GrandCare featured on Caring.com

The Digital Caregiver

Being “Wired” Never Felt So Reassuring

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor

One of the most obvious ways advances in digital technology are changing caregiving is in the use of smartphones. And Caring.com user data shows that half of all caregivers own an iPhone and use it for research and connectivity.

Caregivers aren’t just posting pictures of their dogs and kids, though — they’re using the Web, smartphone apps, and other digital services to help them with the often overwhelming tasks of caregiving. And they need that help — in a recent study, a whopping 88 percent of boomer caregivers reported that caregiving had turned out to be much harder than they expected. In a study titled Retirement Care Planning: The Middle-Income Boomer Perspective, 57 percent of the approximately 500 boomers surveyed said caregiving took more emotional strength and 52 percent said it took more time than they’d expected. Caregiving, they said, was also costing them more financially and causing more stress on their health and relationships than they’d anticipated.

Monitoring remotely is getting easier than ever.

Change has also come to the more established area of home monitoring. “New sensor technologies and great design are bringing new capabilities and sensibilities to the markets of home monitoring and Personal Emergency Response devices,” says Fike. GrandCare, a longterm player in the field, now takes advantage of digital innovations to provide a sophisticated interactive interface in addition to more traditional features such as activity monitoring, alerts, and mediation management. Caregivers and their loved ones can use GrandCare’s multimedia communication interface to share photos, chat via video, and even play games in addition to more traditional home care monitoring.

Read the full article at http://www.caring.com/articles/the-digital-caregiver

Telecare Aware: A change of guard at GrandCare Systems

November 14, 2013 | By: Donna Cusano

This Editor has often referred to her former competitor GrandCare Systems as one of the ‘grizzled pioneers’ on the Conestoga Wagons of Telecare–even more grizzled than QuietCare (circa 2003-4) since their ur-system dates back to 1995-6, when it kept track of founder and CEO Charlie Hillman’s mother Clara. In the years since, the closely-held company has broadened its original telecare and activity monitoring tech into telehealth, socialization and home automation/monitoring into the most fully featured system in telecare/telehealth for older adults. Without making huge splashes, being beholden to VCs or moving from bucolic West Bend, Wisconsin, the company has grown through multiple alliances, the most unusual being home automation association CEDIA. GrandCare has a residential base of customers but has also developed a solid footing in senior communities both in assisted and independent living. Earlier this year, they reached into UK to partner with Saga and received the CE Mark for approval of its telehealth features for EU distribution.

The news is that they have a new CEO–Daniel Maynard, who is joining from the same position at Connecture, a software provider for health insurance comparison/enrollment (and exchange subcontractor in Minnesota, Maryland and Washington, DC.) Mr. Hillman will be moving to Chief Technical Officer, which may leave him more time for his work as a LeadingAge/CAST commissioner. Mr. Maynard understands early stage company growth, technology and healthcare well, since he has founded and developed several companies, including a predecessor to Connecture. 2014 may be an interesting year for news out of West Bend!

– See more at: http://telecareaware.com/a-change-of-guard-at-grandcare-systems/#sthash.JOO60inL.dpuf

West Bend Daily News Reports: GrandCare taps software exec as new CEO

GrandCare taps software exec as CEO

By DAN MUCKELBAUER

Daily News Staff

Dan MaynardThe appointment of veteran software executive Daniel Maynard as CEO of health monitoring pioneer GrandCare is seen as enabling the West Bend company to continue to grow, said its founder, former CEO Charlie Hillman, who will become its chief technology officer and “vision leader.”

Maynard will be able to focus on sales distribution channels and pricing, critical to market growth, Hillman said Wednesday after the official announcement. Maynard was president of Brookfield-based Connecture Inc., which guides consumers in insurance options, and made the transition to GrandCare the past few months, Hillman said.

“I had been searching for a proven, innovative technology solution with a large growth potential in the healthcare IT industry,” Maynard said in a statement. “GrandCare is already a well-respected and credible industry leader. I look forward to joining this great team and taking GrandCare to the next level.”

“He saw such potential in GrandCare. We’re happy,” said Hillman, who will focus more on product development. “I’m a pretty good startup guy and we needed someone to take this to a new level.”

The 8-year-old downtown West Bend company with 20 employees markets Internet-based systems that monitor elderly in their homes and connects with relatives or other caregivers. It began after Hillman’s experiences with his great-aunt in her late 80s who lived next door to him.

GrandCare Founder, Charlie Hillman

GrandCare Founder, Charlie Hillman

“We’ve grown a lot the past couple of years and I think we can grow much faster, and there’s no indication that GrandCare will move outside of West Bend,” said Hillman, noting expansion locations near the company’s 327 N. Main St. site, including the former Ziegler Co.

“Why would we move to a more expensive place?” Hillman said. “We like it here. We like the work ethic of the place.”

Economic Development Washington County announced a $200,000 loan to GrandCare in July, enabling it to execute foreign and domestic contracts, EDWC Executive Director Christian Tschescholk said.

The West Bend-grown company is expected to be a major player globally, notably in the United Kingdom, Tschescholk said. Having top talent like Maynard helps move the company forward and bring high-tech jobs to West Bend, he said.

GrandCare Systems Names Daniel Maynard as New Chief Executive Officer

WEST BEND, Wisc. – November 13th , 2013

New Image

Digital health and remote monitoring pioneer GrandCare Systems, today announced the appointment of Daniel Maynard as GrandCare’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Maynard brings more than 25 years of industry experience to his new role having previously served as CEO and President of Connecture. Maynard replaces founder Charles Hillman, who has served as CEO since 2005. Hillman, an MIT educated engineer, will now serve as GrandCare’s Chief Technical Officer and as the company’s vision leader.

“We are delighted to add a person of Dan’s experience and expertise to the GrandCare team,” said Hillman. “Dan has a proven track record of driving and managing growth in the healthcare technology sector. I look forward to leading the product development team and providing a solution that is capable, reliable, scalable and affordable.”

“I had been searching for a proven, innovative technology solution with a large growth potential in the healthcare IT industry,” said Maynard. “GrandCare is already a well-respected and credible industry leader. I look forward to joining this great team and taking GrandCare to the next level.”

Daniel Maynard has held various executive roles in the health insurance technology industry, including sales, marketing, operations, software development, financial management and corporate development. Throughout his career, he has built and led several companies, including CCISoft, Riverwood Solutions and Connecture. In 1997, Mr. Maynard formed CCISoft, which he sold to Workscape in 1999. In 2001, he formed Riverwood Solutions and continued on as president and CEO throughout the 2004 merger with Connecture. He serves on the board at Hayes technology Group and remains a strategic advisor to Alithias and Connecture.

About GrandCare Systems:

Since 2005, GrandCare Systems has provided the most comprehensive caregiving technology on the market, enabling individuals to remain safe, healthy and happy at home. GrandCare’s simple, touch platform enables a Resident to view pictures, receive incoming messages, watch videos, video chat with family, listen to music and play fun games. Using a series of wireless activity and telehealth devices, GrandCare can alert designated caregivers by phone, email or text if anything seems amiss (medications not accessed, glucose levels not taken, abnormal activity, etc.).

For more information: www.grandcare.com or call 262-338-6147

PR Contact:
Laura Mitchell
media@grandcare.com
262-338-6147

GrandCare featured in LeadingAge’s Telehealth Case Studies and Selection Tool Resources

LeadingAge’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) recently released 2 new resources designed to help long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) organizations identify and select telehealth products:

These 2 resources released complete CAST’s new telehealth portfolio, which also includes:

“Telehealth is an important enabler of innovative future-ready business models,” said Larry Minnix, president and CEO of LeadingAge. “The case studies and the online selection tool will be invaluable to providers who are considering embarking on telehealth to reduce hospital readmissions or other health reform related initiatives.

CAST is planning to update this portfolio in 2014 and is currently seeking additional vendors to participate in next year’s edition of the Selection Matrix, online Selection Tool, and case studies.

About the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies:

The LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) (http://www.LeadingAge.org/CAST) is focused on accelerating the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that will transform the aging experience. As an international coalition of more than 400 technology companies, aging-services organizations, businesses, research universities and government representatives, CAST works under the auspices of LeadingAge, an association of 6,000 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging.

Contact: Emily Wilson, ewilson@leadingage.org, 202-508-9492

Awards For Senior Living Products Show That The Aging Population Is Big Business

With millions of baby boomers hurtling head long into their golden years and resources for seniors limited, the business of caring for the elderly is about to boom as much as all those babies did. Keeping older Americans healthy and able to live independently will be more important than ever. SeniorHomes.com has created the Best Senior Living Award to recognize the companies creating the best products for the coming wave of older people.

HomeBaseThe 2013 winner is GrandCare Systems, a company dedicated to using the latest computer technology to help seniors live independently for as long as possible. Their simple touchscreen system helps these people stay in touch with their doctors, nurses, and family. The system also helps them keep track of taking their medicines, checking their weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

Everything is at the individual’s finger tips — literally. Just a touch on the computer screen starts the process. Easy-to-read menu items leads into several areas. It is so simple to use that previous computer experience is not required. It is designed to help make sure that the older adult is taking care of their health, staying connected with the outside world, and staying on top of their appointments and commitments.

http://inventorspot.com/articles/awards_senior_living_products_show_aging_population_big_business

Lutheran of Jamestown Smartments equipped with GrandCare receives positive evaluation from Leading Age

Kudos to GrandCare partners, Lutheran of Jamestown, for receiving positive evaluations on their usage of the GrandCare System for monitoring activities/wellness and socialization and family connecting, as well as various complementary technologies, throughout their Apartment “Smartments” community.

Sharon Hamilton, vice president of senior housing for Lutheran, an early and visionary adopter of remote monitoring and enabling technologies recently caught the attention of Leading Age for her usage of the GrandCare remote monitoring and socialization technology, as well as complementary technologies of other enabling and crisis management systems (think “help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”)

She was met with a very positive and encouraging evaluation by third party, vendor agnostic Leading Age of Washington, DC (formerly known as the American Association of Aging). Leading Age is an association of not-for-profit organizations dedicated to making America a better place to grow old.

Hamilton was smart to reach out to the organization and gauge an industry expert, who could take a non-partisan look at the usage of these technologies, in order to scale to a broader community base.

Dusten Rader from the Post Journal of Jamestown, NY wrote an interesting story titled, “Smartments Receive Positive Evaluation” on whether Leading Age found these Smartments to be effective and efficient. While conducting the assessment, the most cutting-edge of the technology solutions, including the GrandCare System were under a lot of pressure to prove their worth. GrandCare is a comprehensive digital health, activity monitoring, medication mgmt, socialization, video chat and infotainment technology to support individuals as they remain more independent, proactive, connected and self aware. The results were clear!

HomeBase

Leading Age’s senior VP, Robyn Stone was quoted in the Post Journal,
“I commend them on recognizing an opportunity,” Stone said. “And, also the notion that this isn’t something that was going to be done once and it’s over, rather that it’s going to be an interactive process. It’s hard for an organization to be a guinea pig, so to me that’s one of the assets of many of members – that they’re willing to think about the investment to really make this work. That is what I call continuous quality improvement.”

To read the full article click here: http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/627641/Leading-Age.html?nav=5057

The Smartments: 737 Falconer St. in Jamestown. For more information, call 665-8197 or visit www.lutheran-jamestown.org

GrandCare featured in Star Tribune article on aging and technology

We wanted to share the recent article by the Minneapolis Star Tribune on how enabling technologies are helping individuals to live independently, safely and happily at home.

GrandCare could not agree more with Andy Carle’s point of view on the acceptance of technology. When technology makes the quality of life better, it is accepted. When it makes life confusing and difficult, it is not. These seniors that we are discussing are the same folks that went from walking to flying and first put a man on the moon. They are not tech-phobic. We simply need to make the interface and user experience pain free and helpful.  At GrandCare, that has been a vision since day one. How can we bridge the generations and connect grandchildren and great grandchildren with their senior family members?  How can we find a middle ground when both generations prefer different methods of communication?

Note: As a clarification in the Star Tribune article, the GrandCare System is not an emergency response system.  Instead, GrandCare relies on a series of activity and telehealth devices to provide an overview of information on a loved one. The caregivers can set parameters to receive specified alert (unusual activity, doesn’t get out of bed, didn’t access medications, etc.). Designated caregivers can also log in to GrandCare’s web portal to add reminders, medication schedules and even video chat directly to the loved one through a simple and intuitive touchscreen appliance in the loved one’s home. Thanks again for shedding light on this emerging and innovative industry.

The new retirement: Technology

  • Article by: PAUL DUNCAN , Star Tribune
  • Updated: August 7, 2013 – 9:48 AM

It’s such a cliché: grandpa fiddling with the buttons on the cellphone he barely knows how to use, grandma struggling to remember how to switch the computer on. But is it true that older people don’t like technology and don’t use it?

The reality, says expert Andrew Carle, is completely different from the perception. Carle, director of the Program in Senior Housing Administration at George Mason University and a consultant on aging issues, coined the term “Nana Technology” for innovations that not only help our aging population, but actually can save their lives.

Carle was in Minnesota in June to give a talk to Aging Services of Minnesota in Brooklyn Center on “Nana Technology: Is There A Robot In Your Future?” This is a summary of his presentation:  

Why technology is important

In two words: Global aging, says Carle. The first of 78 million baby boomers turned 65 on January 1, 2011, and the population aged 85 and older is expected to more than triple from 5.7 million in 2010 to 19 million in 2050. And it’s not an American phenomenon; on the list of countries with the highest percentage of people over 60, the U.S. comes 43rd. The outcome, says Carle, is that global aging will affect us long before global warming. “Individuals who in 1968 thought they would change the world,” Carle says, “by 2028 actually will.” So how will we take care of all these seniors? The answer is: Technology…

Carle highlights these useful and potentially life-saving technologies for seniors…

 

Sandys Screen

GrandCare Systems (grandcare.com): An integrated system that uses sensors around the home to monitor health and wellness, and establishes a baseline of normal activities. Reports emergencies, and allows communication with the senior via an open TV channel or available touch screen unit

 

…

To read the full article: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/goodlife/218580541.html

Sandy Halperin: becoming a butterfly with GrandCare

Sandy Halperin an Alumni Adviser for the Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Group is a true leader in the “War on Alzheimer’s”, as both an advocate and patient. He speaks openly about his daily life, working diligently to shed light on what is like to live with  early-stage Alzheimer’s and to share his concerns on the cultural stigma and/or embarrassment that effects those with cognitive impairments, their friends and their families. His goals are to raise public awareness on Alzheimer’s, aid in raising funding for research and support programs as well as to provide input to external groups on how to provide the best services for people living with early-stage Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairments.

Sandys ScreenSandy is currently working with GrandCare Systems on the development of a new memory care package, for their existing home health technology system. GrandCare features an all-in-one touchscreen system, called the HomeBase. The system is placed in the homes of an individuals who need assistance in remaining independent, by providing cognitive assistance, monitoring basic activities, recording wellness data, and serving as a communication platform. Friends, family members and professional caregivers can access the system remotely via any Internet-connected device to add communications, view activity information and set up alerts to notify them if anything seems amiss.

With Sandy’s help the new “Memory Boost”‘ package will provide GrandCare clients with a SUPER memory personal assistant to self enable longer lasting independence and memory assistance.

My “In-Home 2nd Brain” (so to speak…)

Sandy Halperin

Sandy Halperin

The “GrandCare” system and technology was installed in my home a few days ago to dramatically help me with my memory due to my having early-stage Alzheimer’s and it’s associated short and long term memory difficulties.

Already, for me, it has begun to act like my “In-Home 2nd Brain” as mentioned. I will keep you up-to-date in the days and months ahead as I utilize and integrate the system and it’s huge number of benefits/functions into my daily routines.

I mention this as I am being verbal about my having cognitive problems, without stigma — and I am using any and all aids that I can for me to continue to lead as proactive and active life as I can. This is all as I continue to live in the gift of the present with my family and friends…

As I have said before quoting from a Proverb: “Just when the caterpillar thought that his life was over, he became a butterfly”. So metaphorically, as I live this chapter of my life as a butterfly, I believe that the GrandCare System will help me to live it to the fullest.”

Knute Nelson awarded a grant to distribute GrandCare technology throughout palliative and hospice care homes

The Blandin Foundation awarded the Knute Nelson Foundation a $50,000 grant to introduce GrandCare technology to palliative care and hospice patients throughout a 25-county west central Minnesota region where Knute Nelson services.  Knute Nelson is being supported by GrandCare’s distribution partner, Cybermation.

GrandCare is a technology that supports aging & healing in place.

Since 2005, GrandCare Systems has provided the most comprehensive caregiving technology on the market, enabling individuals to remain safe, healthy and happy at home. GrandCare’s simple, touch platform enables a Resident to view pictures, receive incoming messages, watch videos, video chat with family, listen to music and play fun games. Using a series of wireless activity and telehealth devices, GrandCare can alert designated caregivers by phone, email or text if anything seems amiss (medications not accessed, glucose levels not taken, abnormal activity, etc.).

GrandCare starts with a large touchscreen in the patient’s room where both patients and their families can access health and wellness information, bereavement support and chronic disease education.

GrandCare allows patients, caregivers and nursing professionals the ability to access essential patient information to monitor and ensure proactive health care interventions.

GrandCare enables medication management (prompting a patient when medications should be accessed) as well as a social connection to family through video chat, messaging and other social media type features.

For information on Knute Nelson Home Care and Hospice, visit www.knutenelson.org or call (320) 759-1273.

http://www.echopress.com/event/article/id/106416/group/Business/