Welfare technology in care

Technology plays an increasingly large role in care and nursing. From ceiling lifts and sensors to screen visits and digital documentation — welfare technology is not science fiction but part of everyday life for most social and health assistants already today.

Welfare technology covers a broad range of technological solutions that support care, nursing and rehabilitation – both aids that relieve physical work and digital solutions that change how contact between citizen and staff takes place. Municipalities and regions are continuously working to introduce and expand such solutions as part of the general digitalization of health and elderly care, which is supported by, among others, the Danish Local Government Association and the Health Data Authority.

• 01Ceiling lifts and mobile lifts that make heavy transfers safer for both citizens and staff.
• 02Raise-lower beds and bathrooms that reduce bent working postures.
• 03Sensors in the bed or on the floor that can alert if a resident is about to fall or leaves bed at night.
• 04Digital keys and access systems that save time during home care visits.

Screen visits (telecare) are increasingly used for tasks that do not require physical presence, such as reminding about medicine, following up on a course or talking to a citizen living far from the nearest offer. GPS solutions are used in some places to give people with dementia more freedom to move around themselves, while relatives and staff can find them if they get lost.

The electronic care record, which you document every day, is itself a form of welfare technology. With standards like Common Language III, documentation becomes more consistent across municipalities, and new digital tools make it easier to share relevant information with nurses, doctors and other partners quickly.

• 01You must be trained on new equipment before you use it on a citizen — ask if training is missing.
• 02Technology should support care, not replace human contact.
• 03Report errors and deficiencies with the equipment further – your practical experience with it is valuable knowledge for the workplace.
• 04Respect the citizen's right to say no to a technological solution if she is able to take a position on it.

“Good technology does not take care from you – it gives you more time for it.”