Caregiving
AI technology will never be a substitute for seeing, touching, and experiencing assisted living or memory care. Technology can compile data, but it doesn’t provide context. How does it know how the tomatoes are doing in the community garden? How does it know that Samantha, the sales director of ABS Senior Living, has the brightest smile the residents look forward to when she works Tuesday through Saturday?
Live music by a blues band usually shows up on Saturdays, and it’s the only reason Mr. Lawrence ever leaves his room. Technology can’t tell you that the most amazing server in the dining room is there on Tuesdays and Thursdays only and doesn’t just deliver food, but also hope, laughs, and an ear to listen to Mr. Smith’s corny jokes one more time, or Mrs. Jones's endless stories about her kids that are now grown and rarely visit.
The Activities Director knows how important flower arranging is to Mrs. Lopez because it reminds her of the neighborhood kids who used to tend the garden with her on most weekends. It is these powerful moments in life that give life its richness, which AI will never be able to capture. It copies, remembers, and regurgitates information, and it is very useful for so many things, but never for caregiving.
Technology will never care for people; it can be a powerful aid, but there is no substitute for someone to hold a hand and talk to you, especially when you are difficult to understand. If Siri has a tough time taking directions from a person who has clear speech, I don’t see how it will understand someone with dementia, or communication problems like aphasia.
Will technology be able to see and smell that there is something wrong with a person? Yes, smell. The ability to interpret visual cues (read the room) is why certain caregivers are “the best” in the eyes of those they care for. They feel compassion. They deliver compassion. They smile, listen, and instinctively know what the person needs. They slowly raise and lower the silverware to the mouth of the person they are feeding, while offering a smile, encouragement, and patience. They value the life they are responsible for.
A pill can be delivered via medication dispenser, but you can’t make the person pick it up and put it in their mouth if they don’t want to. A caregiver coaxes, encourages, and convinces the person to take the medication. A caregiver promises and delivers their favorite meal every Friday, or sits with them, paints their nails, and watches a movie, even if they can’t follow it. A human caregiver gets up in the middle of the night to roll and reposition an older adult so they don’t wake up with bed sores and change them if needed.
The value of the caregiver is the personal touch that says, "I care about you," even when you’re more than a caregiver can manage. A caregiver will hold your hand, whisper it’s ok, and cry as you pass, because your family didn’t make it in time. We are humans. We will always need humans, especially when we are sick and at the end of our life. There is no replacement for human touch.
Jacqui Clark is a Certified Senior Advisor™ (CSA™) senior care consultant & placement agent with Living Coastal Senior Resources. She is the host of Get Ready for Better Aging podcast. She is an industry-leading expert on living and aging well, as well as a respected communications specialist. Jacqui@LivingCoastalSR.com www.ThisIsLivingWell.com