AI has sparked important discussions around ethics. These discussions help us to make informed decisions to achieve the best possible outcomes for those receiving care and support.
The Oxford Project on the responsible use of generative AI in social care has brought together organisations from across the sector to discuss these issues. They have co-produced guidance on the responsible use of AI in care.
As AI continues to evolve, its influence on adult social care is expected to grow. New AI solutions are likely to emerge that will further enhance outcomes and experiences for care recipients. However, many adult social care providers are still in the early stages of exploring AI and have yet to implement AI solutions within their organisations.
AI solutions in adult social care delivery
A range of AI solutions are already being used to support the direct delivery of adult social care and support. They include:
- sensor-based technologies, including acoustic monitoring
- chat bots
- facial recognition technology
- data collection and analytics technologies
These types of solutions can deliver improvements in hands-on, immediate care to individuals in accommodation-based settings. They can also deliver life-changing preventative and reactive care for people living in their own homes.
Generative AI is being used to create individual care plans and care assessments. AI tools can fast track high workload tasks such as auditing and writing care plans, daily monitoring and logging data. These AI-backed care planning software technologies can also improve understanding and communication within care planning documentation.
AI care planning software may cut down the time spent doing administrative tasks. This can allow care staff more time to give people care, and lead to better outcomes for them.
Issues to be aware of
Evidence that generative AI can create truly personalised care plans is currently limited.
If AI is used in care planning, a member of care staff must review the plan to make sure it’s accurate. Care organisations must ensure that any use of AI does not breach data protection legislation - see ‘Best practice guidance’ below.
Sensor-based technology
AI-backed sensors can:
- monitor movement
- monitor sound
- automatically switch on lights for someone who is getting up in the night
- keep track of vital signs like heart rate, breathing and body temperature in real time and send alerts to caregivers if any deterioration is detected
- monitor and detect changes in a person’s gait which may suggest an increased risk of frailty
This type of monitoring can enable caregivers to spot problems early and address health issues before they get more serious. AI-backed sensor-based technology does more than track and report data. It also analyses patterns to intelligently predict when a potentially critical situation will arise.
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