Harnessing the Power of Big Data for Personalized Senior Care

“The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” This quote is attributed to everyone from Mark Twain to Carl Jung and Warren Buffett. Regardless of who said it first, it’s a widely accepted belief that the past is indicative of the future. Analyzing vast amounts of historical data is a common way businesses forecast future outcomes. Reviewing patterns and trends from past events allows health organizations to make informed decisions and develop strategies to optimize operations.

Many senior care centers have realized that the ability to quickly analyze data across all systems and platforms leads to better care, optimized financial results, and streamlined operations. In fact, the ability to gain insights into their operations and make data-driven decisions can revolutionize the level of personalized care they provide.

The Role of Big Data in Personalizing Senior Care

Running a senior living community requires professional caregivers and a combination of healthcare, HR, marketing, and financial software products to track all aspects of the business. The power of big data lies in its ability to tie the data sets scattered across different tools together.

Elder care communities are responsible for monitoring the meals, medicines, and daily activities of each resident. At the same time, they must track expenses and the staffing required to support that care. All this data is only helpful if it is analyzed and acted upon. Big data allows for the aggregation and analysis of vast amounts of health data from disparate sources, returning key metrics to give your team comprehensive insights into your entire operations. 

How does this data translate to personalizing care plans and improving health outcomes? Below, we break down how analytics can help you proactively address resident care, support care providers, and streamline your operations.

How Big Data Can Help Senior Living Communities Create Personalized Experiences

Operators and caregivers take pride in knowing their residents’ needs, likes, and dislikes. However, you should not have to rely on your memory to provide quality care. Turning to data can help to tailor your care to support your residents' physical and emotional well-being.

Improves Health Outcomes

Data and analytics can identify health trends and potential risks, allowing you to identify preventive care measures. Data from incident reports, illness outbreaks, or issues around dietary restrictions can give care coordinators actionable insights to minimize the potential for repeat incidents. 

For example, you may find that resident isolation minimizes the number of sick residents, but it leads to depression and weight loss. Or, data on menu offerings may provide ideas for saving money, increasing residents’ satisfaction with food preparation, and minimizing adverse reactions. 

Drilling down on the analysis of residents' past behaviors and preferences can give you the awareness you need to tailor individualized care plans to better meet the unique needs of each resident. If a resident has a history of certain health conditions or falls, you can use the data to drive modifications to reduce risks or improve response protocols. 

When you understand how past actions affect your residents’ well-being, you can be proactive and implement specialized care strategies to improve health outcomes.

Enhances Resident Monitoring and Management

Data allows you to better analyze and monitor your residents' health status by collecting and analyzing data from various sources, including wearable devices and electronic health records (EHRs). Imagine using analytics to minimize the risk of medication errors by making it easier for staff to interpret EHRs and catch errors before dispensing meds. The right analytics platform can sift through the information, helping you spot patterns and irregularities so you can make better care decisions. 

Integrates with Wearable Technology and IoT Devices

Wearable technology, like smartwatches and IoT (Internet of Things) devices, provide constant health monitoring of your residents. Your on-site care professionals have real-time access to patient vitals, activity levels, and location for timely interventions. The data is streamed to the cloud via IoT networks, where programs use algorithms to analyze the full data set for trends and anomalies.  

What if wearable device analytics determine that several residents have higher blood pressure after eating specific meals? Does your fall detection data highlight a pattern of resident falls within the first week of introducing certain new medications? The insights you gain from compiling and analyzing the raw data take the guesswork out of your decision-making, allowing your team to take immediate action. 

Streamlines Operational Efficiency

To provide consistent, high-quality, compassionate care, you must optimize your center’s operational aspects. Big data can support those daily efforts. For example, leveraging data can help your community:

• Drill down on staffing levels, training, ratios, and workload distribution to identify staffing gaps or training needs so you can allocate resources more effectively.
• Maximize occupancy rates by using actionable insights to develop marketing strategies that attract new residents and retain existing ones. 
• Improve facility management with a clearer view of utility expenses, environmental control data, maintenance requests, and security data all in one place. 
• Anticipate future financial needs and optimize your financial performance by analyzing spending patterns and financial behaviors of residents and their family members. 

Training and Empowering Staff with Big Data Tools

The benefits of big data analytics are clear. Providing appropriate, timely training empowers your team to make informed care decisions. Rally your team by highlighting the importance of using analytics to:

• Improve resident care
• Boost bottom lines
• Increase accountability
• Staff more efficiently
• Reduce medication errors
• Minimize patient emergencies
• Increase job satisfaction

Ensure your team and senior living center stand out by being innovative and providing the best possible care to keep residents healthy and happy.

Personalize Your Care With Eldermark NEXT ElderSmarts Analytics

Eldermark NEXT ElderSmarts Analytics aims to connect senior living communities to a broader ecosystem of data sources and be the primary source of insights for operators and care providers. 

Predictive analytics built for senior living take you beyond data reports and prescribe actions you can take to optimize your work.

If you’re ready to give your organization a competitive advantage, schedule a demo today to see what Eldermark NEXT & ElderSmarts Analytics can do for you.