GrandCare featured in Kare 11 News: “New technology keeping aging relatives in their homes longer”

The GrandCare System was featured on Kare 11 News of Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota.

The news story featured the GrandCare user, Ed Thelen, and how he uses the system as a comprehensive solution for his various health conditions and social connectivity.

Written by: Renee Tessman

Full story and video found HERE

Kare 11 News Station

Ed Thelen, GrandCare User

COLD SPRING, Minn. – New technology is making it easier for the elderly to live independently. It’s called GrandCare. Not only does the program monitor health and medication, it also allows the elderly to stay in communication with caregivers and loved ones.In his apartment in Cold Spring, Ed Thelen now has this magic window to a healthier world. As he touched a picture of a camera on his GrandCare touch screen he said, “My favorite things is merely touching this little thing and having all these beautiful people available to me.”

He’s talking about being able to talk to his three kids and six grandkids through a simple touch screen version of Skype. He said it has been beneficial to his emotional health.

He said, “This system has kind of re-birthed me, so to speak.”

Thelen, who battles Parkinson’s, Diabetes and depression, now sees family who live a minimum of an hour away almost every day.

His grandson, John Volkers, said, “It means a lot to me because I barely get to see my grandpa a lot in real life.”

His family can also see if he’s taking care of himself.

His daughter, Kerry Volkers, said it’s, “Nice to be able to make sure that he’s OK. And since we don’t get to go see him as often, it feels like he’s part of our life on a daily basis.”

GrandCare helps families remotely monitor daily activities with sensors that send notifications when pills are taken or when a door is opened. Thelen said, “I can take my blood pressure and that automatically goes onto the system. I can take my glucose.”

Brain waves can be monitored for those who have seizures. Motion sensors can detect movement for those who may wander at night. All of it can be monitored remotely by all caregivers, including family and health care professionals.

Deborah Delaney is with Sarah Care, a local home health care service that helped Thelen get the GrandCare system.

Delaney said GrandCare truly relieves the stress on caregivers who want to keep their loved one in their own home. She said, “Many people are working all the time and have to run home how do I know that dad’s ok during the day now they can communicate all day long and it’s just a peace of mind for people.”

And Tom Ardolf of Cybermation which installs GrandCare technology said GrandCare costs much less than the alternative.

Ardolf said, “Literally the cost of this system, in general, is less than one month of an assisted care facility.”

With the help of an iPad camera, GrandCare also allows Thelen to watch his grandson play basketball live this past weekend.

Thelen said, “When he came by the bench where my daughter was sitting he looked in the camera and he says, ‘Hi grandpa!'”

Thelen said he has a bad short term memory, so the GrandCare reminders to take his meds and to eat healthy for his diabetes are invaluable. He believes he is not only healthier physically, but emotionally too.

Story from: kare11.com

Images from: kare11.com

Full article: HERE

See who’s next, at What’s Next!

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Join us where America’s leading analysts, executive marketers, business leaders, and research experts will gather to introduce new research, products and services that truly represent what is next on the horizon for businesses selling to baby boomer and senior customers today.

Featured Agenda Tracks:

– The Innovation of Frugality

– Integrated Media and Marketing: Social, Mobile, Gaming

– The New Service Economy: Housing, Caregiving, Mobility and Healthcare

– Entrepreneurship! Encore Careers and Personalized Business Models

View the complete agenda here.

Featured Agenda Tracks:

Quyen Le

Gene Zaino

Missy Sullivan

Deborah L. Jacobs

Quyen Le
Senior Technical Sales Productivity Specialist,
Salesforce.com

Gene Zaino
CEO & President,
MBO Partners

Missy Sullivan
Senior Editor,
SmartMoney
The Wall Street Journal

Deborah L. Jacobs
Author & Journalist
Forbes

Hanna Gryncwajg

Lynn Mento

Jason Rozenblat

Winter Casey

Hanna Gryncwajg
Senior Vice President,
Advertising Sales,
RLTV

Lynn Mento
Director,
Membership,
AARP

Jason Rozenblat
General Manager – DC,
Living Social

Winter Casey
Global Public Policy,
Google

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Platnum Sponsors:

AARP, Crew Media, United Healthcare

Gold Sponsors:

Microsoft, Caring.com, Linkage, RLTV, Silverado Senior Living, MBO Partners

Silver Sponsors: 

General Mills, GreatCall, The Hartford, SilverRide, Starkey, GrandCare Systems, Facetime Strategy, Google, InnovateLTC, Independa, AAA, Virtual Health

Bronze Sponsors:

VibrantNation.com, Hipcricket, PositScience, MetLife Mature Market Institute, ADEPT Driver, CareLinx, Inc., ABHOW

The What’s Next Boomer Business Summit is affiliated with the
American Society on Aging (ASA) Aging in America Conference that takes place on March 28 – April 1, 2012.

Preparing for Future Technology- Enabled Care Models: Part 2, With Paul Burnstein

Thursday, March 15th 2pm ET – 1pm CT
GrandCareSystems.WebEx.com
Call in: 1-408-600-3600 Pin: 661 857 384#

Health care reform is rapidly accelerating changes in aging services that were already underway driven by consumer demands, capital and payment mechanisms, workforce, technology, quality, transparency and accountability. These changes are driving innovation and the emergence of a number of new care/ business models.

This presentation will continue outlining innovative technology-enabled care models and describing key enabling technologies that CAST encountered in its recent Scenario Planning effort.

Part 1 of this presentation is available for Download Here.

  • See how the field of aging services is rapidly evolving under health reform pressures, among other things.
  • Learn about emerging long-term and post-acute care models that CAST encountered in its Scenario Planning exercise.
  • Learn about key enabling technologies for the emerging future models.

Paul Burnstein, Associate Director, Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)

Paul Burnstein joined the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) as Associate Director in 2011. Prior to CAST, Paul was the executive director of Sinai Family Home Services, a start-up, non- profit, in-home care agency in Portland, OR.

Paul helps execute CAST’s agenda in leading and expanding a national network of technology companies, providers and research institutions focused on technology solutions for an aging society. He coordinates state-level technology initiatives that aim to identify barriers and opportunities to facilitate the use of technology in an aging society, in partnership with LeadingAge State Affiliates.

2012 What’s Next Boomer Business Summit

The 9th annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit is produced by Mary Furlong & Associates, and is the official post-conference event of the American Society on Aging (ASA) Aging in America Conference.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Washington D.C.
Website: www.BoomerSummit.com

This years Theme: The New Normal

The New Normal will showcase the groundswell in social media, the surge in a Service Economy, and rising of the independent sector.

Join us where America’s leading analysts, corporate strategists, brand managers, entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, authors, bloggers and tweeters meet to explore:
  • Who profits from the senior market and global boomer
  • Emerging trends in Markets, both Global and US
  • How mobile and wireless growth lead to monetization of boomers and their children and grandchildren.
  • Distribution models for reaching and engaging the boomer, the senior, the  caregiver, and the grandparent
  • Trends that engage consumers with integrated media; whether local, social, mobile, print or through gaming
  • New Normal Frugal Economy: the forecast for financial services, housing, consumer directed healthcare, aging in place, and entrepreneurship
  • Raising money for a start-up idea; brands entrepreneurs need to jump-start business
  • The boomer-seniors effect on the 2012 election

How to Accelerate Lead Generation Through Social, Mobile & Integrated Media 10:30 am – 10:45 am

In the new normal, it is all about customer acquisition, retention and service. Discover the latest trends in how companies are using media to drive leads.

Laura Mitchell – VP, Marketing, GrandCare Systems Will be a Featured speaker along side:

Moderator – Lori Bitter, President, Crew Media
Andy Cohen, CEO, Caring.com
Stephen Chen, CEO, NewRetirement