b'TECH TALKAre wearables ready forlong-term care?The promise and pitfalls of wearable technologyBy Dr. Andrea IaboniS mart watches that detect falls,about a residenttheir health statusaccurate or biased they might be. sensors that flag early signs ofand overall well-being. For residents, itThe result is that you might end up illness, wristbands that track sleepcan feel reassuring to know someonewith gadgets that flood staff with false or movement patterns: it sounds likeis keeping an eye out. Families oftenalarms or miss real problems entirely. the dawn of a new era in long-termlike the idea too, especially if theyThats a distraction, not an innovation. care. But theres reason for pause.are offered updates and data thatEven when technology functions address safety concerns. In some piloteffectively, not every long-term care While pilot studies often yieldprograms, these tools have led tohome is equipped to immediately promising results, many technologiesfewer hospital transfers and install and sustain it as an integrated subsequently overpromise andbetter insights into residents dailysystem within existing workflows. underdeliver in real life. In long-termrhythms. The potential is real and Without dedicated champions to lead care, where relationships, privacyworth exploring. staff training, educate caregivers and and trust are paramount, pursuingresidents, and manage routine tasks unproven innovations carriesBut then there are the downsides. A unacceptable risks. We need to asklot of companies selling wearables tolike assigning wearable devices and hard questions about how theselong-term care facilities are start-upslogin accounts, even well-developed tools really work and what they mightstill finding their footing. They tosstechnologies risk remaining unused. actually change in day-to-day care. around terms like AI-powered andSustaining long-term use demands predictive analytics, which soundsubstantial additional effort to monitor I have been leading research onimpressive but often mean very littledevice wear, equipment loss or the use of wearables in people withonce you dig deeper. Many of thesedamage, and to communicatedementia in long-term care settings forsystems havent been tested with thesystem updates to staff, residentsthe past 10 years, and this has givenpeople who live in long-term care,and caregivers.me a unique perspective on the prosand particularly those who are frailEffective systems also change how and cons. Lets start with the upsides.or cognitively impaired. And becausepeople work. Real-time monitoring Used thoughtfully, wearables canmany companies treat their algorithmscan make staff feel accountable to provide clinically important informationas trade secrets, its hard to know howdata instead of their own professional 44 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Spring/Summer 2026'