‘It’s a gift from God’: Cybermation tele-health venture makes it easier to monitor activity, medications

Written by Kevin Allenspach
12:40 AM, Dec. 11, 2011

St. Cloud Times – www.sctimes.com

See a video of GrandCare Client, Ed Thelen, discussing why the GrandCare System works for him and how it has been a lifesaver and lifted his spirits! http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid950566939001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAACbynFGE~,sf-WXU5Jxxvzf0yBwv5ezSaUvcZFydJt&bctid=1320587839001

COLD SPRING — After complications from shoulder surgery made it difficult for 69-year-old Ed Thelen to sleep in a bed at night, he’s taken to dozing in a giant easy chair in the living room of his third-floor home at John Paul Apartments. That discomfort isn’t his only concern. He also has a pacemaker, battles diabetes, struggles with Parkinson’s disease and is in a constant fight against obesity and depression. His biggest worry, though, is whether he’ll be able to keep a new device that has revolutionized his life.

As Thelen relates how he came to this place after 45 years of moving around the region as an insurance underwriter, something that looks like a flat-screen TV chirps next to his chair. He reaches over, touches a prompt, and within seconds is talking with his daughter via Skype.

After their conversation, he shows a visitor how the screen also notifies him if he has letters, pictures or video sent from one of his six grandchildren. He calls up his blood-pressure readings from the past month, which he can provide directly to his doctor, and demonstrates how it prompts him to take his pills — morning, noon and night — from a dispenser in the kitchen.

Ed Thelen, 69, of Cold Spring is able to live in his apartment with the help of an integrated monitoring system marketed locally by Cybermation. With the system, Thelen and others can monitor his health and activities and communicate with him through a touch screen he has in his living room. Jason Wachter, jwachter@stcloudtimes.com

“It’s phenomenal,” Thelen said with a hint of emotion behind his eyes. “If I forget to take my medication, it sends a signal and the phone rings. A voice says (with a nasal twang) ‘Mr. Thelen, you haven’t taken your medication.’ With all the things it does, to me it’s a gift from God.”

It is a GrandCare System, a product of a company in West Bend, Wis., that is being marketed locally for the first time by Cybermation, a Waite Park-based business that for 15 years was primarily known for home entertainment and security systems. Thelen has been working with it for about three weeks.

“We’ve mostly been about big boys toys,” Cybermation President Tom Ardolf said. “Commercial and residential people come to us and spend tens of thousands of dollars on their home theater, or they bring us a basket of remotes and ask us to create one that will run everything in their house. But late last year I got a call from a distributor that had known us for 10 years. They’d started a tele-health venture. I just wanted to ask the guy if we could go fishing. He said, ‘You really ought to look into this.’ ’’

Soon after he did, Ardolf decided to launch CyberHealth, a new division of Cybermation. His company is one of more than 300 authorized installers for the GrandCare System in the U.S. and Canada. Four are in Minnesota, with the other three in the Twin Cities metro area.

He said he’s working with an unnamed rural health care provider to distribute the GrandCare System on a wider scale. And, with baby boomers entering retirement and becoming elderly, remote monitoring is expected to be a $9.3 billion industry by 2014.

“My mom passed in 2007, and I often think of how my life, my mom’s life and that of my sisters would’ve been different if we’d had something like this,” Ardolf said.

Family connections

Gladys Ardolf lived in Maple Lake and was 78 when she died of complications from dystonia, a movement disorder that causes muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily. For the last six to eight years of her life, two of Tom Ardolf’s three sisters living in the area made daily — sometimes twice-daily — visits to make sure she was all right.

“The average caregiver puts in 24 hours a week — that’s a significant part-time job,” said Ardolf, 50. “People are willing to do it, especially when it’s their mom or their dad. But around year one or two, there’s invariably some resentment about ‘Why doesn’t this sibling who lives far away do something to help?’ If we’d had one of these systems, I could’ve played a role in her care — even though I’m 40 miles away.”

While the screen is in the user’s home, like the one next to Thelen’s easy chair, it provides a window for family members, caregivers and physicians to monitor the user’s health and activities.

“Just by placing sensors around my mom’s home, I could’ve had a call or text sent to my phone if she didn’t get up between 6 and 9 a.m.,” Ardolf said. “I would’ve known if she was restless in bed, went to the bathroom or didn’t take a shower. We could’ve put a magnet on the microwave that would’ve told us if she’d had coffee in the morning. It’s little things like that which can give you peace of mind — or alert you to trouble if they don’t happen.”

Read more

Will Home Health Care Get Pricier? Smart Money Magazine Article

I wanted to post the following article on the rising cost of Home Health Care.  To me, it’s kind of shocking how little technology comes up when discussing these looming problems, which are so easily enabled and supported by technology.  Unfortunately, cost of care will just increase as the supply decreases. With the exponential aging boom, the rising cost of healthcare, and lack of caregivers and brick and mortar to support our aging population, we have to start supplementing hands-on care with technology tools. There are plenty technologies available to support caregivers, health professionals, family members and most importantly, to enable the seniors themselves to better care for themselves. GrandCare Systems is just one of the digital home health technologies on the market that provides a technology tool to the care providers. It can help to increase the level and efficiency of care, without having to have a “physical presence” at all times.

Think about how these technologies could be utilized – – family could make sure a loved one was eating, taking medication and provide cognitive assists & reminders. The loved one would be encouraged and supported to better care for his/her needs and chronic conditions. Health providers can monitor vitals and overall wellness patterns from afar. Family & Doctors could video chat with the Loved One right on the touchscreen. Family members can go online to view sensor data, set up alert parameters and add personalized content (pics, messages, reminders, calendar, videos, music) to the Loved One’s touchscreen. Caregivers can choose to receive automated email/phone/text alerts if anything in the home seems amiss (e.g. stove left on, got up during the night and didn’t return to bed, noncompliance, etc). Technologies like GrandCare can be a big time and money saver and can spread one caregiver farther…in essence turning them into a super caregiver… I am hoping that technology really helps to fill this critical void and bridges the family, loved one and professional care providers into a cohesive, connected virtual network.  Do we really have a choice? If we do not utilize available and affordable enabling technology tools (and I meant tools because these absolutely do NOT replace the caregiver, but instead enhance the caregiver and the entire care network), then we will most certainly bankrupt this country, our children and grandchildren…

Anyways – just thought I’d share this interesting article from Smart Money Magazine…

 

Will Home Health Care Get Pricier?

Nov 01, 2011  blogs.smartmoney.com
By Catey Hill

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced yesterday that its payments to home health care agencies would decrease by more than 2% in 2012. The question for consumers who use home health care services is this: Will these decreased payments to agencies force consumers to pay more out-of-pocket costs for home health services?

Probably not right away, experts say. “Seniors may not feel the effects immediately through Medicare cost sharing, but the reduction might result in greater out-of-pocket costs for non-covered services as agencies increase other fees to make up for the loss in income,” says  Mary Johnson, a policy analyst at The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan seniors rights group.

If someone is  eligible for Medicare-covered home health care services, they  probably won’t immediately feel the impact of these reductions in payments, since they currently have no Medicare co-pays or cost sharing responsibilities for those services (as long as they have original Medicare and get services from a Medicare-certified home health agency), she says.  However, anyone who gets coverage through Medicare Advantage  should contact their plan to figure out the  co-pays.

That said, “there’s a considerable amount of home health care services, often the bulk of care, that Medicare does not cover,” she says. “Fees for those services might be impacted as agencies shift the cost to patients.” Examples include 24-hour-a-day care, homemaker services like cleaning and laundry, personal care provide by home health aides like bathing and dressing and assistance to the bathroom, she says. Often these non-covered services are “the single biggest cost of home care for any senior dependent on those services and their families,” she adds.

Seniors wanting to find home healthcare services or to learn more, should click here. For more information about how Medicare pays for home health care, see thePublication Medicare and Home Health Care.

Laura Mitchell interviewed by Senior Care Corner

Technology To Help Seniors Stay Safe & Healthy at Home

Click here to listen to the Podcast

We stay on the lookout for technology that improves the lives of both seniors and their families as a key part of our mission at Senior Care Corner.  When we encountered GrandCare Systems at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, we knew this was a solution about which we wanted to learn more.  In this episode of our podcast we learn together.

We are pleased to welcome Laura Mitchell, GrandCare’s Vice President of Marketing, to join us for a chat at Senior Care Corner.  Laura told us about the personal story behind the founding of the company and GrandCare Systems’ technology and how it helps seniors to stay safe and healthy at home while bringing them closer to their families.

We found it particularly interesting that some have used the GrandCare solution to increase the independence of senior loved ones by linking them via internet to distant family members and other caregivers, which allows at least some to transition from full time to part time in-home care.

In addition to our conversation with Laura, Kathy brings us several news items of interest to seniors and their families and Barry introduces us to the Senior Care Corner Bookstore.

Links Mentioned in this Senior Care Corner Episode

Take a look at Senior Care Corner on the web for additional information and Podcasts.

Connected Health Symposium 11 Recap

I just returned from the connected health symposium in Boston. Talk about a whirlwind of ideas, inundated with extremely intelligent individuals throughout the aging, technology, and healthcare industry!

The event started out with a cocktail networking hour in the Boston Park Plaza Hotel on Wednesday night. We reconvened at 7a Thursday morning to embark on a full, insightful and educational series of sessions.

Attendees ranged from Partners in HealthCare (who put on this event) to Blue Cross Blue Shield, Dell, Visiting Nurses of NY, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), AT&T and even the prince of Denmark! Hot Topics ranged from debates on whether ACOs are good ideas to whether OPCs (Online Patient Communities) should be prescribed by doctors, to the state of healthcare in Denmark!

GrandCare was honored to be selected to present to the attendees as one of “12 Innovations that may change the world”. Each innovative product was given an opportunity to speak for 4 1/2 mins on the value of the product & relevance in the industry! The response was overwhelming!! The room was literally standing room only with doctors and hospital administrators sitting cross legged in front of the chairs to witness these 12 Innovative Products!!! Several press publications were there reporting and giving insight! I will post more information here as I receive it. The event was also videotaped, so I will be certain to post that here as soon as I see it!!

I have shared what we at GrandCare presented to the crowded ballroom!

The GrandCare Vision of HealthCare!
One cannot seriously talk about healthcare reform or cost reduction without talking about aging given the large portion of healthcare costs that are incurred in the later stages of life.
Healthcare already consumes a distressing percentage of GNP and with the boomers entering the chronic condition years, the financial strain on our society is certain to become more acute if not critical.
Our major problem? As a society, we buy many, many pounds of cure. GrandCare is passionately driven to provide the ounces of prevention.
Indeed, as our founder is fond of telling anyone who will listen: If the boomers do not redefine aging, if they do not age responsibly, if they do not insist on the tools and infrastructure to age and heal in place, they will bankrupt their children and grandchildren
And yet we at GrandCare are bullish about the future. We are convinced that given the right home-based technology tools, the people and their caregivers will embrace a new model of responsible wellness that will improve their lives and save our society billions.
Let’s take a look at the GrandCare system.

The GrandCare system starts with a senior friendly touchscreen computer, typically in the kitchen of a senior or maybe a not-so-senior who requires post acute care at home.
If not being accessed with an ATM easy interface, it looks like a digital picture frame showing a full range of personalized content which is programmed remotely by a caregiver, either familial or professional.
Meanwhile, 24/7, the system performs a wide variety of monitoring which is accessible by caregivers across the net.
It maintains constant contact with a cloud based enterprise solution to handle alerts, share data, and perform congregate analytics. This central system, called GCManage, also performs the more mundane tasks of client monitoring, dashboard views, backups, centralized calendar, and software updates.
With the patient firmly at the center, the system integrates four components: wellness, smart home, activity monitoring, and social connectivity.
Let’s start with wellness. The system accepts wireless physiological readings from a weight scale, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, glucometer, and oximeter. We also have a home EKG device that is in alpha test and will come to market in mid 2012.
Each of these devices produces charts or graphs and supports simple rulesets to alert caregivers of abnormal readings. The data has been transferred to a number of proprietary electronic health records and the short lived Google Health.  We look forward to widespread Health Information Exchanges to allow complete interoperability.
The wellness component also includes medication compliance by interfacing with the RXtender pill dispenser or more simply by reminders and helpful medication information.
Self assessment is encouraged and typically generously given for overall wellness, mental state, or specific chronic condition. The patient is, of course, allowed and encouraged to view and better understand their physical and mental state.
Add to this onboard videos to provide tele-health device instructions, health maintenance tips, and medication compliance assistance, and we have moved from the measured life, to the analyzed life, to the influenced life.
The second component is Smart Home, controlling or monitoring lights, thermostats, and cooking appliances. The system can detect someone getting up and night and will light the way to the bathroom to mitigate falls.
The third component is Activity monitoring. Supported devices include motion, temperature, door, chair, callerid, medication, and bed sensors. Have the system text you if Mom doesn’t get up in the morning. Make sure your Dad is not a victim of a telephone scam. Have the neighbor called if GrandPa leaves the house in the middle of the night.
The fourth and final component is Social Connectivity – A large touchscreen with one button skype, email, reminders, pictures, games, brain exercises – all with an age appropriate interface. It’s the glue that makes the system meaningful and useful.
And all of this for a cost of less than one month of assisted living.
GrandCare Systems epitomizes the notions, precepts, and goals of Connected Health. Fellow warriors, we are in the this together in the quest for responsible, affordable healthcare.

Long Distance Caregiving might be easier with a little bit of Technology

I read an article today from Health Day News via Caring.com called “For Many Americans, Caregiving a Long Distance Burden”  (see an excerpt below)

The article makes some really great points on the trials and tribulations of being a long distance caregiver and also gives some helpful resources and facts.  However, the article was missing the entire technology component that now enables long distance and virtual care.  Technology is a critical tool for caregivers to use, especially when not all of the caregivers can physically be there.   Technology can help to ease the burden of local caregivers, allowing them to “share the care” with long distance caregivers and family members. Long Distance caregivers can now be involved and have equal access to the information, virtually. For example, the GrandCare System allows family members (near and far) to log into the GrandCare dashboard and check on how that person is doing, make sure the living environment is ok, make sure the loved one is performing the correct activities of daily living, taking meds at correct times, eating, etc.

Systems like GrandCare also enables a new world of communication between all of the caregivers and the loved one. A built in web cam on the resident’s GrandCare System allows the loved one and family to participate in video chat sessions and also enables family to send pictures, messages, emails, reminders, calendar appointments and more to an interactive, simple touch interface. Family can also send fun videos and music. The resident doesn’t need to know anything about technology to enjoy this.

Technology is playing a vital role in caring for a loved one (near or far) and coordinating care between multiple siblings. We have come into an age where you don’t have to physically always be there to participate in care and as a long distance caregiver, using the GrandCare sensors, you can make an educated decision on a loved one’s needs.

 

For Many Americans, Caregiving a Long-Distance Burden

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) — Caring for a parent or relative in the same zip code can be hard enough, but long-distance caregiving, which is becoming more common in an increasingly mobile society, brings with it added burdens.

By 2012, an estimated 14 million Americans will be long-distance caregivers, so many that some even have new names: “seagulls” and “pigeons.”

These terms refer to family members who alight for short periods of time, make a mess for local caregivers and fly out. What they don’t take into account are the pain, isolation and hassles that long-distance caregivers are dealing with on their own.

“They have unique issues,” said Polly Mazanec, lead author of a paper appearing in a recent issue of Oncology Nursing Forum.

Those include financial concerns, since many people are borrowing from savings to travel at a moment’s notice or to arrange child care or pet sitting during their absence, as well as emotional issues such as guilt, worry and anxiety.

“We found that long-distance caregivers were much more anxious than local caregivers, who could see what was happening [on a more frequent basis],” said Mazanec, an assistant professor of nursing at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

“Long-distance caregivers end up feeling guilty. I deal with it on a daily basis,” added Dr. Nasiya Ahmed, an assistant professor of geriatric and palliative medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Family caregiving has received a lot of attention recently, but not so much for those who have to do it at a distance.

“Here’s this whole group of people out there that no one is helping and they’re typically part of the sandwich generation, juggling their own families and careers,” said Mazanec, who is also an advance practice oncology nurse at University Hospital’s Case Medical Centers Seidman Cancer Center. “It’s just a real challenge.”

… to read the entire article, click here

In the beginning….there were ACOs…

Great article…had to repost…http://www.ltlmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=DDA435FBCC9845E2BC555F79EC975793

 Ready or not…
ACOs are on their way
by Kathleen Griffin, PhD, Pam Selker Rak, and Shannon Webber

IN THE BEGINNING…THERE WERE ACOS

There are a number of ACO pilot programs in operation and the formal program will begin implementation in January 2012. The final set of rules around forming an ACO will be made available by October 2011.

In terms of formation, it is important to keep in mind that ACOs must have primary care physicians and enroll at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries. There are a number of organizations (e.g., Brookings-Dartmouth, Premier, and AMGA) that are assisting hospitals in aligning with physicians to get them prepared for the processes and procedures that are part of ACOs. For example, if a beneficiary’s physician is in the ACO, the beneficiary will automatically be part of the ACO as well. Having 5,000+ beneficiaries is important in order to mitigate the potential risks of high-cost patients among the ACO’s fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries.

Most ACOs under development today are hospital-driven. ACOs require an enormous IT platform for operation and EHR and EMR congruity will be required. Some hospitals own post-acute care continuums or they create a continuing care network to meet certain quality and outcome criteria. An effective post-acute continuum allows for easy and quick transfers from hospitals and reduced or eliminated readmissions. Emergency department admissions are also lowered and this results in reduction of cost since ED visits are so expensive. Finally, patients with higher medical acuity are managed more effectively. Hospitals looking to be an ACO either can own a continuum, create a continuum of selected providers, or form a joint venture with a Medicare skilled facility.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

The question on everyone’s mind is undoubtedly, “How will we be paid?” There is not just one answer to this question as there are several ways that payments will occur in an ACO. The following provides a brief overview of each option.

  • Shared Savings Program. Most payments will be received through shared savings. “For each 12-month period, participating ACOs that meet specified quality performance standards will be eligible to receive a share (a percentage, and any limits to be determined by the Secretary) of any savings if the actual per capita expenditures of their assigned Medicare beneficiaries are a sufficient percentage below their specified benchmark amount.”1 This means that ACOs will receive an average payment for a beneficiary and CMS will then run a projection. If the cost goes up from the projection, a target for reduction will be presented so that the ACO can share in savings.
  • Medicare Fee-For-Service. Another method of payment is a provider-paid Medicare fee-for-service in which providers are paid for each service rendered to a patient. If providers effectively manage services, this will drive down cost and the ACO will get a share of the savings. Providers will also be eligible to receive additional payment for shared savings if the ACO meets the quality performance standard, and the ACO’s estimated average per capita Medicare expenditures for Parts A and B is at least a specified level below the designated benchmark.
  • Bundled/Episode-Based Payment. Perhaps the biggest paradigm shift is that CMS will no longer be the payer for continuing care and that this responsibility will come from the ACO and, for some conditions, will be in the form of bundled payments. The shift makes CCPs cost centers for ACOs. This type of payment reimburses providers for expected costs for clinically defined episodes of care and was developed as a strategy for reducing healthcare costs. Bundled payment opposes unnecessary care, supports coordination across providers, and may result in improved quality of service.
  • Capitation. Under a capitation system, providers are paid a set amount for each enrolled person assigned to that physician or group of physicians, whether or not that person seeks care over a period of time. As ACOs achieve full capitation, portions of continuing care will also be capitated. Capitation is projected to be the primary payment mechanism by the end of the decade.

It is important that providers understand that they are auditioning to work with ACOs and be fully prepared to show they’re providing the highest care at the lowest cost.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CCPS?

So, what does this mean for CCPs? There is no denying that ACOs are on the horizon and providers need to be ready for them when they arrive. By 2017 or 2018, it is likely that all hospitals will be part of a local or regional ACO. According Loren Claypool, vice president and managing director of VCPI, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, “ACOs are looking for ‘one-stop shopping’ for post-acute care and there are a few options that a provider can do to thrive.”

  • Own the continuum for its specialty area (e.g., rehab, wound care, etc.).
  • Develop a continuing care network.
  • Establish joint ventures by operating skilled nursing facilities on hospital property. (This trend is already currently happening because it is so easy and cost-effective to transfer back and forth.)

The next couple of years will require us all to live in two worlds. CCPs will need to take lots of Medicare patients with a focus on those who need rehabilitation, all while preparing for the payment system from ACOs. There are a number of next steps for CCPs to take in preparation today for the full implementation of ACOs in the near future.

  • Collect and use data to determine cost and patient outcomes, and any changes that can be made to improve these. This includes information demonstrating patient outcomes tied to cost and readmissions, determining the number of subacute patients that go home (Medicare Part A/Part B), and disclosing 30-day readmission rates by condition. Take this information and meet with C-Suite executives at hospitals to determine how you might best partner with them.
  • Be familiar with what is going on in the market. The Accountable Care model is always in the news. Make sure you are keeping up with what is being said and done. The Brookings-Dartmouth Collaborative is a great place to learn more about ACOs and find peers who may be able to share experiences.
  • Know where referrals are coming from. Use this information to determine how those relationships might be strengthened to increase referrals.
  • Listen to the needs of the hospitals. CCPs should be proactively engaging with targeted hospitals to do market assessments and learn from them what their needs are. This will help CCPs understand where and how they can fit into the ACO model. Ask to create a joint-operating committee to create care pathways, or take some time to develop expertise with staffing and go back to the hospital with proof that you are the best partner for them.
  • Make staff adjustments to meet industry needs. The transition to the care continuum and the requirement of dealing with more medically complex patients is driving current staffing needs. RNs and nurse information specialists are needed, as are nurse practitioners, who can provide 24/7 coverage for higher acuity patients. Providers should make sure their staff is properly positioned to meet these challenges.
  • As quickly as possible, get your EMR house in order. ACOs will be data-driven organizations and the outcomes on which your competitive edge depends must be easily reportable out of your clinical systems. No data, no seat at the ACO table.

Use this information to determine how those relationships might be strengthened to increase referrals.

ACOs are all about creating greater accountability in healthcare delivery. There are many ways for CCPs to be involved and with 2012 less than two years away, now is the time to start. LTL

Kathleen Griffin, PhD is National Director, Post Acute & Senior Services of Health Dimensions Group, a senior living healthcare management and healthcare consulting firm. She can be reached at (480) 922-9366 or kathleeng@hdgi1.com.
Pam Selker Rak is president and Shannon Webber is senior communications specialist with CommuniTech, LLC, an independent marketing and business consultant for the healthcare sector and beyond. Rak can be reached at (412) 221-4550 or pam.rak@mktgcommunications.com.

REFERENCES

  1. U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.(2010). Medicare Accountable Care Organizations Shared Savings Program New Section 1899 of Title XVIII. Washington, DC. Retrieved fromhttps://www.cms.gov/OfficeofLegislation/Downloads/AccountableCareOrganization.pdf
Long-Term Living 2011 February;60(2):33-35

Moving an aging parent can lead to negative outcomes…?

I read an article today about why the transitions in healthcare (moving from one place to another) alone are causing a large number of avoidable issues.  The author focuses on the notion of going from assisted living to skilled nursing or even skilled nursing to a hospital and while I absolutely agree with this, I think we can take it one step further and say it starts really when we move them out of their homes.  An ounce of prevention will most certainly lead to more than a pound of cure. The initiatives in place to help individuals manage their own chronic conditions and proactively have a say in their own care will really help to keep individuals safer and healthier at home. Our goals at GrandCare are simple: to enable a loved one to stay “in place” for longer – wherever that may be. Some use a technology to stay independent at home, others (professional caregivers) use it take care of multiple residents and enable more independence, less personal intervention, more space & privacy and more enhanced safety.  This can help a wing to transition to higher levels of care without moving residences.  NORCs (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) are exactly where this country is headed and it has to be that way. We simply don’t have the brick and mortar available nor the personal caregivers available for the aging population! So, we use technology assists to enable our caregivers to extend their reach and continue to provide care, we use technology to help individuals remain at home….

GrandCare is just one piece of the puzzle (we can connect individuals, remind them to do things, encourage doctor/patient collaboration, guide in total wellness & chronic disease mgmt…now we just need some reimbursement policies in place to help cover this obvious solution…

Why ‘Transitions’ In Health Care Are Dangerous And How To Avoid Them

By Fran Cronin
Guest Blogger

With more than 1.6 million Americans now living in nursing homes, many of us are all too familiar with the debilitating cycle of a nursing home admission followed by repeated hospitalizations, a spiraling into decline, and ultimately death.

I know for my 87-year old father, now living in an assisted living facility, the prospect of a nursing home leaves him hoping he will just drift off one night in his sleep.

A new study released this week by Brown University and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, confirms what many of us have observed: health care transitions, such as moves in and out of the hospital from a nursing home, do not lead to positive outcomes. More common are frequent medical errors; poor care coordination, infections and additional medications. For patients with acute dementia, these transitions can exacerbate already present symptoms such as agitation, confusion and emotional distress.

The scope of this syndrome — in which health care transitions often turn into emergencies — is expressed in a key Brown finding: almost one in five nursing home residents with advanced dementia experienced repeated hospitalizations in the last 90 days of life. Some were even moved as late as the last three days of their life. Burdensome transitions were also found to correlate with other indicators of poor end-of-life care.

I know for my 87-year old father, the prospect of a nursing home leaves him hoping he will just drift off one night in his sleep.

This is a far cry from the overt wishes of most families, says Dr. Joan Teno, one of the study’s lead authors and Professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University….

To read the entire article click here

Telecare Aware: GrandCare Issues a CALL for Information!!!

A few days ago, I posted a request on LinkedIn, letting everyone know about the research project I am embarking upon. I am seeking information to compile a large research paper of sorts on why technology will aid in successful hospital to home transitions, ROI in telehealth, a technology implementation plan and how GrandCare fits into every piece of that puzzle.  Our good friend, Donna Cusano, at Telecare Aware loved the idea and posted it on their blog Telecare Aware, so I wanted to repost it here as well!!!  Thanks Donna!

Technology use in long-term care: a call for information  

For many new–or not so new–companies in the telecare, telecare+social connectedness and even telehealth systems, one of the difficulties in creating appeal for their service, especially among long term care (LTC) providers, is PROOF. Normally one of the tasks of company marketers is to provide this proof. But ‘research that counts’: long term, large N studies; academic research etc. developed in time frame available and the budget, when it resembles the life of the may fly….a bridge too far. Laura Mitchell, who is VP Marketing for one of the earliest and most visionary companies in the field, GrandCare Systems, and also a founder/leader of the industry group AgeTek, is calling for others to help her build a paper for general dissemination on succesful technology implementation into LTC. This is an area where this kind of information will be a ‘tide that lifts all boats.’ With her permission, I’m excerpting her posting on several groups on LinkedIn. The Editors also invite Laura to consider the comment space for this article as a workspace for development on this project, as our exposure is international and different than LinkedIn’s.

Using Digital Home Health Technology in Long Term Care (by Laura Mitchell, GrandCare Systems)
So many times I talk with long term care providers and they see that technology is there, it works, it’s available and others are doing it, but yet they want more proof. They want references, they want testimonials and they want to know exactly how to implement it. I have been making it my role these days to keep providing more and more information about how and why technology can help in long term care, ROI, how it connects residents to family and staff, why residents and staff are happier using it and how to successfully implement it. I will be posting bits and pieces on LinkedIn as I continue to research and pull together different pieces. The end result will sort of be a “paper” on successful technology implementation into long term care – model options, pricing, staff education, testimonials, etc. If you have any questions, comments or thoughts for me as I go along on this journey, shoot me an email!

Please contact Laura directly at info (at) grandcare.com

[Ed. Donna’s comment on LinkedIn follows]

Where is the vision to make telecare and social connectedness MUSTS in supporting older adults in their homes or in LTC?

The problem is that many ‘senior communities’ or home carers just don’t have the vision, especially the for-profits where the bottom line is all important–and many of the non-profits simply don’t have the fiscal resources. The question is how to move telecare/social connectedness from a ‘nice to have’ to a ‘MUST have.’ And I hate to say that may have to be done by appealing to state regulators to make connectedness and socialization metrics for licensure.

The other alternative is to drive consumer demand and make it a MUST for families–but the millions to drive that message are absent and not likely to appear any time soon (if Warren Buffett and Bill Gates want a useful place to spend their money, here it is!)

But then again Steve and I have been whinging on about this on Telecare Aware for years, from both sides of the Atlantic!
To view the posting on Telecare Aware:  http://www.telecareaware.com/index.php/technology-use-in-long-term-care-a-call-for-information.htm
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Spaulding Clinical Announces Strategic Partnership with GrandCare Systems, Delivering Integrated Home Diagnostic ECG Monitoring

West Bend, WI – September XX, 2011 – GrandCare Systems and Spaulding Clinical Research today announced a strategic relationship to integrate Spaulding’s hand-held, portable Spaulding iQTM Electrocardiograph into GrandCare’s remote activity & telehealth home monitoring system.  The result of combining these two disruptive technologies creates an exciting industry first: a telemedicine home diagnostic ECG service, currently unavailable in the Aging and Technology Industry. Interestingly, the two internationally recognized companies were both founded in West Bend, Wisconsin, which results in seamless collaboration.

“We have a major healthcare crisis on our hands,” states GrandCare Systems Founder and CEO, Charles Hillman.  “If we don’t change how care is delivered, the aging boomers will bankrupt this country.  We need innovative technologies that can offer a more proactive, preventative, personalized and predictive in-home care experience.  This is what the GrandCare/Spaulding Clinical collaboration is all about”.

“There is a rapidly growing number of elderly adults with chronic cardiac disease that need close monitoring to remain at home,” states Randol Spaulding, Founder and CEO of Spaulding Clinical Research.  “The simple, one-button, portable design of the Spaulding iQ makes it an ideal home care product, and when combined with the telemedicine platform that GrandCare has developed, this innovative system will enable chronic cardiac patients to safely live in their homes, rather than expensive assisted-living or nursing home facilities.”

Spaulding Clinical and GrandCare will be exhibiting and collecting clinical feedback on this cutting-edge integration at the National Association of Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) Annual meeting in Las Vegas, October 1- 5th (booth 1068) and in Washington DC October 16 – 19th at LeadingAge (booth 2340).   Expect the official GrandCare/Spaulding ECG product launch in early 2012.

GrandCare Systems (www.grandcare.com) combines activity of daily living & telehealth monitoring, senior social networking, medication management and cognitive assists into one user-friendly touch-based system.  GrandCare can be customized to fit anyone’s needs to assure independence, security, happiness and overall wellness.

Spaulding Clinical Research, LLC (www.spauldingclinical.com) provides Clinical Pharmacology, Cardiac Core Lab clinical research services, and is a medical device manufacturer. Spaulding Clinical operates a 105-bed clinical pharmacology unit with 96-beds of Mortara telemetry in West Bend, Wisconsin. The facility is paperless, with a phase I Electronic Data Capture system and bi-directional interfaces to safety lab, bedside devices and telemetry. As a Phase I-IV Core ECG Laboratory provider, Spaulding offers the complete suite of equipment provisioning and electrocardiograph over-reading services with state-of-the-art technologies, including the proprietary Spaulding iQ Electrocardiograph, and expertly trained cardiologists and project managers.

GrandCare Media Contact:
Laura Mitchell, VP of Marketing
Tel:  262-338-6147
Email:  Laura@Grandcare.com
Electronic Press kit: https://www.grandcare.com/presskit/docs/PressKit.pdf

Spaulding Media Contact:
Kathy Forde
Sr. Director of Marketing
Tel:  (414) 303-1912
Email:  kathy.forde@spauldingclinical.com

Care About Your Care, a new initiative to empower patients!

I wanted to share this IHealth Beat Article on a new Initiative: Care About Your Care. It is fantastic to see all of this involvement and dedication to this ever-present healthcare crisis! This is something we are extremely passionate about. It’s clear that we cannot continue on with the reactive care model. We need to take a cue from Benjamin Franklin “An ounce of prevention, a pound of cure” and start providing proactive solutions and enabling individuals to actively participate in their own management of chronic conditions. GrandCare Systems is proud to be an active proponent of Preventative Care technology using telehealth, med dispensers, reminder/cognitive assists, Activity of Daily Living Sensing, One-Touch SKYPE, brain fitness & Internet socialization in one interactive solution. We look forward to staying engaged in this topic and hope GrandCare will be able to play a large role in transitioning clients to a NEW model of proactive, preventative & INFORMED care!  Take a look below..perhaps someday soon we will all be having this conversation on the Dr. Oz show 🙂
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Monday, September 19, 2011

Health IT Key to Patient Engagement, Better Care, Experts Say

by Kate Ackerman, iHealthBeat Managing Editor

WASHINGTON — The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have teamed up on a new initiative aimed at boosting patient engagement in an effort to improve the quality of health care in the U.S. Health care experts argue that patient empowerment is key to driving health care improvements.

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of RWJF, said in a news release, “Patients need to understand that the quality of health care varies widely across the nation — even within communities — and there are things they can do to ensure they and their loved ones get the best care possible.” She added that “it is critical that we all do our part as patients to take responsibility for our own health and care, like learning more about our illness, taking care of ourselves and following recommendations from our doctors and nurses.”

At an event on Thursday marking the midpoint of the monthlong project, called Care About Your Care, health care leaders discussed how patients can play an important role in helping to address health care cost and quality issues.

Dr. Mehmet Oz — host of the Dr. Oz show and vice chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University — moderated the event. He said, “I honestly believe that being a smart patient is a matter of life and death.” Oz added that “patients have duties” and that “empowered patients challenge doctors” to deliver the highest quality of care.

Giving Patients Access to Their Data

National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari said one of the goals of his office is to help patients get access to information. He said that if patients are being asked to take an active role in their health care, they need to have access to their medical information.

However, he acknowledged that the effort will require a shift in thinking. Mostashari noted that some patients feel uncomfortable even asking for their health care records. He said that it is important to send the message that asking for health records “not only is your legal right, but it is the right thing to do.”

Lavizzo-Mourey added that when patients use IT to track their care, the result is better care.

After hearing from Shanda Reardon — a woman in Southeast Michigan who spoke about how her family history of diabetes drove her to take a more active role in her own health — AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy said that patients should feel empowered to ask questions. She added that if they do not understand the answers, they should ask again.

Role of Health IT

The health care leaders said health IT can play a key role in facilitating patient engagement and patient-centered care.

Mostashari said that his office is “helping doctors, hospitals and communities … to use computers to take better care of people.” He said that an increasing number of health care providers are electronically exchanging patient information, which can help to improve care transitions. However, he said that number still is not high enough, and, as a result, patients are being called on to fill in any gaps in their health records.

Mostashari said that new models of delivering care — such as online visits and smartphone health care applications — will help address the cost issue.

Clancy agreed, noting that it is possible to “spend less for high-quality care” by achieving savings through better care coordination.

Mostashari added that health IT allows health care providers and others to measure and monitor care.

Lavizzo-Mourey said that communities across the country are “using information to raise the bar.”

Peter McGough — chief medical officer at the University of Washington Medicine Neighborhood Clinics in Seattle — said that providing doctors with information at the time of care through electronic health records has led to fewer complications and lower costs.

Mostashari said that health plans — including Medicaid and Medicare — are beginning to recognize and reward health care providers for better quality care and care coordination.

Lavizzo-Mourey said the “transformation in health care is happening” and “consumers need to be involved.” She added, “It’s going to take all of us to really improve the quality of care.”

Read more: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/features/2011/health-it-key-to-patient-engagement-better-care-experts-say.aspx#ixzz1YcpYxbqt