AS THE “MARKETING GURU,” when I learned that this issue would be about artificial intelligence (AI) in long-term care, the first place I turned was to an artificial intelligence tool.
While the press covering long-term care, and certainly the popular press, are running ahead and breathlessly announcing what AI will do for us, I thought I’d start with this: Almost nothing you read about AI is real. That is, predictions of the capabilities of AI are just that: theories and predictions.
There is precious little about AI that already has been, or is being immediately deployed within the existing operations of an average nursing home, home care agency, or long-term care operation. Reasons for this include the costs associated with developing AI-enabled tools, the insanely complicated nexus of regulations in which long-term care operates, and the fact that long-term care was specifically excluded from the “meaningful use” funding and therefore lags way behind other healthcare segments. You can read more about this here: https://stackpoleassociates.com/ health-care/ai-in-healthcare-ageing-services-the-gold-or-therush/
Because of its potential, it is nevertheless important to understand what AI is, what it isn’t, and how it might be applied so that we can give it the proper attention it needs when attention is warranted. Understanding that the average longterm care manager’s day-to-day work life is extremely hectic and packed with demanding tasks, my hope is to offer some carefully selected observations, examples, and even a curated bibliography (at the conclusion of this article).
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