Tag Archive for: aging and technology

high technology home care

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

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

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

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

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

We think you’ll be impressed.

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

Register for Webinar

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

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.’”

Introducing one of GrandCare’s newest features, “Away Mode”

You asked for it, we’re making it happen.

You already know that GrandCare is the ultimate in senior residence monitoring. It can alert professional and family caregivers if medications are not taken, if there’s no morning activity in the bathroom, or if health readings are out of the norm. But what happens to the alerts when your loved one is away from home on vacation?

To help caregivers avoid a flurry of spurious alerts, we will soon release “Away Mode.” It’s a new way for caregivers to silence text, email and phone call alerts when your senior is away from home. Whether your loved one is on a brief weekend holiday or just gone for the day, your caregiving team will be free of false alarms.

How does it work?

You’ll simply log in to my.grandcare.com (or the GrandCare server for your organization) and navigate to the Details tab on the Account page. Click Activate Away Mode and confirm. (Notice, GrandCare will warn you to ensure you don’t mistakenly activate this Away Mode for someone who is not really away.)

It’s as simple as that.

When your loved one returns, simply log in to deactivate the Away Mode and alerts will continue as they did before. Caregiving is hard work. It’s our business to make things easier and more convenient wherever we can.

Managing the 5 Most Common Health Conditions for Seniors

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.

GrandCare helps seniors manage common health conditionsIf 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.

 

GrandCare Goes to CEDIA

These are four CAN’T MISS items for your October Check List

This October, as we enjoy the brisk fall season, we will decorate for Halloween, purchase candy for the lucky trick or treaters, rake up piles of colorful fallen leaves, and in some areas get our snow blowers tuned up for the inevitable snow. But, there is another October opportunity that you won’t want to miss!

GrandCare is offering deep-dive training for new affiliates at CEDIA’s headquarters in Indianapolis. This comprehensive, 3-day look into the connected health and aging technology space includes a mix of instructor-led sessions, roundtable discussions, and hands-on labs. Home technology professionals will learn key aspects of technology implementation in the growing aging and disability market.

CEDIA is the leading global authority in the home technology industry. It represents 3,700 member companies worldwide, and serves more than 30,000 industry professionals. CEDIA also prides itself on offering industry-leading education. This training is a unique opportunity for CEDIA members, who will receive the added benefit of a discounted price.

This training is for home technology professionals, technology enthusiasts, custom integrators/dealers/distributors, professional care providers, healthcare providers and senior housing organizations who are interested in being a GrandCare integrator or distributor. It covers all aspects of technology and successful implementation into the growing aging and disability market. Learn about medical, social and remote monitoring technologies; installation and support; sales and marketing, and more.

“This training is an excellent opportunity for home technology professionals to learn more about the emerging home health market and how those offerings could be incorporated into their business plan,” said Luke Amos, CEDIA Senior Director of Learning.

“We are enthusiastic about working together again with CEDIA and its members,” said Charlie Hillman, CEO of GrandCare Systems. “This training goes beyond a typical technical product training and educates on the extensive and fragmented healthcare, aging, and senior housing landscape.”

As an industry pioneer, GrandCare helped define the aging & technology market. GrandCare provides digital health, activity monitoring, socialization and caregiving technologies designed for the senior and disabled population. GrandCare clients include seniors and their families, professional in-home medical and non-medical caregivers, senior housing providers, healthcare systems, insurance providers, rehab/post-acute, and end-of-life providers. Dealers who attend this training will become authorized GrandCare affiliates.

This training is open to any and all CEDIA members and non-members. Make sure to add GrandCare Affiliate Training to your to-do list this October. CEDIA members receive a discount.

Get more information, or register for training.

The Connectivity Obstacle: Solved, With Help From An Unlikely Source

GrandCare delivers the best technology for telehealth, activity monitoring, and socialization. But the system relies on Internet connectivity to work. That’s a problem for some customers, especially in rural areas. If you’re a home health agency or a GrandCare dealer serving private homes, how can you overcome this obstacle? Partner. Here’s how.

Find the smallest telecom organizations serving your area. You’ll often get the best results approaching the smaller guys. Offer to do a GrandCare demo for their board of directors, and get them excited. Offer to be a referral source if they offer discounted service in return. Desirable terms would include no minimum contract, no installation fee, and a low monthly charge like $19.99 a month. You may be surprised at how willing these organizations are to agree to this kind of arrangement. Remember, these are customers they would not ordinarily have access to. And the data usage is quite low.

As a bonus, they may want to do a joint press release on the deal, which makes everyone look good. Best of all, this kind of partnership can bring GrandCare to the people who need it the most.

GrandCare Announces Distribution Shift, Launches New and Improved Reseller Program  

LivHOME CareMonitorApril 11, 2016 West Bend, WI–GrandCare is launching a new network of professional dealers, expanding services and offerings in Spring 2016.

GrandCare Systems introduced today an all new distribution and reseller program, using educated and innovative dealers throughout the United States, Canada and in the UK. The company has begun training and certifying custom integrators, dealers, installers, care communities, and other senior-oriented organizations who wish to cater to the rising aging and disabled population. GrandCare will host various two-day intensive education and training sessions to address the various market verticals, clinical information on healthcare needs and chronic conditions, the competitive industry landscape and evolution, regulatory and security compliance, accessibility, as well as complementary products and services to co-sell.

Participants will learn to successfully sell, customize, implement and install GrandCare, while offering additional value-added, revenue-generating services. The training will encompass GrandCare’s eleven years of industry knowledge, teaching tried and true sales and marketing strategies that are geared towards the aging and healthcare market.  

“We always knew the dealer channel was a great idea, but it just took the market a while to catch on,” laughed GrandCare founder Charlie Hillman. “We spent over a decade improving the GrandCare experience, ensuring we have the most reliable and comprehensive technology out there. With this population, you don’t get second chances so it’s critical that the technology actually works.”

As baby boomers retire in increasing numbers, the market for technology that assists seniors to remain in their homes is growing. In response to this increased demand, GrandCare is opening up additional distribution channels.

The next training will be held April 12 – 14 in the GrandCare heartland of Wisconsin. Additional trainings are being scheduled this summer. For more information on registration and dealer requirements, email: info@grandcare.com.

About GrandCare:

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

GrandCare Makes Healthcare Accessible Via Telemedicine

 

GrandCare is in the news again. Rural telephone companies have partnered with local health care providers to improve access to care using telehealth devices. GrandCare is instrumental to this effort, according to Rural Telecom magazine.

The article “Making Health Care Accessible via Telemedicine,” features innovator Dave Wolf, CEO and general manager of Gardonville Telephone Cooperative in Brandon, MN. Wolf used GrandCare’s monitoring system as the vehicle to partner with Knute Nelson, a senior care organization serving rural Minnesota, to offer in-home services to hospice patients. “They want to go home and be surrounded by family and a familiar environment,” Wolf said.

GrandCare is proud to help.

In the article, Wolf praises GrandCare for its simple and intuitive design that makes it easy for seniors to manage, as well as its security features.

“These are very simple and intuitive and designed for someone who may be a little foggy and on meds,” he said, adding that it’s also easy to lock out unintended users. “We don’t want family visitors jumping on the tablet and clogging it up with games or videos.”

Wolf identifies two other reasons he chose GrandCare: quick installation, and a monthly payment schedule rather than a long-term contract. Wolf pointed out that these features, important to all clients, are especially important to hospice patients where time is of the essence.

In his experience, patients and caregivers liked many of the features of the GrandCare system, for example the medication reminders, music and entertainment features, and video communication with health care providers, caregivers, and family members.

GrandCare’s Clinical Advisor, Daphne Karpan worked with Wolf to help make the partnership a success.In the article, Karpan praises Wolf and rural telecommunication providers for bringing high quality care to people who might otherwise not have access, saying, “Meeting the folks at Gardonville and working with other small telephone companies over the years has given me newfound respect for this group. They work hard, and they care about people.”

Karpan notes that progress has been made toward reimbursement for telehealth.

Medicare is doing pilot programs on telemedicine and home-based care, and it’s starting to do some limited reimbursements. While this is a slow-moving regulatory process, Karpan said the fact that Medicare reimbursements are now based on patient outcomes is good news.

The article also highlights the importance of HIPAA compliance for telehealth reimbursement. Successful partnerships use tools such as GrandCare that meet or exceed the requirements of HIPAA.

The advances in telehealth create a big opportunity. Using a tool that is a proven market leader, and that works, such as GrandCare, will be key to success. As Karpan explains:

“So many health care agencies are coming online to offer in-home services. If you get the package and system figured out, you’ll be the one to get that business.”

GrandCare is a caregiving tool that is designed to reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes by enabling designated family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals to remotely care for an individual in a residence, regardless of geographic location. The heart of GrandCare is a large touchscreen in the residence, which provides the individual with social communications, instructions, reminders and medication prompts. No computer skills are needed for the resident to fully engage in all of the touchscreen features.

GrandCare is the winner of the 2012 CEA Innovation Entrepreneur Award for Small Business of the Year, and is a two-time winner of SeniorHomes.com’s Most Innovative Senior Products Award.

GrandCare is a Featured Product in Senior Home Safety Article

Many seniors ask themselves, “Can I live alone safely?” The answer is a resounding “yes” according to GrandCare Systems. This good news is made clear in a recent article by Brittany Kovalick of Beltone.

Just before mentioning GrandCare, the article explains:

For seniors with health concerns, home-monitoring services can give you and your family greater peace of mind. Home monitoring services install wireless sensors in key areas of your home — such as the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. Sensors can track your normal patterns of behavior. If they identify unusual patterns of behavior — your refrigerator door didn’t open — family or friends can be alerted. One service offers daily reports on movement in the house that caretakers or children can track on a web page or mobile phone.

GrandCare provides all these services, and we also offer a wide set of features that positively impact all areas of a senior citizen’s life. From games and video chatting to weather updates to pictures and messages from family, all on a large intuitive GrandCare touchscreen, GrandCare is a complete solution for the needs of your elder. Zero computer or technical expertise is necessary. In fact, most of GrandCare’s customers don’t even relate the GrandCare experience to using a tablet or a computer, it’s just that easy.

To find out more, please contact GrandCare at info@grandcare.com or call us at (262) 338-6147.

GrandCare Showcased at Innovative LeadingAge MN Conference

GrandCare, the industry leader in comprehensive eldercare technology, will be featured at the LeadingAge Minnesota conference in St. Paul tomorrow, February 10. The mission of LeadingAge Minnesota is an important one: ensuring that “older adults in every community live with dignity, meaning, and purpose.” GrandCare will be at the conference in booth 257 to help deliver on that mission.

How? By introducing new and innovative functionality like the Emergency Broadcast Alert System and enhanced community features like event calendars, meal schedule and digital signage. GrandCare founder and CEO Charlie Hillman commented, “GrandCare is delighted to reinforce our partnership with LeadingAge of MN and be on display at this innovative event. Together we are reinventing the care delivery model to be more proactive, predictive and cost-effective.”

To find out more about what GrandCare is up to, visit us on the web at grandcare.com. Ask us about our discounted pricing for senior care providers at sales@grandcare.com today!