In the UK, the demand for adult care services is experiencing a steady rise, driven by an ageing population, changing demographics, and advancements in medical care that have extended life expectancy. This surge poses significant challenges for policymakers, caregivers, and healthcare providers. Addressing these challenges requires an approach that combines innovation, technology, and community engagement.
The challenges facing adult social care
With a growing number of older adults requiring support for various health reasons, the current health and social care system is struggling to keep up. As a result of this surge, many people find themselves stuck in a hospital bed for weeks as they are unable to be discharged without care in place. We are also seeing a number of elderly becoming dependent on family or friends as unpaid caregivers who may not be equipped to deal with certain health issues or lead busy lives themselves.
An ageing population means an increased likelihood of chronic health conditions, disabilities, and cognitive impairments, leading to more complex care requirements. Providing tailored support for individuals with diverse needs poses a strain on existing social care infrastructure, longer visits with specially trained care assistants or nurses lead to a bottleneck for those seeking specialised help.
Recruiting and retaining skilled caregivers is an ongoing challenge in the social care sector. High turnover rates and the time to train new care assistants contribute to a shortage of qualified staff, hindering the delivery of care. Alongside this, there is a fragmentation between health and social care systems, care seekers and providers which creates barriers when trying to coordinate care.
Can technology help bridge the gap?
Over the last few years, we have seen a huge rise in tech solutions centred around coordinating and monitoring care, medical innovations and AI-assisted everything. However, we have noticed that one aspect of helping to connect care seekers with providers can help bridge the gap that currently plagues the care industry.
Looking at the challenges care seekers face when looking for assistance, it became obvious that the current system for finding available care is stressful and unnecessary. Instead of calling around multiple providers, hoping to find one that matches the needs of the care seeker, why don’t we use real-time availability data instead?
Pairly was created to use care providers' real-time availability to match with care seekers and allow them to easily and quickly connect with care. Almost creating a shopfront for spaces within a roster that care seekers can choose. To support both care seekers and providers, care requests can be placed through Pairly, going directly to the provider of choice at no cost. The care request contains all the information needed to move forward with an assessment.
Want to make your website more accessible for care seekers?
Using your real-time availability, Pairly Pro acts as a 24/7 coordinator which matches visitors to your website with spaces within your roster and allows them to request care. This not only increases the engagement on your website but provides care seekers with a way to find the information they need quickly and converts them to potential customers.
Interested in learning more about how Pairly.com and Pairly Pro can help bridge the gap between you and care seekers? Contact us today at help@pairly.com to speak with our team or request a demo.
There are lots of exciting developments coming soon to Pairly Pro! Take a sneak peek at the new functions.