Contact Us
Back to main menu
Services
Industries
Domains
Technologies
About Us
Blog

How HealthTech Supports Elderly Home Care in Germany

Victoria YaskevichVictoria Yaskevich
Victoria Yaskevich
IT Consultant for Healthcare Solutions
March 30, 2023
HealthTech

Technology has certainly improved elderly care services, but many challenges remain even in developed nations. This article will focus on why elderly home care services are crucial, using Germany as an example of high-quality healthcare for seniors. Elderly care services market here totaled to $ 22.35 billion in 2024 and is expected to boost by 7.35 % by 2030. Additionally, we will delve deeper into how HealthTech addresses supports elderly home care via promising custom healthcare software development solutions.

How HealthTech Supports Elderly Home Care in Germany
How HealthTech Supports Elderly Home Care in Germany

Elderly Care Services: Global and German Trends

The population is aging globally with Germany being one of the five “super-aged” societies in the world. Germany’s population aged 65 and older is expected to increase by 41% to 24 million by 2050. Ca. 80% of seniors have at least one chronic condition, such as heart disease or diabetes. Furthermore, social isolation and related mental health issues are not uncommon among the elderly.

In this vein, the country’s healthcare sector proactively adopts elderly care software as a part of wider efforts to make elderly care services more accessible and improve the safety of seniors.

The State of Global and German Senior Care Market
Source: nippon.com

Key Challenges in Elderly Home Care

As the number of older adults rises, elderly home care services providers face numerous hurdles to guarantee the health and safety of their clients. The range of challenges varies from mental health issues to limitations in mobility, insurance coverage and social isolation.

Mental Health in Home Care Services

About 15% of seniors suffer from mental health disorders and another 15% are at risk of experiencing clinically significant symptoms of depression. Therefore, access to mental health services as a part of home care services for elderly is no less important than physical health.

Access and Mobility Issues

Access to elderly home care may have different dimensions, including limited income combined with insurance absences or limitations, reduced overall mobility, residing in rural or remote areas, and lower health-related quality of life.

Social Isolation Among Seniors

Elderly people are especially vulnerable to social isolation, which threatens their mental health. In Germany, the rise of single-person households and smaller family sizes is one of the reasons why seniors turn to external elderly home care solutions.

Chronic Illness and Daily Care

As aging is irrevocably linked to chronic health conditions, home care services for elderly providers are often challenged to timely keep up with these. In Germany, mHealth app development is promoted to track health indicators and capacitate respective medical care for seniors.

HealthTech Solutions for Home Care Services

AI Tools for Elderly Home Care

AI software development solutions are largely integrated throughout elderly homes in Germany and even covered by public health insurance policies. E.g., Vivi app helps seniors stay socially connected and engaged. It simplifies complex tasks and reduces the mental load of monitoring health metrics through reminders, regular conversations, and verbal interactions. It keeps track of various tasks, making it easier to organize daily routines.

Telehealth and Remote Access

Telehealth allows for home care services for elderly without a need to visit medical professionals in person. Respective elderly care solutions include mobile app development services, online portals, video chats, etc. This technology addresses the issues of limited mobility, severe medical conditions and transportation.

Smart Homes for Seniors

The idea behind Smart Homes technology for seniors is to allow the latter to independently age in their homes. This ranges from smart vacuum cleaners and kitchen appliances to smart fall detection sensors and medication dispensers. These provide especially valuable support for seniors with Alzheimer’s, dementia, etc. through sending reminders or dispensing medications on time.

VR for Therapy and Stimulation

Virtual (VR) and augmented reality development services help patients with physical fitness, therapy, and rehab and assist doctors and nurses in assessing the risks of their patients. VR is widely used for chronic pain reduction. The calming landscape with green grass and blue sky combined with pleasant birds chirping and tweeting and bubbling water can have more than just a therapeutic effect.

Wearables and Fall Detection

Wearables contribute into elderly home care services through monitoring blood pressure, addressing minor concerns, and preventing them from developing into life-threatening situations. E.g., a smartwatch with predictive analytics can serve as an elderly home care solution that facilitates heart monitoring.

Assistive Care Devices

We are referring to elderly care software for smart homes and assisted living communities. Smart home technologies allow residents of senior care facilities to have more flexibility and an effortless daily routine. Taking advantage of voice commands eases the pressure off nursing staff. Elinext has delivered several solutions like this one for the real estate industry. We can say that those solutions would merge with the healthcare sector as well.

Alzheimer’s Care with Cameras

Tech-assisted elderly care services offer an artificial intelligence-powered camera system to provide fall detection for people with dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. As it is HIPAA- and GDPR-compliant, video is only captured and shared with families and caregivers in case of a fall, and virtually serves as an extra set of eyes to assist with the evaluation of falls. The service is mostly used in assisted living or skilled nursing communities.

HealthTech Projects in Germany

Among elderly home care solutions in Germany, the following HealthTech projects utilize technologies to help seniors with their current needs:

  •  pflege.de is a service portal for care and housing for the elderly.
  •  Seniovo supports elderly people with barrier-free structural alteration measures.
  •  Pflegix is an online marketplace for finding helpers.
  •  Alloheim Senioren-Residenzen provides old-age home care facilities along with nursing home services, stationary and ambulatory care.

Startups and Pilot Programs

Berlin-based Patronus is a HealthTech startup aimed at relieving the burden on elderly home care providers and families through an emergency watch app. The latter ensures around-the-clock connectivity to the emergency call centre where operators have respective senior person’s medical records and family contacts.

 

Public and Private Partnerships

The case study above also presents an example of public and private partnership for the sake of effective elderly home care services. The startup collaborates with Deutsche Telekom to ensure lifesaving emergency calls to assist the elderly.

Academic and R&D Involvement

Germany’s Digitalisation Strategy in Healthcare envisages proactive involvement of healthcare data for research to enhance prevention, healthcare, nursing and long-term care, and also after-care provision. Academic and R&D are also considered as important informants for data-based healthcare policy-making.

Policy and the Future of Elderly Home Care

The number of people in need of long-term care in Germany will rise by 37% until 2055. Hence, the German government encourages initiatives aimed at lifelong learning and digital inclusion of elderly persons. Apart from elderly home care solutions, the support extends to non-governmental welfare organizations, work-care reconciliation schemes, capacity-building in nursing care, and other related areas.

Government and Legal Support

The government is committed to providing elderly home care services on a policy level. In this regard, the Ministry for Senior Citizens established an Advisory Board from among policymakers, practitioners and researchers in the area of digitalization and education for older people promoting the use of digital technologies by seniors.

Insurance and Funding Models

Germany’s public long-term care insurance (LTCI) system is the foundation of the country’s elder care strategy. Since it is financed by payroll taxes, all employed people make contributions to the fund, and all residents who fulfill specific care requirements are eligible for benefits. Benefits are modified according to the degree of care needed, and the system includes outpatient, home care, and nursing home care.

Adoption and Public Trust

Due to the German LTCI system, all citizens are entitled to long-term care if needed as this relies on contributions from all workers and minimizes financial burden on an individual. As these financial fees are linked to income, Germans may predict their elderly care costs and have high trust in the system.

Conclusion: Smarter Elderly Home Care Ahead

Germany’s efforts to withstand the continuously increasing aging shift are largely associated with digital elderly home care solutions. Medical services, assisted living and elderly home care services – each area goes through shifting resources amid an ageing population. Even though three quarters of senior Germans are  cared for at home mostly by their relatives, the trends towards smaller families will challenge such services in the future. Hence, the presence of HealthTech for elderly will become more and more accessible given the comprehensive support for this on the end of the government and society.

FAQ

Can HealthTech help manage chronic diseases in elderly care?

HealthTech provides elderly home care solutions that ensure remote monitoring of biodata and thus allow medical professionals to timely interfere with treatment. Another example relates to dedicated digital tools for those suffering from significant medical conditions like Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Is HealthTech affordable for elderly care services in Germany?

HealthTech is an integral part of the government-run elderly care services initiatives in Germany and enjoys full support. Besides, amid healthcare rising costs, technology-driven solutions stabilize the costs of aid and make it accessible.

What technologies support Alzheimer’s care at home in Germany?

Patients with Alzheimer’s can fall without realizing that they’re on the ground. One of the German startups offers an artificial intelligence-powered camera system to provide fall detection for people with dementia to enable respective aid.

How does telehealth benefit home care services for elderly people?

Telehealth benefits home care services for elderly people through remote monitoring of seniors’ health and facilitating virtual consultations with medical professionals. It ensures timely health interventions and is of great convenience for people with mobility limitations.

Are smart home technologies effective for elderly home care?

Smart technologies support both physical and mental wellbeing of elderly people though they do not replace medical professionals. They empower seniors to age independently at their homes with a stronger sense of security and easier access to help when needed. 

Contact Us
Contact Us



    Array
(
    [_edit_lock] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1748352305:47
        )

    [_edit_last] => Array
        (
            [0] => 47
        )

    [_thumbnail_id] => Array
        (
            [0] => 19276
        )

    [_yoast_wpseo_metadesc] => Array
        (
            [0] => Discover how HealthTech improves elderly care in Germany, offering innovative solutions for better healthcare, and quality of life.
        )

    [_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes] => Array
        (
            [0] => 8
        )

    [custom_permalink] => Array
        (
            [0] => industries/healthcare/trends/healthtech-solutions-for-elderly-in-germany/
        )

    [_custom_permalink] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_602ec1181fed7
        )

    [images_slider] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_images_slider] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ee75564abe1e
        )

    [template_54_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => template-54
        )

    [_template_54_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ce6e52fa9
        )

    [template_54_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_54_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ce8652faa
        )

    [template_54_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_template_54_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374cec652fab
        )

    [template_54_testimonials] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_54_testimonials] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374cf0252fac
        )

    [template_54_2_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => template-54-2
        )

    [_template_54_2_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ecf40d893
        )

    [template_54_2_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_54_2_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ecf40d8cb
        )

    [template_54_2_title_menu] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_template_54_2_title_menu] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ecf40d901
        )

    [template_54_2_testimonials] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_54_2_testimonials] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ecf40d937
        )

    [template_55_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => template-55
        )

    [_template_55_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374df7806a52
        )

    [template_55_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_55_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374dfae06a53
        )

    [template_55_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_template_55_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374dfc706a54
        )

    [template_55_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_55_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374dfe906a55
        )

    [template_55_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_55_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e02606a56
        )

    [template_55_buttons] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_55_buttons] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_63760d837e8bc
        )

    [template_56_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => template-56
        )

    [_template_56_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e4c352117
        )

    [template_56_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_56_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e563f561f
        )

    [template_56_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_template_56_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e57ff5620
        )

    [template_56_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_56_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e592f5621
        )

    [template_56_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_56_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6376117bfa43c
        )

    [template_56_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_56_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e601f5622
        )

    [template_56_url] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_56_url] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6376127349c70
        )

    [template_57_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => template-57
        )

    [_template_57_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e66bf4273
        )

    [template_57_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_57_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e688f4274
        )

    [template_57_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_template_57_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374e699f4275
        )

    [template_57_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_57_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6376155db54eb
        )

    [template_57_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_57_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6376157cb54ec
        )

    [template_57_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_57_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6376159ab54ed
        )

    [template_58_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => template-58
        )

    [_template_58_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374eb92882bd
        )

    [template_58_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ebad882be
        )

    [template_58_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_template_58_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6374ebc4882bf
        )

    [template_58_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_63761879feb02
        )

    [template_58_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_6376188ffeb03
        )

    [template_58_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_637618a4feb04
        )

    [template_58_2_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => template-58-2
        )

    [_template_58_2_template_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_637618f9a59c1
        )

    [template_58_2_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_2_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_637618f9a59f8
        )

    [template_58_2_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_template_58_2_custom_navigation_header] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_637618f9a5a2e
        )

    [template_58_2_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_2_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_637618f9a5a65
        )

    [template_58_2_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_2_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_637618f9a5a9b
        )

    [template_58_2_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_template_58_2_items] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_637618f9a5ad1
        )

    [_yoast_wpseo_primary_category] => Array
        (
            [0] => 121
        )

    [lang_page_id] => Array
        (
            [0] => 19271
        )

    [primary_tag] => Array
        (
            [0] => 147
        )

    [_primary_tag] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_669f60677f9e1
        )

    [_lang_page_id] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_67167a251e356
        )

    [short_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_short_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf97d78daad
        )

    [css_class_name_general] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_css_class_name_general] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ed094cbee060
        )

    [enable_breadcrumb] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_enable_breadcrumb] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5eddfba50cb74
        )

    [enable_right_side_bar] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_enable_right_side_bar] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ee09b21eb9b6
        )

    [enable_case_studies_block] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_enable_case_studies_block] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf982ce922c
        )

    [enable_news_block] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_enable_news_block] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf9950d8e87
        )

    [enable_contact_form_block] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_enable_contact_form_block] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf99695a591
        )

    [case_study_block_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_case_study_block_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ed09500ae937
        )

    [case_study_block_header_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => Case studies
        )

    [_case_study_block_header_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf9b149f113
        )

    [case_study_block_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_case_study_block_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ed0812ca5fe4
        )

    [case_study_solution_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_case_study_solution_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ee74d2cc8b67
        )

    [case_study_industry_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_case_study_industry_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ee74ee7b2529
        )

    [case_study_technology_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_case_study_technology_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ee74f21b252a
        )

    [news_block_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_news_block_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ed095295310a
        )

    [news_block_header_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => News
        )

    [_news_block_header_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf9b8a4bc15
        )

    [news_block_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_news_block_caption] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_62b4904f21245
        )

    [news_block_more_news_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => More news
        )

    [_news_block_more_news_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf9bbcbc459
        )

    [news_block_more_news_url] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_news_block_more_news_url] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_673df8af3eaa3
        )

    [news_block_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:1:{i:0;s:3:"121";}
        )

    [_news_block_categories] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ee0b7b2b1008
        )

    [contact_form_block_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => news
        )

    [_contact_form_block_css_class_name] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ed0953ea14e1
        )

    [contact_form_block_image_banner] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_contact_form_block_image_banner] => Array
        (
            [0] => field_5ecf9cf052349
        )

    [_wpb_vc_js_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => false
        )

    [_yoast_wpseo_title] => Array
        (
            [0] => HealthTech for Elderly in Germany: Innovations & Solutions
        )

)