Enhancing The Quality Of Life Through Medical Advancements
Getting older can bring great joy and hardship into our lives. Tasks that were once easy may become more difficult as we age. With the help of cutting-edge technologies, the golden years can shine a bit brighter. New and developing advances in medicine are emerging every day, with the purpose of making life and aging better. These helpful tools and sophisticated medical devices can support daily tasks, as well as facilitate communication and care management.
With the application of assistive technology, people can see improvements in day-to-day function and experience a better quality of life. This is essential in our society, as the population is aging and people are living much longer. Recent trends show that the U.S. could see a population of 72 million people over the age of 65 in the couple decades. Many of these people will require some sort of daily care at home to support recovery or manage chronic conditions.
Currently, there are 7.6 million people in the U.S. receiving home healthcare. These individuals often require some sort of durable medical equipment (DME). This doctor-prescribed type of equipment varies widely from hospital beds to sleep apnea devices.
DME is a part of what is considered assistive technology, which also includes assistive listening devices called frequency modulation systems. These advanced systems connect hearing aids to smartphones and other media devices for hearing-impaired individuals. Software products can also be interfaced with screens to enlarge text and images.
We already know how beneficial walkers and fall detectors can be for seniors or other mobility-impaired patients. Now, there are ways to increase independence in the home beyond what was thought possible. For example, talking thermostats are ideal for people with mobility issues, as well as video doorbells. As these digital and wireless technologies advance and devices become widely available, patients who have speech, hearing and voice disorders are enjoying more meaningful communication with the people in their lives.
Yet another medical advancement that is increasing independence is smart prosthetics. Advanced engineering has made it possible for limb prostheses to be equipped with pattern recognition and intuitive control technology to allow artificial limbs to function more naturally. Similarly, specialists can use these technologies to create customized prostheses at much lower costs. Bioprinting is an exciting technology that produces living tissues to aid in surgery, medical procedures, student training and more.
As technologies continue to improve and become more integrated into our lives, we can’t help but wonder what we’ll see next. Learn more about the technologies of today and tomorrow with the following resource by Coapt Engineering.
