On August 29, 1997, Skynet became self-aware. What? You don’t remember? In the original Terminator movie, Skynet went online on August 4, 1997, removed humans from strategic defense decisions, and by August 29, it began to perceive humanity as an existential threat.

When it was released in 1984 (!) that movie introduced us to the remote and unlikely and totally unrealistic idea that computers would be smarter than us and eliminate us. Maybe not that unlikely. 

In contrast, Star Trek: The Next Generation had Data, an artificial intelligence-functioning android with an “emotion chip” that gave him/it a nuanced sense of wisdom, sensitivity and curiosity, garnering respect from his peers and colleagues. He was the good guy support system that everyone turned to when things got problematic. 

Long-term care has heard all the horror stories about how AI threatens our jobs, our health and our ability to care for our clients. But we are using AI now, whether we know it or not. Even simple AI has been used in our facilities for longer than you might think. When you take an EKG, the machine interprets the tracing. When a therapist puts a client on sophisticated yet user-friendly balance instrumentation, the results are frequently offered instantaneously by the machine. X-rays that are taken at the patient’s bedside are often read by AI before they get to the radiologist. 

Is AI always better than human interpretation? AI is not just one technology, it’s a collection of technologies. The EKG machine will give results based on human input, but it’s not the same as if read by a cardiologist. Even IBM’s Watson, which received so much attention recently for its ability to diagnose cancer, has fallen short because clinicians have seen the difficulty of teaching it how to address certain types of cancer, and then integrating it into care processes. People with education and experience are still a vital part of the process. 

How does that affect us? How can AI help long-term healthcare minimize adverse effects, and maximize quality of life? Start with falls. As most of us know, a fall after age 65 increases mortality three-fold. Falls among adults 65 and older caused over 38,000 deaths in 2021, making it the leading cause of injury death for that group. In 2021, emergency departments recorded nearly three million visits for older adult falls. 

Our clients can’t afford to fall. There are AI apps that watch the patients in their rooms and have proven better at preventing falls than having a human watch them. A non-intrusive camera/motion detector that knows the difference between benign movement and fall potential changes the way we deliver care. AI can analyze a resident’s medical history, mobility, and other health data to identify those at high risk of falling. AI can then create personalized care plans to reduce their risk. Advanced AI-powered monitoring systems continuously observe residents’ movements and behaviors. These systems use cameras and sensors to detect unusual patterns or activities that might indicate an imminent fall. 

AI can help more than just falls. AI can readily identify medication duplication, contraindications, potential drug interactions, predictable adverse reactions and high-cost medications with suitable alternatives. 

If we’re considering two of the biggest concerns for client health and safety, falls and medications are at the top of our list. When we think of artificial intelligence, we should stop thinking Skynet and HAL, and start thinking Data. When we need help with any problem, most of us go to Google. Google uses AI to get us to the best orchid food formula, the best place for hot wings near me, and the best way to treat a medically complex patient with polypharmacy and a hankering for pineapple.

We frequently don’t want to give away our expertise and power to somebody else’s intelligence, whether human or artificial. But for the benefit of our clients, their families, and ourselves, the use of AI is good for everyone.

Jean Wendland Porter, PT, CCI, WCC, CKTP, CDP, TWD, is the regional director of therapy operations at Diversified Health Partners in Ohio.

The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.

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