Consider the eldercare sector, where the future of mobility could also have a profound impact on the way seniors choose to live. Traditionally, a critical turning point for seniors has been the day they lose their driver’s license. This equates to a loss of personal independence that many seniors dread. The resulting dependence on loved ones to shuttle them to social events, shopping excursions, or doctor’s appointments has a significant impact on many seniors’ sense of self, sense of autonomy, and sense of happiness. This transition to “dependent mobility” often leads seniors and their families to make the move to assisted-care living. Yet the vast majority of seniors say they would prefer to stay in their own homes.
With the advent of convenient and cost-effective ridesharing services, seniors now have the ability to stay in their homes despite the loss of personal driving abilities. With easy-to-use apps, a no-hassle ride experience, and the ability of family members to schedule rides for their loved ones from anywhere, today’s ride-hailing providers have improved upon many of the challenges seniors have long faced in utilizing traditional taxis.
In parallel, new ways of bringing products to seniors’ front doors with speed and convenience often eliminate the need to drive to the store or pharmacy. Mobility solutions that more easily bring goods and services to home-bound seniors are likely to increase in demand, and jobs involved in maintaining and operating these types of delivery services could grow.
How might this dynamic impact the workforce? Beyond the potential boon to ridesharing providers and the increase in demand for home delivery services, there might also be a corresponding rise in demand for home-based care for seniors who do not need constant attention, yet would benefit from occasional help. These roles exist today but in limited numbers, as fixed, institutional roles dominate.
As another result of slackening demand for residential senior care, we may see traditional nursing care and integrated care facilities reconfiguring their services to try to attract seniors who may not need to move to an assisted-care facility but who could be attracted by a more connected community experience, increased social activities, or other characteristics that these facilities can offer. Residential care facilities may choose to team with mobility services to bring seniors to their facilities on a daily basis. This may open up new or expanded job opportunities as these operators could seek to expand on the “customer experience.” These facility operators could add or expand roles in marketing, sales, promotion, community relations, communications, digital outreach, or directing social programs.
Ultimately, like many other sectors, eldercare is poised for disruption as a result of dramatic changes in personal mobility: New jobs could emerge, and many current jobs will likely shift or change their focus or manner of delivery. For eldercare, the opportunities for employment growth are already there, given current demographics, and the shortage of labor in this space. So the impact is potentially a win-win, resulting in either a better-enabled eldercare workforce with more opportunity to choose a workstyle that fits their preferences, or an increase in job opportunities in the eldercare sector as new business models offer different and expanded types of jobs.