Momentum was building before the pandemic: Recent survey data from AARP finds consumers over 50 are helping fuel the demand for smart home technology. Fifty-three percent of respondents say they would prefer to have their healthcare needs managed by a mix of medical staff and healthcare technology.
That’s the good news.
The ongoing shift also heightens the risk for cyberthreats that can disrupt critical operations and expose personal information.
In addition to managing residents’ physical safety, care providers “are responsible for handling and protecting a lot of personal data,” Katie Smith Sloan, president of LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit providers of aging services, tells HealthTech. “You want to make sure you’re not in a situation where you can be easily hacked or easily spammed.”
The financial toll can be devastating. Cybercriminals steal nearly $40 billion each year from seniors, according to Bloomberg, and healthcare organizations continue to have the highest costs associated with data breaches.
