Aging in place and enabling technologies like GrandCare Systems have been empowering seniors to remain healthy, safe, and happy at home.

Sensors let Alzheimer’s patients stay at home, safely

(CNN) — Mary Lou doesn’t know that she’s being tracked.

The 77-year-old is in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s and though she lives on her own, her family keeps close tabs on her. If she leaves her Washington D.C. home between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., a silent sensor on her front door texts her daughter an alert.

[…]

“It’s kept her to the point where we haven’t even had to have in-home care yet. Our goal is to keep her in her home for as long as possible,” said her daughter Cathy Johnson.

Caregivers like Johnson are increasingly turning to smart-home technology and wearable devices to monitor family members with Alzheimer’s and dementia, helping them live independently longer. One of the first things Alzheimer’s patients lose is the ability to learn new things. It makes getting their bearings and adjusting to a new residence especially difficult. But living alone can pose its own dangers, such as leaving a stove on, wandering off or forgetting to take medication.

“Often, decisions about care are made when safety becomes an issue” said said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services for the Alzheimer’s Association. Tools like these sensors “can allow people to feel more comfortable” and ease the transition.

Read more at edition.cnn.com.

GrandCare Systems

Industry pioneer GrandCare Systems, provides the most trusted and comprehensive caregiving technology on the market. Since 2005, GrandCare has enabled individuals to remain healthier, happier, and more independent.

The GrandCare interactive touchscreen gives residents the option to control communications and view specific pictures, listen to audio messages, check calendar appointments, visit designated web sites, play games and brain exercises, and video chat with family.

Using a series of wireless activity sensors and digital health devices, the system can notify designated caregivers by phone, email, or text if something seems amiss.

For more information visit GrandCare Systems online at GrandCare.com.