Social care, by its nature, is an inherently human activity. At its heart, it will always be that way. But AI is making inroads into the sector, driving workflow efficiencies, overcoming resource shortages and alleviating staff pressures.
As services continue to battle a
And in an example of a direct practical use with patients, AI is currently being employed in south west London care homes to reduce falls and hospital stays.
Sensors – installed with the patient’s consent – are able to learn normal patterns of noise and movement and therefore send alerts to staff if unusual patterns are detected.
As the article highlights, falls are estimated to cost the NHS £2 billion a year, and “a similar pilot saw the number of night time falls more than halved.”
There is clearly great potential in such use cases, and similar systems could be set up in homecare to alert local services and staff.
Abiding by privacy and regulation
Data privacy is a pertinent aspect of any software program, but is especially crucial in such a vulnerable sector which is already under attack.
When care agencies implement a software solution, organisations such as Digital Social Care provide a resource for advice for being compliant and adhering to security standards.
Customer data should never be under threat, and organisations must ensure that they have a range of protocols in place to mitigate any unforeseen attacks.
This includes pre-empting more extreme cases with backups replicated in multiple locations, failover mechanisms to restore and recover data, and a comprehensive disaster recovery plan.
But regulating AI is a different ballgame. It carries its own costs, privacy concerns and public fears.
As conversations around AI regulation pick up pace, NICE has unveiled its AI and Digital Regulations Service to offer guidance to the NHS, social care providers, digital health innovators and the wider care ecosystem for adopting and using new AI technologies.
If AI is going to reach the potential it can, such support systems and regulations are vital for its ethical and safe implementation.
More time for the human experience
Social care is facing a workforce crisis that has wider consequences for the entire NHS system.
As we see record waiting lists and resources being stretched, initiatives such as the NHS AI Lab are fighting to buck this trend.
For a sector particularly feeling the strain, AI represents a viable option for reducing pressures on social care staff in particular.
While large use cases and advanced AI technology may still remain impractical and unsuitable, there are some immediate benefits to be delivered by AI to improve day-to-day tasks and care.
With the appropriate funding, expertise, support and regulation, the technology can have a positive impact on the sector.
By using it, we can free up more time for the human experience in social care.
