Today, GrandCare welcomes guest blogger Kim Sharbatz, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Dental Solutions. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us, Kim.

Whether you’re facing the struggles of old age yourself, or you’re concerned for your aged parents or grandparents, you’re likely keenly aware of the stress, confusion, and even fear that can accompany growing older. Not only are health problems more common, but conditions that used to be minor can now take on a much more serious role.

At the same time, no parent wants to feel that they’re a burden on their grown children, and no child wants to take away their parent’s dignity or independence. It’s important to reach a balance. Advancements in senior technology like the GrandCare system help accomplish that balance by providing the means to keep tabs on conditions, so problems can be detected and addressed early, by providing easy, one-touch access to family or professional caregivers, and providing other more passive assurances, like medication reminders and alerts to notify caregivers of abnormal events.

A recent article in Everyday Health listed many of the common health conditions seniors face today.  And GrandCare can help seniors manage all the most common concerns. Here’s how.

1. Arthritis

Dealing with the chronic pain and discomfort that comes with arthritis can be very difficult. In many cases, little can be done to treat this condition beyond pain medication and education on how to maneuver to avoid flare ups.

GrandCare can help in two important ways:

1. By providing scheduled reminders to take prescribed pain medication at the right time and the right dosage to keep painful flareups at bay,
2. By using a touchscreen interface that is simple for arthritic hands and fingers to operate.

2. Heart disease

Heart disease has been reported to affect 37% of men and 26% of women over the age of 65. It can range in severity, and unfortunately it doesn’t always offer warning signs before progressing.

A GrandCare system can help those who suffer with heart disease in several ways:

1. By providing scheduled reminders to take prescribed medication to manage their heart condition,
2. By providing scheduled reminders for the senior’s use of wellness monitors such as an integrated blood pressure cuff or oximeter, to automatically record readings, and to allow caregivers to monitor the vitals remotely,
3. By providing alerts to the senior or caregivers when readings haven’t been taken at the proper time, or when readings that fall outside of a defined range,
4. By providing wall-mounted and wearable “action buttons” that the senior can use to alert family or professional caregivers if they’re experiencing chest pain, or if something is amiss.

3. Cancer

Second only to heart disease as a cause of death in the United States, cancer affects 28% of men and 21% of women over the age of 65. Although treating cancer requires far more than monitoring and managing the disease, there are aspects of treatment that can be made easier and more effective through home health monitoring.

The GrandCare system offers the following features to aid in this difficult health issue:

1. Scheduled reminders to take what can be a confusing volume of prescription drugs throughout the day, as well as reminders for frequent doctor’s visits,
2. Integrated access to wellness monitors such as a scale, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, and oximeter, that help seniors and remote caregivers monitor vitals, and see how the body is reacting to treatment.

4. Respiratory diseases

Asthma, emphysema, and COPD, and other respiratory diseases, plague thousands of seniors every day. Whether their individual treatment requires the continual use of oxygen and medications, or adjustments in behavior to manage the disease, it can be difficult to manage.

The GrandCare system offers the following key features to help seniors facing respiratory illness:

1. Scheduled reminders to take prescription medications, nebulizer treatments, or oxygen as directed,
2. Wellness monitoring via an oximeter that automatically records and reports pulse and blood oxygen levels, to routinely confirm adequate oxygen,
3. Automatic alerts to the senior or caregivers when readings haven’t been taken at the proper time, or when vitals readings fall outside of a defined range,
4. Access to “action buttons” that can alert family or professional caregivers if something is amiss.

5. Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease and other memory decline conditions can be frightening and debilitating, as they can slowly rob an individual of their memories and their ability to function independently.

The GrandCare system offers tools for caregivers that can help preserve an senior’s independence and dignity for as long as possible:

1. Motion sensors that can confirm the individual is caring for important daily health habits, such as overall hygiene, oral health care, and food preparation,
2. Contact sensors on doors to alert caregivers if the senior may be wandering during the night, or to verify a visitor has arrived when expected,
3. Scheduled reminders for any and all daily activities that the individual may have a difficult time managing,
4. Communication – via voice, video, or text – with family and friends to help alleviate the risk of social isolation,
5. Games and other tools that can serve to keep the brain active and engaged, staving off the disease’s progression.

If you or a loved one is facing these or any other common conditions affecting older adults, we know it’s a difficult, stressful situation to deal with. The goal of the GrandCare system is to use technology to help make managing and living with these conditions easier and less stressful, and to help seniors stay healthy and independent longer.

Combined with adequate medical, dental, and psychological health care, and professional nursing care as needed, GrandCare can provide both practical help in managing senior health, and valuable peace of mind for seniors and their caregivers.