AgeTech and COVID-19: What’s in Russia

Vozrastech project organized online-roundtable focused on technologies and the elderly, we wanted to know how the market reacts to a coronavirus.

In the current situation, the elderly are not only at the highest risk due to the virus itself. Lockdown affects elders most as it’s maximizing isolation, but tech helps to improve the situation. There are very few specialized solutions for the older generation (AgeTech) at Russian market, but, nevertheless, affordable options could be found — the elders, while staying at home in an epidemic, can use technological solutions for communications, health monitoring, home care and ADL activities.

So during our online conference market participants — care market operators, mobile operators, telehealth, IT companies etc., discussed what is happening and what to expect. A brief summary of the event is given below.

Communications are booming. According to Vadim Barausov, the founder of Vozrastech and director of Fund 60+, first result of the pandemic is that the market has seen a massive transition to communications solutions — both in the business segment of nursing homes and home care services (communications between personnel, with clients, relatives, doctors etc.), and in communications between the elderly themselves and their friends and families. For this, both social network messengers and specialized communication programs are used.

Rise of of online shopping/delivery. The second segment, which Russian older generation “discovered” due to coronavirus, is buying of groceries and goods via the Internet. As noted by Grigory Kunis, manager of the iGooods.ru delivery service, “the features of orders from an age audience are a small check, a limited set of products, basket repeatability from order to order, regularity of orders and commitment to the most popular networks.”

Limited range of solutions. Due to the spread of the virus there is a sharp increase in demand for B2B AgeTech solutions in a lot of countries, but in our market the situation is different. As Oleg Tovpeko, general director of the 100plus nursing home explained, in Russia there are few companies involved in the creation of platforms / services that work for nursing home or home-based care. According to Oleg, his company has had to develop its own care management system, which collects data on the state of an elderly person from internal sources, and through the API can be integrated with third-party systems, such as laboratories.

Importance of integrated systems. During coronavirus, automation of the work of a care provider allows to quickly monitor status of elderly and staff, responding to changes in vital signs and behavior, taking preventive measures. Such systems can use wearable devices, set of sensors, video surveillance, voice communications etc., to create integrated solution working with all the data. As noted by Alexei Mavrin, the chairman of the board of the Opeka Group of Companies, it is very important to think not only about coping with the current situation, but about the future development.

Long-term demand. Tech will be needed after the crisis in the bigger scale. For example, investments in IT, according to experts, will help increase the efficiency of staff and cope with its possible shortage. In various countries, the number of specialized AgeTech services and devices is already in the hundreds, and their implementation is growing both in the private and public segments.

Dependence on staff qualifications. As an important factor helping to increase the effectiveness of AgeTech using, the roundtable participants called the issue of quick digital training of caregivers and other specialists working with elders. “People should be able and willing to apply new technologies, connect their ingenuity in how certain gadgets and services can be used specifically for the elderly,” said Oleg Tovpeko. Motivation should be aimed at increasing staff interest in using new technologies.

Connectivity. “The question is not which technology to choose — it requires just testing which is better, cheaper, etc., the question is how we can implement it, who will bring the technology to homes,” said Dmitry Romanov, CEO of Pomoguru service. The problem of providing elderly access to digital services has escalated in conditions of self-isolation. Experts see that “last mile” problem should be solved by care operators, telecom operators, companies with a developed network (postal services etc.)

Eliminating the digital divide. An important part of solving current problems is informing and teaching older people how to use technology. Maxim Ikonnikov, Tele2, Commercial Director, Macro-Region “North-West”, spoke about examples of campaigns aimed specifically at eliminating the digital divide. “The 55+ audience is people who have a unique consumption model. On the one hand, they have the most common push-button phone models that are gradually replacing low-cost smartphones. On the other hand, they need mobile Internet not for work and operational interaction, but for personal communication with loved ones”, said Maxim about the elderly age group. Greater awareness and increased availability of modern smartphones, tablets, voice speakers using mobile Internet / WiFi, leads to a sharp increase in traffic, while the older generation start to use an increasingly wider range of services and applications.

Promising telehealth. Health problems of the older generation determine rising demand for telehealth technologies. The epidemic gave boost to the spread of this type of service, including special free digital services for the elderly. “You can provide remote service to older people now. In addition to consultations, you can do integration with medical devices — tonometers, ECG devices and others. In conditions of self-isolation, the format of psychological assistance is also important, ”said Denis Yudchits, general director of Mobile Medical Technologies. Conference participants drew attention to the fact that the tech community responded to the current pandemic with a number of healthtech development initiatives designed to give access to these services to the maximum audience. The implementation of these initiatives now depends on government decisions to regulate the segment.

Financial issue. The issue of technology development for the elderly is related to the state and at the funding level. “In our country, only the state can afford to spend resources, regardless of the result, based on political considerations. The question is the source of effective demand: who will pay? ”, said Yevgeny Yakushev, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Social Service Participants. Technology companies and startups are actively developing various projects that may quickly help to fight with the coronavirus. Grant funding may be the current solution.

Vozrastech roundtable conclusions:

• In the time of coronavirus, technology is an effective tool to improve the quality of life for older people right now. Addressing connectivity issues, digital divide, limited technology supply, digitalization care operators, regulating the use and financing of technologies will give the market additional opportunities for growth.
• According to experts, an important element in the development of AgeTech is the creation of a platform for ideas, information exchange, infrastructure for innovation, which the Vozrastech project is working on with other market participants.