Improving Quality Of Life Through Medical Advancements

Getting older can bring both joy and hardship into our lives. Tasks that were once easy and mindless may become much more difficult as we age. Luckily, with cutting-edge technologies, the golden years can be some of the best years. New and developing medical advances are coming out every day, with the goal of making life and aging better. These assistive tools and trailblazing medical devices can support daily tasks, as well as facilitate communication and care management.

With the application of assistive technology, people can see an improvement in day-to-day function and experience an overall better quality of life. This is crucial in our society, as the population is aging and people are living longer. Recent forecasts show that the U.S. could see a population of 72 million people over the age of 65 in the next 20 years. Many of these people will need daily at-home care to support recovery or the management of chronic conditions.

Currently, there are 7.6 million people in the U.S. receiving home healthcare. These patients frequently need durable medical equipment (DME). This physician-prescribed type of equipment ranges from lifting chairs to oxygen equipment and more.

We’re already informed of how beneficial walkers and fall detectors can be for seniors or patients with mobility impairments. Now, there are new ways to improve 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 more devices become widely available, individuals who have disabilities related to speech, hearing and voice are experiencing more meaningful communication with the people in their lives.

Yet another medical advancement that is increasing independence is smart prosthetics. Using state-of-the-art engineering, limb prostheses can now be equipped with pattern recognition and intuitive control technology to help artificial limbs perform more naturally. Likewise, specialists can use 3D-printed organs for transplant and create custom prostheses at much lower costs. Bioprinting is an exciting development that produces living tissues to assist in surgery, medical procedures, student training, and scientific testing.

As these technologies continue to progress and become seamlessly integrated into our lives, we can’t help but ponder what we’ll see next. For more information on the medical advancements of today and tomorrow, please see the accompanying resource by Coapt Engineering.