Innovating the care of the elderly: Technologies in combination with human care and active social relations are way forward

AmCham Health Care and AmCham Digital Council organized a roundtable Innovating how we care for our elderly. As with many countries in Europe and the world, Czechia has a population that is aging– and living longer. Social systems constructed for populations with more working people for every senior citizen now face a real challenge of maintaining expected levels of care for the elderly citizens while keeping public finances stable. Czechia– and other countries– will need more money, more beds in caregiving facilities, and more personnel in the coming years.

With the auspices of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) had their experts analyze the situation here, and develop some recommendations how the government can both assure care and manage the budgetary dilemma.
The BCG team estimates that by 2035, Czechia will need to budget about CZK 60-70 billion more, create 15,000 more beds in caregiving facilities, and hire 16,000 more people to provide care. That would stretch public capacity to a breaking point.

Instead, the government should look to technology to improve services and create efficiencies; by implementing technologies in five key areas, the burden in cost, space, and personnel could be reduced by high double digits. Those technologies are 1) monitors and sensors, 2) communication technology, 3) care assistance systems, 4) education and planning systems, and 5) integrated information systems.

MUDr. Pavel Hroboň, MSc. of Advance Health Care Menegement Institute and NERV Government advisory body summarized the point of view of the health care sector (key points being reimbursement of care, prevention and long-term care and aftercare organization). The shift towards home care of the elderly will be necessary.

Deputy Director for Innovation and Digitization at Teaching Hospital Olomouc Ing. Antonín Hlavinka presented on the array of telemedicine projects that are already assisting in health and social care of patients and citizens.

Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs team led by Director General of the Section for Familiy Policy and Social Services Mgr Bc. Zdislava Odstrčilová and her team led us through the state of works and plans of the ministry in this area. The ministry fully understands the situation and is working on multiple projects to support technology implementatiob in the sectors of health care and social care. It is also important to support care-givers and enable their retention in the active labor force and social interaction. Technologies in combination with human care and active social relations within communities are the way forward.