Caring Near and Far by Connecting Community-Based Clients and Family Member/Friend Caregivers Using Passive Remote...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Health Services Research
• Technology in Healthcare
• Chronic Disease Management

Background:

• Older adults face chronic disease challenges but prefer home living.
• Limited home care resources and caregiver capacity necessitate innovative solutions.
• Passive remote monitoring (RM) offers a potential to support independent living and caregiver well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of passive remote monitoring (RM) combined with usual home care versus usual home care alone.
• To evaluate primary outcomes including emergency visits and hospital admissions.
• To assess secondary outcomes such as healthcare costs, client quality of life, and caregiver burden.

Main Methods:

• An unblinded pragmatic randomized controlled trial (PRCT) conducted in Ontario and Nova Scotia, Canada.
• Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Adopting a client-centered approach, viewing the family as the client to support self-management.

Main Results:

• Study supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
• Primary completion date anticipated in Fall 2022.
• This rigorous randomized trial will provide valuable data on the effectiveness of RM.

Conclusions:

• Findings will inform decision-makers on the benefits and challenges of integrating RM for older adults.
• RM technology may reduce institutionalization and promote prolonged independent living for the elderly.
• The study will evaluate the impact of RM on the burden experienced by family and friend caregivers.