GrandCare CEO to Speak at Connected Health Summit

Over 60 percent of American seniors (65 and older) use the internet on a daily basis. Around four out of ten seniors say they have a smartphone. Acknowledging this, home service providers, home builders, in-home care agencies and retailers have now started to think of ways to incorporate technology into the places where seniors are living their golden years. Gone are the days of technophobes and the resistance to enabling technologies for aging. Whether it’s Alexa, Fitbit activity tracking or Sleep Number’s tech-enabled mattresses, technology is changing the way we age.  

“The adoption of technology is becoming a critical component of caregiving from family caregivers, to professional care organizations,” says GrandCare CEO, Laura Mitchell.  “The number of individuals needing care is surpassing those able to provide it, providing a huge gap in care. Caregiving organizations will use technology to amplify their caregivers, reduce costly windshield time and offer more proactive and predictive care.” 

The incentives are remarkable and it’s not only fiscal. Using GrandCare, individuals can also improve their mental state-of-mind by staying connected to their families through video chatting, messaging and be reminded of medications, daily tasks and upcoming baseball games. All of which are ways to keep their minds and their bodies active. 

This is the focus of the Connected Health Summit presented by Park Associates in San Diego August 27-29. Mitchell and other industry experts will present on topics ranging from technology in professional care organizations, social implications and empowering patients.

Stay Safe During These Hot Times in the City

Well, here we are. After a winter that seemed not to end (at least here in Wisconsin), we are finally seeing some warm temperatures. And Mother Nature couldn’t just do a general warm day.  No, she had to go from frigid winter temperatures right into the 80s and even 90s. Love or hate the super hot weather, it’s a critical time to stay safe by keeping hydrated, staying indoors, and keeping the house cool. This is especially important for those with humidity-sensitive conditions such as COPD.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately 1300 people die from heat related causes every year. The majority of those victims are young children and the elderly. 

Just some of the ways you can stay safe and cool this summer

Here are some quick tips and tricks to BEAT THE HEAT:

  1. Stay hydrated: This is one of the easiest things to do. If given the option, drink water. You might also opt for sports drinks, such as Gatorade, to help replenish lost nutrients and minerals in the body. Make sure to read the label. Some sports drinks are loaded with sugar.
  2. Avoid overly greasy or hot and heavy foods: This includes hot pasta dishes. Eat cold sandwiches, salads, and lighter pasta salads. These will add less heat to your body.
  3. Stay away from tight or dark clothing: Loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored articles allow your body some breathing room.
  4. Stay inside and avoid strenuous exercise: This is especially important during the hottest parts of the day. If you do need to be outside, take frequent water and rest breaks.
  5. Be aware of heat stroke and exhaustion symptoms: These include confusion, headaches, profuse sweating, rapid heartbeat, nausea, and fatigue.
  6. Use a technology such as GrandCare to keep yourself or a loved one safer, healthier and more comfortable: The GrandCare touchscreen can let you and family know when the outdoor humidity or temperature is too high. It can remind you when it’s time to drink water. It can indicate if the air conditioner is not working and if the in-home temperature reaches a potentially dangerous level. And, GrandCare can help you to continuously monitor vitals and send an alert if a red flag reading needs to be addressed.

This warm weather won’t last forever – at least not in the Badger State!  But in these dog days of summer, please remember to take care of yourselves and your loved ones! 

If you’d like to learn more about GrandCare Systems, contact us or request a demo.

 

GrandCare Featured on Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline

GrandCare CEO Laura Mitchell was recently a guest on Into Tomorrow, a radio show that has been featuring innovative technology for 23 years. Laura talked with host Dave Graveline about some of GrandCare’s key features, including touchscreen-based remote monitoring, video chat, and socialization for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

Listen to the boradcast:

high technology home care

Technology for In-Home Care: Show Me the Money!

Last week, we received a call from a guy who runs an in-home care franchise on the East Coast. He’s done a lot of innovative things with technology and now he was interested in GrandCare as an enabling technology for his company. We did a demo of the system and he was impressed. His following question was one we hear time and time again. “What’s the ROI?”

It seems obvious when you add enabling technologies that things become better, cheaper, faster and more efficient. Think about how far we’ve come with technology in agriculture, shopping and transportation. It only makes sense that adding monitoring technologies and video chat check-in technologies to home care would provide additional revenue options as well as a lower cost care alternative. But, where’s the proof? It got us to thinking.

We all know the statistics about the rising aging population, caregiver burnout and staff turnover–especially caregiving staff for home care providers. Companies are looking to technology to help. The question is not if home care technology can help. It’s how to implement it, how to price it, and how to make money with it. What is the ROI? We have thought a lot about this, and we have the answers you are looking for.

On Thursday, August 8th, we’re presenting an interactive webinar that will show you exactly that! How do you implement video chat, remote activity and telehealth technology into your current caregiving offerings? How do you price it? When will you see that Return On Investment? And how can you add new revenue models into your organization?

We think you’ll be impressed.

Mark your calendars and join us for this free 60 min webinar, sponsored by GrandCare Systems.

Register for Webinar

Thursday August 8th
9am PDT
10am MDT
11am CDT
12pm EDT

GrandCare featured on The Morning Blend

GrandCare is Making Headlines

GrandCare CEO Laura Mitchell featured on the Chamber Local Business SpotlightGrandCare has been making the news!

1. Today, we were featured on The Morning Blend on TMJ4.

2. Last week, GrandCare CEO Laura Mitchell was interviewed for the Chamber Local Business Spotlight feature on 101.3 FM.

3. GrandCare was singled out as having the “most experience and most robust platform” in an article in Home Health Care News by senior care expert, Bill Thomas. You may recognize him as the founder of the Eden Alternative, ChangeAging keynote speaker, TED Talk speaker (multiple times) and the founder of the Green House Model. His methods were described in detail in the book Being Mortal.

4. GrandCare’s CEO Laura Mitchell was profiled in a blog by industry analyst Laurie Orlov, Founder of Aging In Place Technology Watch.

Laura Mitchell

GrandCare Systems Selects New Chief Executive Officer, Executive Team

Remote patient monitoring and virtual caregiving technology pioneer GrandCare Systems announced today the appointment of GrandCare founding member and board director Laura Mitchell as GrandCare’s new Chief Executive Officer. Mitchell replaces the current CEO, Charles Hillman, who started the cutting-edge software company in 2005. Hillman, an engineer and MIT graduate, will continue to lead the GrandCare vision as Founder and a trusted Advisor. Mitchell has also recruited a new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to expand GrandCare’s flexible and affordable “point-of-care” platform options for various settings.

“I am honored to have been elected as GrandCare’s next CEO. This is an industry that I have been immersed in and passionate about for the past 15 years,” said Mitchell. “We are seeing rapid growth in the adoption of caregiving technologies, in both the home caregiving and senior housing industries. It is a privilege for me to be leading GrandCare during this period of opportunity and growth.”

Mitchell brings 15 years of connected health, technology and aging expertise, as well as her core competencies in strategic business development, marketing and lead generation, to this executive role at GrandCare. She was a founding team member of GrandCare in 2005, where she served as the VP of Business Development and Chief Marketing Officer for over a decade. In 2015, she founded Laura Mitchell Consulting (LMC), a strategic business development, marketing and consulting agency with a niche in healthcare, aging and technology. Mitchell will continue to lead her strike team of six at LMC, in addition to her new role as CEO of GrandCare Systems.

“Laura brings new life and rejuvenation to GrandCare during these critical years when the industry is actively seeking remote monitoring technologies,” said GrandCare Founder Charlie Hillman. “Her unparalleled expertise and business acumen will help take GrandCare to the next level.”

The use of technology in the aging industry is rapidly increasing. According to Aging & Technology Industry Analyst and Expert, Laurie Orlov, “Technology to help care for an aging population matters now more than ever — the $29.8 billion market is poised to match the aging demographic of 48 million seniors aged 65+ and to help fill the gap of individuals available to care for them.”

“More seniors want to remain independent, but might need a little support and connection,” said GrandCare’s Chief Operating Officer Gaytha Traynor. “GrandCare can help provide that support and connection, and the cost is less than the cost of one week in an average care community”.

Mitchell was a founder of the aging and technology industry’s first aging and technology weekly industry webinars, a co-founder of the Aging & Technology Alliance (AgeTek) and was an early educator for EHX (Electronic House Expo) and CEDIA. She has been featured in Forbes magazine, awarded Dealerscope Magazine’s “Top 40 under 40,”​ the 2014 Connected World Women of M2M, and the 2011 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit “Flame Award” for Innovation and Leadership. She has spoken at industry events throughout the United States, and has authored global white papers and articles on the topics of longevity, technology, remote patient monitoring and marketing to the aging population. Mitchell serves on the Historic West Bend Theatre Board of Directors, and serves as a Director of Boomers & Marketing for USPR.

ABOUT GRANDCARE

GrandCare is designed to reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes by enabling designated family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals to remotely care for an individual in a residence, regardless of geographic location. The heart of GrandCare is a large touchscreen in the residence, which provides the individual with social communications, instructions, reminders and medication prompts. Optional telehealth & activity sensors wirelessly report information and can send alerts if something is amiss. No computer skills are needed for the resident. For more information, visit: www.grandcare.com, call 262-­338-6147, or contact info@grandcare.com.

Three Ways To Increase Homecare Revenue–Without More Staff

What services do you offer to people who aren’t quite ready for an in-home caregiver? What services are you offering to people who could use more care hours but who can’t afford them? What services do you offer people who need care but you don’t have the staff to serve? If you answer “none” to any of these questions you’re leaving money on the table.

With the right technology you can provide remote monitoring, virtual visits, and telehealth to all of these customers, all without hiring an army of new caregivers. But you probably have questions.

What is remote monitoring or virtual visit technology?

How do I integrate technology into my existing caregiving services?

Which technologies are best for my company?

How do I package and price these new services?

To learn the answers to these and other questions sign up for our free webinar. You will learn what remote monitoring technologies are and how in-home care providers are using them to expand caregiving services without increasing staff. You’ll learn implementation strategies as well as how to package and price.

Join us: Wednesday, May 1st, noon to 1pm CST. Did we mention that it’s free? Sign up here! Can’t make it, but want to learn more? Contact us today: 262-338-6147 or email sales@grandcare.com

Telehealth Services Expanding Under Medicare

Exciting news! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new ruling last week that adds telehealth benefits to Medicare Advantage plans. Previously, certain telehealth benefits were only available to seniors in Original Medicare, and only if they lived in remote, rural areas.

“Today’s policies represent a historic step in bringing innovative technology to Medicare beneficiaries.”

These new changes, starting in 2020, mean that patients will have the option to use telehealth to receive medicare care, and have it covered. What does this mean for GrandCare? Instead of being required to go to a healthcare facility for every service, seniors will be able to use GrandCare’s one -touch, HIPAA-compliant video chat on their GrandCare system to connect with their healthcare and clinical providers. It also means expanded access to telehealth services from providers who may practice in other parts of the country, and may not otherwise be reachable by the senior patient. This also enables medical homecare providers, such as the visiting nurses, to better access patients using telehealth monitoring tools and virtual check ins, without having the excess “windshield” time and cost of transport.

“Today’s policies represent a historic step in bringing innovative technology to Medicare beneficiaries,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “With these new telehealth benefits, Medicare Advantage enrollees will be able to access the latest technology and have greater access to telehealth. By providing greater flexibility to Medicare Advantage plans, beneficiaries can receive more benefits, at lower costs and better quality.”

With geographical restrictions lifted, CMS is ensuring that seniors in all parts of the country will have access to telehealth and telemedicine services. According to CMS, “These policies continue the agency’s efforts to modernize the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs, unleash innovation and drive competition to improve quality among private Medicare health and drug plans.”

GrandCare’s easy-to-use, HIPAA-compliant video chat feature has always allowed seniors an easy face-to-face chat with healthcare providers. GrandCare also uses Bluetooth wireless technologies for remote monitoring of vitals and biometric readings, and offers better medication management and compliance monitoring. With the new CMS ruling, GrandCare users will enjoy a new convenience, better and faster access to care, while being covered by Medicare.

Grandpa

A few years ago my mom passed away, and since then my Dad has been living by himself. He’s still in his home, and for the most part, he’s pretty independent, which is great. But he has quite a few medications to take, and that’s becoming a bigger challenge for him. Recently, we’ve noticed that he sometimes forgets to eat, which can be a real problem with his diabetes.

My brother and I try to get over there as much as possible, and lately, we try to make sure one of us gets over there every day. With work and all of the kid shuffling to piano, dance and soccer, it’s hard. We try not to let on that it’s a challenge, because I know dad feels guilty. He keeps saying that we shouldn’t worry about him and instead focus on our own busy lives. He constantly says he doesn’t want to be a burden. On the other hand, when we tried to get some home care services, he resisted. He is used to doing things for himself, and didn’t want to accept help from anyone else. In his words he plans to “die in his bed,” which makes us crazy. There’s no reason he can’t stay safe and healthy at home, if we can just make sure he’s taking his meds.

We decided to go a different route. We gave him a GrandCare System. It’s a touchscreen computer that not only reminds him to eat, and take his medications, but it also lets us see that he’s remembered to test his blood sugar and take his blood pressure medication every day. My brother and I get alerted if he forgets, if his sugar numbers are out of whack, if he misses his meds, or even if he isn’t moving around like normal. We still visit him pretty often, but now it’s more relaxed and enjoyable because we aren’t so worried.

The best part for him is the social end. He has always refused to get a cell phone and don’t even get him started on why he’ll never join Facebook. But with the GrandCare system, he video chats all the time with us and the kids. They’ve been sharing photos with him. My brother and I have Facebook albums that automatically show up on his GrandCare. He uses it to check the news headlines, weather forecast, listen to his favorite music and watch episodes of shows. He even watches the kids play their sports live, right from his living room.

GrandCare has made dad healthier and has made him feel more connected. It’s been a life saver for us!

 

All By Myself: GrandCare Combats Social Isolation

Isolation and loneliness are epidemic amongst older people. Your children move away, you retire and lose your work network, and maybe even lose your spouse. Perhaps driving is no longer an option and there are fewer friends to meet out. This type of isolation can have a tremendous impact on happiness and overall health. The problem is even worse for those in rural and remote communities where neighbors are few and far between.

If you can’t move, how do you stay connected and in the loop? GrandCare can help. GrandCare has always believed that technology can play a big role in mitigating the feelings of loneliness and isolation, and actually help to bridge family together using video chat and messaging. And we’re not alone. Just recently Nelson Communications Cooperative received a grant to do just that. With GrandCare as their chosen technology partner, Nelson is hosting a pilot program to alleviate isolation for seniors living in rural Wisconsin.

Do you know any seniors who might be feeling isolated or lonely? Maybe we can help. Here’s a video overview of the various ways to stay connected with GrandCare.

 

Photo by Larry Jacobson