Digital routes to the same destination: better care for the person at the heart of it

We’ve all seen the headlines about the next big digital tech that will revolutionise aged care...

...virtual reality headsets that transport the viewer to faraway places, wearables that monitor vital signs, or robots that provide reminders or mobility support. Some of it already exists, or is well on its way to being available and useful for aged and health care contexts. 

But, according to Melbourne geriatrician Dr Sanka Amadoru, it’s often the less photogenic aspects of digital advancement, which perhaps sit behind or underpin the devices, that have an impact on the health and wellbeing of the person at the heart of it all. And all of them have the same ultimate goal.

'Digital solutions are a route to getting people the right care at the right time, and that can happen in lots of different ways, because digital health is a really broad umbrella term for a lot of very different things,’ Sanka said.

'But what they have in common is that, if used and implemented properly, you can more quickly get accurate information to people who need to make a decision, so that intervention can be more timely, and that should lead to a better outcome for the person.’ 

Digital solutions are a route to getting people the right care at the right time, and that can happen in lots of different ways.

He points out – whether it’s tech companies developing a wearable device or IT experts writing code to connect different health systems (which might never touch the patient’s life directly) – these innovations are all travelling to the same destination: a better health outcome for the person, so they can enjoy a good quality of life for as long as possible. 

That’s what it’s all about, according to Sanka – a view that mirrors our theme for the coming International Dementia Conference 2026 (#IDC2026), at which Sanka will speak about digitally enabled support of brain health and dementia. 

The whole person, the whole point’ could even describe Sanka’s reason for choosing to specialise in geriatrics. 

‘I like holistic and systems thinking – seeing the whole picture, so you can understand a person in broad context and totality,’ he said.  ‘And I like talking to people and hearing their stories.’ 

As the founding director and Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at Aria Health, Sanka is deeply committed to improving the care of older people through his involvement in research and clinical trials, workforce training, advisory services in digital health to government and industry, and as an Elected Councillor and Company Director for the Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine. 

A digitally-enabled future

He envisions a future – not too far away – where digital technology not only assists us with better care, but helps delay or prevent cognitive decline in the first place. 

Sanka envisions a future where digital technology not only assists us with better care, but helps delay or prevent cognitive decline in the first place. 

‘What if, by building a profile of a person in a digital sense – in the way Google or Facebook do – we could use that to help people change their behaviour in terms of exercise, diet, engaging with cognitive stimulation and engaging socially?’ wonders Sanka. ‘And how do you supercharge that in midlife?.'

‘If you can do that, then there's an opportunity to really move the dial in terms of reducing or delaying the risk of dementia occurring. I don't think it's ever going to be 100% preventable, but then, for people who develop dementia, how do you slow that down using the same idea? How do you delay the need for big changes in life?’ 

In terms of assisting in dementia care, he notes that technology has evolved from, for example, a push-button alarm people wear around their necks, to monitoring technology that incorporates intervention. There are now also apps that allow for readily accessible information at carer’s fingertips, and simple communication aids that deliver reminders or check-ins, meaning people can live well at home, for longer. 

‘The phone is so ubiquitous, even in developing countries,’ Sanka points out. ‘Not everyone can read, not everyone can see, but most people – even with dementia – can speak enough to be understood, particularly in the earlier stages of the disease.  

The phone is so ubiquitous...and most people – even with dementia – can speak enough to be understood, particularly in the earlier stages of the disease. 

‘So, if you have a phone and you have large language model capabilities – so that you can talk to something and get meaningful answers back – there's a case for a voice assistant that is your support agent. That could help with some things that currently require a nursing workforce, which is not large enough to go around.’ 

To find out more from Sanka about digitally enabled, proactive approaches to dementia management and prevention, make sure you’re at #IDC2026, 4-5 June 2026 at the Hilton, Sydney. Be the first to hear about Early Bird registrations - scroll down to sign up to our newsletter.