AI must optimize home care, continuity, and early detection for older adults

HealthFORCE, a national alliance of leaders dedicated to addressing the root causes of America's healthcare workforce crisis, along with the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and West Health, today released "Aging Well with AI: Empowering Care through Innovation," the first in a two-part white paper series exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can strengthen the U.S. healthcare workforce and improve access to care. The paper was commissioned by the three organizations and authored by The LINUS Group, a healthcare strategy and research firm.

As the nation confronts a historic shortage of healthcare workers alongside a rapidly aging population, the report outlines specific ways AI can reduce strain on clinicians and improve outcomes for older adults, without eroding the human relationships that are essential to high‑quality medicine.

"By 2034, older adults will outnumber children in the U.S. for the first time in history," said Lisa M. Gables, CEO of AAPA and founder of HealthFORCE.

This shift, combined with record-high workforce shortages, demands immediate innovation. This report shows how AI can be part of the solution, giving clinicians back time to focus on what matters most – their patients."

Lisa M. Gables, CEO, American Academy of Physician Associates

Five use cases identified in the report

The paper highlights five opportunities for AI to extend the healthcare workforce and improve care for older adults:

1. Home Care Optimization – Automating scheduling, synthesizing health data, and supporting family caregivers to reduce gaps and delays.
2. Care Continuity – Enabling seamless transitions between hospitals, homes, and community services to prevent readmissions and duplicative care.
3. Personalized Care Plans – Using whole-person data, not just age, to develop individualized treatment plans and avoid age-based bias.
4. Early Detection – Leveraging remote monitoring and predictive analytics to identify risks before they escalate into costly crises.
5. Immersive Clinical Education – Using AI-powered VR and simulations to train clinicians in aging-related care and improve empathy, adherence, and compliance.

"Our healthcare system deserves more than a model that's constantly playing catch-up," said Zia Agha, MD, Chief Medical Officer of West Health. "AI can help us get ahead by navigating growing complexity, coordinating care more seamlessly, and extending clinicians' capacity to deliver the continuous, compassionate, and affordable care all seniors deserve. But without bold policy changes to modernize care delivery and payment models, we risk leaving these innovations on the shelf instead of putting them to work where they're needed most."

The white paper calls on policymakers, health systems, and innovators to:

• Invest in geriatric-focused tech innovation and prioritize AI tools that serve older adults
• Incentivize cross-specialty training in aging care and AI use for all frontline providers
• Establish national standards for AI integration across state lines and care settings
• Promote interoperability and support value-based payment models that reward continuity, efficiency, and prevention.

This is the first paper in a two‑part series aimed at examining how artificial intelligence can strengthen the U.S. healthcare workforce. The upcoming second report will focus on how AI can augment care delivery across all patient populations and help address the projected shortfall of 3.2 million healthcare workers by 2026. It is set to be released later this month.

"AI is not a silver bullet, but it is a powerful tool," added Gables. "Used wisely, it can protect access to care and improve outcomes for those who need it most, beginning with older adults."