Why is emotional health monitoring is becoming a big focus for provider agencies these days?
The emotional well-being of people with IDD is coming into focus for a number of intertwined reasons:
1. Enhanced Understanding of Mental Health Concerns
People with IDD have traditionally had their mental health needs ignored or misdiagnosed. There is now a greater understanding that people with IDD experience anxiety, depression, trauma, and even deep feelings of loneliness—while still being able to express or articulate these emotions differently.
2. The Effects of the Pandemic
Access to routines, supports, and social connections for people with IDD was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting isolation, loss of structure, and decreased access to services has led to widespread emotional difficulties and behavioral challenges.
3. Movement Towards Holistic Care
Support and healthcare systems are shifting towards and implementing a more person-centered approach. These models emphasize the individual’s quality of life—emotional and psychological health—in addition to physical and functional health.
4. Increasing Awareness and Advocacy
Family members, self-advocates, and organizations have started advocating with more emphasis for access to mental health services and emotional support for people with IDD. Such advocacy is having an impact on policy, funding, and research priorities.
5. Research and Data Are Catching Up
Recent studies claim that a person’s emotional well-being has a measurable effect on his or her independence, employment, health, and behavior. This is starting to change the thinking of service providers and policymakers to lend attention to emotional wellness as a primary component of care.
6. Staff Shortages and Burnout
Due to a lack of direct support staff, caregivers tend to give less frequent care and support as well as less consistent attendance to people with IDD. This has resulted in increased stress and emotional dysregulation. This combination of stress on the system has deepened discussions on how to better support both the people and their caregivers emotionally.
7. Technology and Innovation
The development of digital tools such as apps, wearables, and virtual therapy are receiving more attention as they create new opportunities to monitor and support people’s emotional well-being in a more tailored and accessible fashion.
While the importance of emotional health is woven through most of our enabling technology solutions, two apps focus more heavily on it:
Evalu8NOW is a set of standardized assessments that monitor many elements of an individual health, including emotional health. This leverages real-time data to guide them through online interventions or if the individual’s scores signify an immediate need – sends a notification to the designated care provider.
My Emotional Navigator is an add-on component to MeMinder and checks in on the individuals emotions and environment each day in real-time. Care Providers can access simple data that indicates emotional health status and environment in which the emotion occurred, allowing providers trends that reveal and opportunities for additional mentoring or support.
For more information on these or other products, please contact us here.
