20. 03. 2025
Author: Zuzana Novotná
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIAL SERVICES: A KEY SKILL FOR SOCIAL WORKERS
Our society is aging. The average life expectancy is 80 years, but we live only 63 years in health. The last 17 years of our lives are often accompanied by health complications. By 2035, almost one in four people in the Czech Republic will be a senior citizen. It means that we will need much more health and social care. There will be billions of crowns, thousands of beds, and thousands of workers. This trend threatens the sustainability of the existing system and requires urgent and practical solutions.
Assistive technologies are emerging as a key tool for meeting the challenges of an aging population and ensuring the sustainability of health and social care. Modern technologies offer innovative ways to improve the quality of life of older people, prolong their independence, and reduce the need for costly institutional care.
To ensure that future social workers can effectively use modern technologies, we have joined forces with the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University to bring the use of modern technologies in social work and in working with different target groups into their education. During the spring semester, students will learn about assistive technologies in practice, explore the ethical aspects of their use, and participate in field trips and testing.
The use of assistive technology will make it easier for social care workers in the future to plan and carry out care, reduce stress and burden, and have, more time to spend quality time with the elderly or be able to care for more clients.
