A new startup that specializes in dementia care management joins the ranks of senior-care-related software companies that look to use new artificial intelligence capabilities to streamline services.
The company, Harmonic Health, has launched via a comprehensive pilot program with Stoney Batter Family Medicine, the company announced recently.
The number of people living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, is increasing in nursing homes that don’t already have specialized memory care teams, and 42% of assisted living community residents are living with dementia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The Harmonic program will use AI-enable risk assessments and a centralized digital patient portal to help coordinate dementia care, including screenings and referrals for community care services, for individuals.
As with many new software innovations, Harmonic’s platform also is designed to make it easier for clinicians and caregivers to manage electronic health records.
Many long-term care operators are looking to update their electronic health records systems and documentation interfaces, and to leverage AI, as not all platforms are intuitive or user-friendly, health tech experts have noted.
Harmonic is hoping that patients, and their families, are able to leverage the care platform to fill in the gaps between clinical appointments.
Harmonic CEO Jim Gera called many current dementia care plans “ineffective, unsupportive and deeply frustrating,” citing his own personal experiences in the industry.
“Our goal is to provide that missing support and bridge the gap in care by treating each patient and caregiver with candor, dignity and empathy,” Gera stated, “while focusing care specifically through the lens of the disease.”
Other tech companies, including Seniorlink, have started programs in recent years, which often offer telehealth and digital caregiver access to patients.
Federal agencies recently have addressed the need to improve dementia care management. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched its own pilot program for dementia care, McKnight’s Senior Living recently reported.
