Tag Archive for: AgeTek

home care remote monitoring

Remote Monitoring That Will Assist Caregivers

The advent of new technology is helping people that require some level of assistance stay independent in their homes longer. One of the technologies taking the market by storm is the GrandCare System. The GrandCare System is finding its way into a number of areas including residences, small group homes and even larger independent and assisted living facilities.

In a nut shell, GrandCare is a three level system. Level one provides a social interface for the end-user, level two is a health and wellness monitoring portion and level three monitors daily activity. Throw in basic home automation control and you have a fully interactive monitoring system that will provide the assistance that is needed by a large portion of the population.

With the rising cost of healthcare, we need to find new solutions that allow early detection of potential problems and address them prior to hospitalization. One hospital admittance and the system can be paid for. Also, with the average cost of assisted living topping $50,000 per year….the cost of a system can be absorbed in a number of months and extend the ability to stay at home for years. Couple a GrandCare System with a PERS and medication management system and the cost is still well below assisted living.

Level One

The first part of the Grandcare is the social interface. This portion of the system is designed to keep the user in touch with the world (even without knowing how to use a computer). It provides a central place for family to share things like photos and information. The system provides a touch screen computer and can also be connected to a TV. The touch screen allows the user to access pre-set internet sites, receive and send email, listen to music, play games and more. When not being used for an activity, the system will display; photos (that can be uploaded by family), trivia, weather, news headlines, daily reminders and other items that the family and user can designate.

Level Two

Level two is something we all need! It is the Health and Wellness side of the system. Via a wireless interface, the system will monitor weight, blood pressure and pulse-ox. The caregiver/family member can create rules so when the system detects changes, it will notify them via email, text message or a simple phone call. (More on rules later). The system will also monitor the glucose levels of the user. Combine all of the monitoring with a complete reporting system that generates reports that can be printed out and given to your doctor. This provides a much more detailed and lengthy look of the patient allowing the doctor to make better decisions then they can when they get that ten or fifteen minute snap shot when you are in for a check-up.

Level Three

Level three is designed to monitor the daily activity of the occupants of the home. It is a non evasive way of ensuring that they are ok. The system will monitor doors, windows, the refrigerator….basically, anything that can be opened. It will also look at motion, lack of motion or excessive motion in any area that is monitored. For example, if a person gets out of bed at 7AM every day, the system can be programmed to watch for no motion in the home between say, 6AM and 8AM indicating they didn’t get up. It can also monitor if a person is in bed or out of bed and how much they are moving around. By doing that, we can determine how well someone sleeps and if they are not sleeping well address it so they sleep better. The system will also advise caregivers and family members if someone is out of bed for an extended period at night, possibly indicating a problem. With the ability to monitor just about anything combined with the rules that can be created, you can create a truly safe environment.

Care Notes

This is an area for caregivers and family members that visit the user to perform assistance tasks, check on wellbeing or for any other reason they stop in. The care notes allow a person to enter basic notes. For example, a daytime caregiver may leave a note for the overnight caregiver saying that the resident has the flu so make sure they are drinking fluids. Or a daughter may stop by and notice that dad has a cut on his head from a fall so he needs to be checked on from time to time for the next 24 hours. All of the care notes can be reviewed from any computer with an internet connection and are also sent out via email at the end of the day to the people that you designate. This allows everyone to stay up to date as to what is going on.

The Rules

The GrandCare System allows rules to be setup by the caregiver or family members. This is an extremely flexible part of the system and very easy to modify as needs or areas of concern change. Some of the systems that are similar to GrandCare use Artificial Intelligence (AI). This allows the computer to set rules based on what it determines is the “normal activity” of the user. That works well providing that when the system is installed, the user has no existing conditions. The system may decide that something that is truly an issue is normal activity.
The rules in the GrandCare System can be setup to send a message via Text Message, Email or can use an automated voice and place a phone call to a designated person. You can also use any combination of the notifications. You can also use rules to cause something to happen in the home, say turn on a light. A few examples follow;
1) If no motion is detected between 7AM and 9AM send a text message to caregiver 1
2) If any door opens between 10PM and 6AM call caregiver 2
3) If person gets out of bed between 10PM and 7AM turn on the bathroom light
4) If a person is out of bed for more the 15 minutes between 10PM and 7AM, call caregiver 1
5) If a glucose reading is below 100, call the home and say “ Your blood sugar is low please drink orange juice”
The rules that can be created are almost endless and can be modified as needed. This allows the system to be customized to today and then changed to meet tomorrow’s needs.

Dealers

You will want to work with a local and reputable authorized dealer. The system brings a lot of capabilities; however during setup and installation this can overwhelm and confuse the caregivers and family members. Plus, you want to get the most from the system. When the system is first installed, the dealer will help to determine the best layout of the sensors based on the individual needs and help setup the users and rules. Some dealers will have a follow-up meeting about two weeks after the installation to review rules, adjust sensors and make any changes that are needed now that the system has real data from day to day use. The dealer will charge a monthly fee that typically covers the monthly software license (charged by the manufacturer), the hosting for alert notification, software updates and sometimes on going service for hardware failure. Some dealers will even take care of rule changes, adding users and other ongoing software maintenance. Spend time with your dealer and ensure that they are a good fit for you and your family.
When all is said and done, this is a system that can greatly improve safety, independence and general daily life of the user. However, this is not a put it in and forget it system, you want to have the family(Children, Grandchildren, Cousins etc…no matter where they live) involved and keep the photos new and changing, sending emails to the user and keeping information fresh. This will help to keep someone who may be isolated from the rest of the world more active and involved.

About the author:

James Gleason is co-owner of JNL Technologies Inc, a company that is focused on safety systems both for the residential setting as well as assisted, independent and skilled care settings. James has spent the last 15 years working in this industry and serving our population

virtual long term care

Benefit Specialists Recognizes GrandCare as the Cadillac of Virtual Long-Term Care

Benefit Specialists, an industry leader since 1980, is a privately owned, full service insurance brokerage firm specialize in both employer-provided and voluntary benefits for companies of all sizes across a broad array of industries. Affiliated with over 50 of the largest national insurance companies, they specialize in providing customized solutions for companies looking for group and individual insurance products and benefit plans which will meet the unique needs of employees.

Recently, Benefit Specialists wrote an interesting article discussing the impact that emerging technologies are having on long-term care environments. Check out the excerpt below, which explains how GrandCare is reshaping the healthcare landscape.

“For those who want to maximize their peace of mind, Gomez says the Cadillac of virtual long-term care is a remote-monitoring system like that offered by grandCARE.

With this system, activity sensors are placed in a senior’s home. To use grandCARE, Managed Senior Care first evaluates what a typical ‘good day’ looks like for a senior and sets alerts accordingly. For example, if a senior typically has breakfast by 9 a.m. and the refrigerator hasn’t been opened by that time, an alert may go out to a caregiver.

As with Banner iCare, seniors using the grandCARE system are set up with a tablet. In this case, it’s an oversized tablet that can be remotely activated. If a caregiver needs to check on a senior, he or she can open Skype which will activate the camera and microphone on the tablet. At that point, the caregiver can look for the senior and call out to him or her to determine whether help is needed.

‘One of the reasons we like this product is because it’s respectful of the senior,’ Gomez says. ‘You know when people are watching. There is no secret monitoring.’”

GrandCare Targeted as Must Have Comprehensive Tool According to Writer, Christine Halaba

Through the years, different generations found ways to help their elders cope with aging and its effects. The efforts of recent generations led to fruitful solutions such as the birth of home health care in Chicago and other parts of America. This allowed seniors to receive the health care services that they need in the comfort of their own homes. Aside from this, today’s generation has another weapon in its arsenal – technology.

We are living in a digital world, so it’s no surprise that several outstanding individuals found ways to create devices that are meant to aid the older portion of the population with their needs. These genius innovations are meant to assist aging adults – with the help of their caregivers – as they face the challenges of aging. If you are looking to equip your loved ones with necessary items to help ease the obstacles of growing old, check the gadgets below:

Medical Alert System

Several difficulties arise as people grow older and one of these is problems with mobility or balance. Older people are likely to fall down and injure themselves. In case this happens to your loved one, how will she be able to ask for help? Medical alert system, or Personal Emergency Response System (PERS), allows your loved one to contact you or her caregiver in case of an emergency.

Thanks to constant innovations, the PERS gadgets available in the market today are wireless and more mobile. You won’t have to worry anymore whenever your aging parents are out of your sight because they now have a means to contact you. At the same time, your parents will be at ease about moving around freely because they know that you are only a click away.

Automatic Pill Dispensers

Sometimes, people decide to hire home care because their loved one is becoming forgetful. This is especially problematic when your loved one has to take different medications for their ailments every day. With all those medicines, it might be difficult for her to remember which one to take at what time.

Good thing electronic pill dispensers are now available in the market. Electronic pill dispensers doesn’t only dispense pills, you can also set them to remind your loved one what medicine to take at what time. Not only that – this gadget can also alert you when your stock is running low! An automatic pill dispenser will allow your loved one to easily get her medicine and reduce the risk of forgetting when to drink them.

Pre-Programmed Phones

Most people rely on smartphones to stay connected with their friends and families anywhere. Despite this, older adults tend to shy away from phones. It can be difficult to convince your elders to use mobile phones because they sometimes find it too complex. That’s why the arrival of senior-friendly phones in the market is such good news.

Mobile phones are a good way to be in contact with your loved one especially if they are out visiting their friends or just strolling around the mall. Plus, it has other applications that can entertain your loved one like music and games. Just make sure that before you give the phone, your number, any of your immediate family member, and your caregiver’s are already pre-programmed in the phone directory.

GrandCare Systems

The three devices stated above are just some of the gadgets that your loved ones should possess at all to help them cope with the effects of aging. Although if you want, there is one tool that can deliver all the benefits of the said three gadgets and more! The GrandCare Systems is an advantageous device that allows your parents to contact their family and friends, view medication reminders, and access information. Basically, it combines the advantages of many separate devices into one tool!

Despite its many uses, your parents don’t have to be tech savvy in order to use GrandCare. In addition, you can access the care portal using any device and leave notes and reminders or just check on your parents. GrandCare is your parents’ all in one tool for communication and information.

Today’s generation is using technology wisely to create devices that will aid the older population as they deal with the effects of aging. Just remember that these tools are not meant to fully replace caregivers, rather, to help them assist an aging person. Before you buy any of the gadgets listed above, remember to discuss it with your loved ones first. Including them in the decision-making process – especially one that involves them – is a must.

Author Bio

Christine Halaba is a Communications degree holder and a freelance writer from the Philippines. Her contributions as a writer can be seen in different blogs for home care, advertising, and health and wellness. Her hobbies include leisure and traveling.  

Preventing Senior Isolation

Green Bank, West Virginia, is arguably the most isolated place in the nation. A large telescope designed to monitor for signals from the universe requires a 13,000 square mile “quiet zone”, encompassing much of West Virginia and even stretching as far north as the Maryland border. In this “quiet zone”, residents live with no cellular telephone service, no Internet, no radio, and until recently, no microwaves. For the most part, the residents of this community are completely isolated. They have very limited means of communicating with the outside world. Today, seniors living outside of Green Bank, West Virginia are also feeling cut off and lonely. But why?

One could argue that our current population is the most connected it has ever been. People walking around with cell phones, tablets, connected wearables, bluetooth head pieces, and smartwatches are more connected than ever.  The difficulty is that technologies that support better communication are often complicated, daunting and rarely designed for the 65+ population in mind.

It could be a difficult leap for someone who has witnessed the rise and fall of the typewriter, for example, to be expected to set up and operate a laptop computer or figure out how to place a video call. “Technophobia” may be running rampant in senior housing, leaving loved ones with limited means for contact. It does not seem right that in this “connected world” we live in that one whole gaping generation is left in the cold, alone and lonely.  

Enter GrandCare Systems, a company created in 2005 to combat senior isolation and help keep families connected and provide “peace of mind”.  The GrandCare System was designed to be self maintaining and require ZERO technical know-how from the loved one. It simply works and seamlessly connects them to one touch video chat with family, friends and even healthcare providers. Pictures automatically populate the large GrandCare touchscreen from various family facebook photo albums. Family can login to the care portal from any mobile device or computer and send messages, reminders, schedule appointments, add to dos and check in to see if mom needs anything.  

Is your loved one lonely or isolated?  That’s not right. Let GrandCare help. Contact us.

GrandCare Returns to CES Digital Health Pavilion for 5th consecutive year!

GrandCare announced today that they plan to return to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, for their 5th consecutive year. GrandCare will be located in Las Vegas Convention Center, LVCC South Hall Booth 26629 within the Digital Health Pavilion. This will be a special year for GrandCare, as a 2012 winner of the CEA Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. CES is held every January at the Las Vegas Convention Center. CES 2013 promises the shifting focus to Digital Health, Fitness and Aging in Place Technologies with large pavilions and information-rich educational sessions.

“One cannot separate the rising costs of healthcare from the aging population boom”, said GrandCare founder, Charlie Hillman “The majority of our healthcare costs are spent in the later years of life. If we continue our healthcare focus on pounds of cure, we will most certainly bankrupt our grandchildren. At GrandCare, we strive to provide ounces of prevention through our innovative digital health tablet platform. This will not only save money, it will also enable individuals to self-manage chronic conditions from the luxury of their own homes.

Hillman is slated to present on Healthcare and the importance of digital health during the Digital Health Summit on January 9th at 10:15a, LVCC North N250.

GrandCare Systems will provide full demonstrations of the Digital Health platform within their booth (LVCC S 26629) in the Digital Health Pavilion. Attendees will experience the socialization, gaming & video chat features, while delving into telehealth, medication management & activity of daily living remote monitoring capabilities.

The Las Vegas Convention Center North Exhibit Hall is open Tuesday January 8th until Friday January 11th. For more information on the CES Show, visit: http://www.cesweb.org/

GrandCare is coordinating a no-host meet up on Monday evening at the West Wing Bar inside the MGM. All are welcome to join. Please RSVP here

2012 mHealth Summit MEET-UP

The GrandCare team is delighted to once again attend the mHealth Summit this year at the Gaylord National Resort December 3 – 5.

Join the GrandCare team and others in the industry at the mHealth no-host MEET UP, Monday evening (Dec 3 – 830p) at the The Public House in National Harbor. This is an opportunity to casually meet up and network with colleagues throughout the Digital and Mobile Health Industry.

This event is free and requires no tickets. You can RSVP here and see who else is attending!

GrandCare will be hosting private meetings throughout the conference. To schedule a meeting or demo with GrandCare, please contact us

The 4th annual mHealth Summit attracts leaders from all sides of the spectrum, from government to non-profit organizations, The main focus for this event is the advancement of health related outcomes through the  use of technology. GrandCare is excited to be participating in this event. Backed by a full agenda, this event looks at current mobile health technology and ways to better it both in the United States as well as internationally. By utilizing mobile technology we can help providers deliver better care and create more awareness and promote better health for patients.

December 3rd – 5th, 2012

The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center        

Fort Washington, Maryland

The 2012 mHealth Summit is the premier international forum connecting the mobile health ecosystem for mHealth research, education, thought leadership, exhibits and action-provoking panel discussions. Conference sessions will explore, examine, and debate the ways mobile technology is transforming  health care delivery, research, business and policy for the 21st century both in the U.S. and internationally, including developed and developing nations.

Click here to learn more about the 2012 mHealth Summit

Companies working in aging and technology band together

www.bizjournals.com
Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal by Diana Samuels, Reporterh

If there is anyone who has a broad understanding of how companies are using technology to help improve the lives of seniors, it is Peter Radsliff.

Radsliff leads a nonprofit consortium of nearly 70 businesses that work in fields related to aging and technology, called the Aging Technology Alliance or AgeTek. I spoke with him about trends in the industry for a story in this week’s Business Journal.

The organization was founded in 2009, in an organic fashion. Radsliff said it all started when he spoke at a conference on technology and aging, and the CEO of GrandCare Systems [Charlie Hillman], a company in the space, was in the audience. The company got in touch with Radsliff and asked him to speak as part of a webinar [What is now the Aging and Technology Webinar]. But the day of the webinar, Radsliff finished his talk early. Left without a specific subject to speak about, he started reflecting on how hard business was during the recession.

“I just threw it out there, I said, ‘Would anybody be interested in doing any co-marketing, or sharing of best practices, or any other kind of back-scratching activity to help each other as small business people?'” he said. “The outpouring from them was phenomenal. It kind of set me aback actually.” Of course, then he also ended up running the organization.

“I realized, ‘Great, I now have another full-time job on top of my day job,” said Radsliff jokingly, who is also CEO of Los Altos-based Presto. The company makes a system that automatically prints out emails for seniors or others who don’t have a computers.

Radsliff said AgeTek aims to “look after the business needs of its members.” “We each try to help each other to do what the company needs,” he said. “That can be anywhere from facilitated access to other companies, it could just be just making relationships and finding synergies.”

Thursday, January 19th Webinar – Adapting to Healthcare Reform:

Technologies to Put Your Agency in the Driver’s Seat as Your World Changes

Thursday,January 19th 2pm ET – 1pm CT
grandcaresystems.webex.com
Download Here

With guest speaker Tim Rowan

When hospitals begin to select post-acute partners they can trust to lower their readmission rates, they will look for home care agencies that monitor patients between visits, improve medication compliance, reduce falls, communicate with family caregivers and submit regular readmission reports based on reliable data. Based on his 18 years in home care technology, consultant and writer Tim Rowan will explain the systems you will need to deploy to thrive in the very different reimbursement world that starts later this year.

  • Avoidable Hospital Readmissions will be THE topic of 2012, more important than winning referrals.
  • Hospitals will look to teams of post-acute care providers to form partnerships in the effort to curb readmissions. They will not rely on home health care providers alone.
  • Home health care providers invited to participate on these post-acute teams will be the ones with proven rehospitalization track records and with the latest remote patient monitoring technologies.

Tim Rowan, Editor, Home Care Technology Report

Tim Rowan has been the Editor of home care’s premier technology news and analysis newsletter, now known as Home Care Technology Report, since 1998. In this position, Tim has had the opportunity to keep an eye on the leading edge of healthcare technology innovation and develop insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the companies that provide software and other technologies to home care providers.
Tim has extensive experience in network design, installation and administrator training since 1986.  He was the Information Technology Director for Physicians Home Health Care in Denver and Colorado Springs from 1993 – 1998, before becoming home care’s most trusted technology reporter. As a consultant, Tim has also helped numerous home care agencies wade through the software selection process.
Tim holds a Masters in Education from Loyola University in Chicago. Most importantly, when he is not writing or speaking at conferences, he spends his time playing with his five grandchildren.

Sponsored By AgeTek

AgeTek To Hold Annual Meeting At CES

San Francisco – The Aging Technology Alliance (AgeTek), a trade group of companies that develop and/or market technology-based products designed for the senior market, will hold its annual member meeting during International CES in Las Vegas next month.

The meeting will be held at the the AgeTek Pavilion in North Hall booth 3209 on Thursday, January 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. CES is being held in Las Vegas January 10 to 13.

The Alliance also announced that it would open its event to non-members who wish to learn more about the benefits of joining the consortium. 

AgeTek represents companies and organizations dedicated to promoting the awareness, benefits and value of products and services for our aging society. Members’ products and services allow seniors to remain independent and age in place at home, as well as empower many seniors to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle while securing their mobility. AgeTek is focused on bringing greater awareness to their industry, products, and to its select group of companies that are working together (and independently) to develop better-designed, less expensive and better-tested products for the senior consumer.

The AgeTek Pavilion will feature members such as Dr. M Media, GrandCare Systems *N-3209*, Presto Services, and VitalLink. Additional AgeTek members on the CES floor (North Hall) are ClearSounds (N-3106), GreatCall (N-2814), Independa (N-3235), LifeStation (N-2912) and Telikin (N-3008).

CES Attendees can enter to win a ClearSounds ClearBlue Bluetooth Mini-Speaker & TV/Audio Listening System, valued at $250, by getting an AgeTek CES Passport stamped at each of the AgeTek member booths at CES. AgeTek CES Passports are available inside the Silvers Summit program, and at the AgeTek Pavilion.

Non-members are welcome to attend both the annual meeting as well as the meet ‘n greet. Advance registration is not required, but for those interested in booking an appointment with an AgeTek board member in advance, please contact Laura Mitchell, Board Member, Aging Technology Alliance at: 262-338-6147.

New AgeTek members who register at CES will receive a 10% discount on their 2012 membership fee. To learn more about becoming a member of the Alliance, visit the AgeTek Pavilion or go to the Join page of the AgeTek website at www.agetek.org. 

GrandCare announces return to exhibit at CES 2012

West Bend, WI, 2011 – GrandCare Systems announced today that they will exhibit at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) January 9-13th in Las Vegas, NV.

GrandCare will showcase their innovative socialization, activity & telehealth remote monitoring technology at the Las Vegas Convention Center, LVCC North Hall Booth 3209.  GrandCare Systems will be located in the AgeTek Pavilion, of which they are a co-founder, between the Silvers Summit and Digital Health Summit. This will be GrandCare’s 4th consecutive appearance at CES.

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. CES is held every January at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  CES 2012 will give even more focus on Digital Health and Aging in Place Technologies with the return of the Digital Health Pavilion & Summit, The Silvers Summit and the AgeTek (Aging Technology Alliance) Pavilion.

“The Digital Health Summit is privileged to bring together experts from the health, science and technology worlds, to share their wisdom and insight on the ideas that will be vital to health care’s future,” said Jill Gilbert, co-producer, Digital Health Summit. “Technology advancements are changing the way Americans manage their own health and wellness needs, from raising children to managing care for aging parents. In its fourth year, the Digital Health Summit will push the boundaries and encourage everyone – from manufacturers to providers – to think bigger, explore new topics, and challenge one another as we move forward in this fast-growing market.”

Digital Home Health industry pioneer, GrandCare Systems, will provide full demonstrations of their cutting-edge Socialization, Telehealth and Activity Monitoring Smart Home System. Attendees of CES will have the chance to video chat with the Wisconsin-based GrandCare corporate office, play fun games, complete wellness assessments, take vitals and understand why GrandCare is leading the way in the Aging/Technology Industry.  GrandCare will be one of several innovative aging/technology companies under the AgeTek Pavilion umbrella.  Additional AgeTek Exhibitors include: Presto, Dr. Marion, Vital Link, Independa, ClearSounds, Great Call, LifeStation, and Telikin.

“The need for tech-based solutions designed to serve our aging society is exploding,” said Peter Radsliff, co-founder and chairman of the Aging Technology Alliance, “AgeTek was formed to promote the awareness, benefits and value of our members’ products and services in this expanding category.”

The Las Vegas Convention Center North Exhibit Hall is open Tuesday January 10th until Friday January 13th. For more information on the CES Show, visit: http://www.cesweb.org/

About GrandCare Systems

GrandCare offers a senior-friendly, Internet enabled, private HomeBase touchcomputer system aimed at maintaining independence, controlling chronic conditions, increasing compliance, strengthening family connections and reducing hospital readmissions. GrandCare combines the technologies of smart home, activity monitoring, wellness monitoring, and social connectivity. The wellness aspect includes wireless physiological readings (weight, blood pressure, oximeter, glucometer), self assessment, and medication compliance with an associated medication dispenser, medication instructions, photos and prompts, specified medication rule sets, alerts, and congregate analytics. The social aspect includes one button Skype, pictures, emails, wellness videos, reminders, and other standard social media content aimed at reducing isolation, educating our loved ones, and influencing them to better self-manage their own health.

For more information, visit: www.grandcare.com

Press Contact:
Laura Mitchell
VP of Marketing
GrandCare Systems LLC
262-338-6147

Online Press Kit Available: https://www.grandcare.com/presskit/docs/PressKit.pdf