring solutions that help them ensure that their older patients who are aging in place stay safe and healthy.

What Is Remote Patient Monitoring?

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) enables healthcare practices to monitor and manage patient health outside of regular doctor’s appointments by using purpose-built technology to track biometric data and intervene when warranted.

To illustrate, a nephrologist might invest in RPM solutions to administer remote home dialysis. Instead of a patient having to travel to an in-office appointment, practices can use RPM to remotely track vitals and monitor progress over time. This is particularly helpful for patients who are experiencing end-stage kidney disease and face a number of difficulties when they need to leave their homes.

Similarly, a doctor might also choose to use RPM to monitor the blood pressure in a patient that has hypertension. Using a device worn on a patient’s arm that transmits data to doctors, it’s possible to determine whether the patient is in good condition — or whether intervention is required.

What Are the Benefits of RPM?

The remote patient monitoring market is growing. Research suggests the RPM market will eclipse $1.7 billion by 2027 and that some 30 million U.S. patients will use the technology for their own healthcare by 2024.

This is due to the number of benefits that RPM technology delivers to practices and patients alike:

Healthier patients. Every medical practice is focused on the same thing: delivering the best patient outcomes possible. This is where RPM saves the day. By enabling physicians to monitor vitals in real time, RPM allows doctors to intervene sooner. Instead of waiting another month for a patient to come to the office, a doctor can suggest a new medication the moment they notice a change in the patient’s condition — leading to better outcomes thanks to early intervention.
More revenue. With the right RPM solution in place, your practice can unlock new revenue streams without incurring additional costs (e.g., extra staffing). Not only does Medicare treat RPM services the same as in-person appointments, leading RPM providers also help identify the best candidates for the technology and onboard them into the system, giving you additional gains.
Lower labor costs. RPM enables practices to treat patients without them coming into the office.
Increased patient engagement. By giving patients access to tools and data that are specifically designed to improve their quality of life, they become more engaged in healthcare. By improving the patient experience, you increase the chances they stay with your practice and enjoy healthier lives.

Now that you have a better idea of how RPM technology benefits patients and practices, let’s take a look at how RPM tools can help seniors who want to age in place.

How Does RPM Benefit Seniors Who Want to Age in Place?

For seniors who want to age in place, RPM can be a solid solution to monitoring existing health concerns.

For starters, RPM technology enables seniors to live comfortably at home with the peace of mind that comes with knowing a healthcare professional is monitoring their conditions. As a result, their health won’t be neglected or overlooked.

At the same time, seniors who have access to RPM technology won’t have to go to the doctor’s office as much. This makes life more convenient and reduces exposure to current viruses.

Add it all up, and RPM gives seniors more control over their lives while improving health outcomes and enabling them to remain independent.

How to Choose an RPM Partner

As you begin searching for an RPM provider, look for a partner that offers these key features:

Full-service and support. The best RPM partners can oversee the entire RPM process on your behalf, end-to-end. This includes identifying and enrolling patients, supporting users to make sure they’re comfortable with the technology, reading and monitoring data, and identifying opportunities to enhance care and capture revenue.

Intuitive platform. The last thing you want is to roll out an RPM solution only to find out the hard way that everyone is struggling to use it. Look for a solution that’s intuitive by design and easy for patients and staff to use.

A name you can trust. The right provider will have favorable reviews alongside a wealth of resources on their website. You won’t have to roll the dice and hope for the best. It’ll be easy to tell they’re the right match because you’ll see that others have gotten the exact same results you’re looking for.