Tag Archive for: CloseBy Network

GrandCare in Custom Retailer Magazine

One Voice
Maureen Jenson J
Riding the Silver Tsunami

May 2010

Everywhere you look, the greying baby boomer generation is in the news. Many years ago, I covered a feature on the home of the future—this was a home that would have digital sensors to monitor your movements and alert family members if something was amiss. It was single level or had wheelchair or scooter access. It was remote-controllable, so at the push of a button, you could call security, control your temperature, lighting, audio/video and drapes; in short, 15 years ago, the home of the future would give you peace of mind as you aged, eliminating the necessity of a retirement or assisted living home.

Well it’s finally here; and it’s aligning into place so that the custom integrator can own this market. But you had better hurry. Said GrandCare’s Laura Mitchell, director of business relations, “Some estimates project that by the year 2020, the health-monitoring market will reach $20 billion. A lot of boomers aren’t going to settle for what they had to offer their parents. They want to age at home, and are very particular about their needs.” If that last part sounds like about 90 percent of your customer base, then it’s time to consider getting into this very special customer service area right now, ahead of the curve.

We at CustomRetailer know, that “The Curve” has sped up. Today’s successful company has to do its due diligence quickly and move ahead at a much more rapid rate than their predecessors. Read about how best to succeed in this burgeoning market on page 26….

GrandCare: Catching the ‘Aging Tsunami’ Wave
GrandCare Systems wants to help custom integrators become aging-in-place expert advisors—just as they are lighting, home automation and home entertainment expert advisors. The company, together with distribution partner Home Controls, is aiming at the CI channel as a natural fit for its suite of health-monitoring offerings.
“There’s an ‘aging tsunami’ coming,” explains GrandCare’s Laura Mitchell, director of business relations. Some estimates project that by the year 2020, the health-monitoring market will reach $20 billion.
“A lot of boomers aren’t going to settle for what they had to offer their parents,” Mitchell says. “They want to age at home, and are very particular about their needs.” If that last part sounds like about 90 percent of your customer base, then it’s time to
consider getting into this very special customer service area right now, ahead of the curve. Mitchell says the skill sets aren’t
very different from what CIs already offer. “Our product is ‘smart’ and uses a lot of
home automation and smart sensor technology, things that CIs are used to
dealing with. It also requires a personal
touch—it’s not a set-and-forget system.
It’s easy to navigate for the caregiver once it’s set up, but it’s a little daunting for them when they have to think about how they’re going to use it. Our dealers are the ones who sit down with the families and customize the package for them. They can find out needs, set up a care plan for the
person, and from there, determine what sensor suite is right for them.” The company currently offers its interactive Trillium all-in-one solution and a set-top box version, but
the range of available sensors that can be monitored runs the gamut. “There are motion and temperature sensors, door, bed, chair, caller ID, power and telewellness items like blood pressure, weight…
And then there’s the communication component, where the communication station can be viewed on any TV or on the touchscreen, enabling the caregiver or the patient to play games on it or call up videos on demand that have been added. It’s highly customizable, and it will be different for each individual,” says Mitchell. GrandCare supports its products with full training and has a dealer Web site with downloads and chat forums. Mitchell herself founded and hosts weekly AgeTech aging and technology Webinars that are open to all, and is a vice
chair on the AgeTek Alliance board (www.agetek.org), a consortium of aging in technology industry members. She will also coordinate educational tracks at this year’s CEDIA EXPO Home Technology Pavilion, which GrandCare Systems is sponsoring.
Education is paramount, says Mitchell, since the dealer/integrator is the linchpin in guiding clients to the right combination of gear. “The client needs help,” she says. “You need to be able to question them not about what they think they need, but on
what they expect the outcome to be, in order to fully serve their needs.”

The New Wave of Home Healthcare


Electronic House Reports:

Electronic systems allow seniors to age comfortably and safely in their own homes.

Jul. 30, 2010 — by Lisa Montgomery

Talk to just about anybody, and they’ll have a story to share about an aging loved one. Often, those stories are punctuated with feelings of worry, guilt and uncertainty over how to best care for their elderly parent or friend.

Recently, a number of up-and-coming electronics manufacturers have developed a variety of technologies aimed squarely at this growing market of concerned caregivers. The solutions, they hope, will afford seniors the means to lead an independent life at home while giving their family members the assurance that all is well.

According to healthcare statistics, the timing couldn’t be better. In a June 2009 report from the AARP Policy Institute, the population of people 65 or older is projected to grow by 89 percent between 2007 and 2030, more than four times faster than the population overall. The aging population will skyrocket by another 118 percent between the years 2030 and 2050.

“The silver tsunami is coming,” says Laura Mitchell, director of business relations at Grand Care Systems, a manufacturer of monitoring systems for seniors. “As the generation of baby boomers grows older, we simply won’t have the resources—facilities or manpower—to adequately take care of our aging population, unless we invest in the development of digital home healthcare technology.”

Factor in the astronomical costs of long-term care, and it’s easy to see why some healthcare analysts believe the digital home healthcare industry will grow from a $2 billion business to a $20 billion industry by 2020. (Click here to view a slideshow of digital home healthcare products.)

Innovative Start-ups
Like any emerging industry, the digital home healthcare market today consists mainly of small start-up companies, although big names like GE, Intel and Philips are major players as well (see sidebar). Little synergy exists between the manufacturers, resulting in an industry that’s “somewhat chaotic right now,” says Laurie Orlov of market research firm Aging in Place Technology Watch.

“Products that should probably be sold together as a package are being sold separately, and pricing is all over the board.” Still, the technologies available are innovative, affordable and—most importantly—cater to the needs of both stay-at-home seniors and the people who care for them.

To gain a clearer sense of some of the solutions gaining steam, Orlov divides digital home healthcare products and systems into four main categories: safety and security, communication and engagement, health and wellness, and learning and contribution. Although technologies that help seniors stay mentally sharp are important, the systems and products that fall under the first three categories are expected to have the biggest impact on the aging-at-home lifestyle.

Safety and Security
The home safety and security market is driven largely by companies with systems designed to monitor the activities of an individual and report those findings to a preselected group of people. Personal emergency response system (PERS) devices, which typically alert caregivers of a critical situation after it has occurred, are one example of this type of product. However, today’s breed of alert systems focus on more on preventing and mitigating problems than sending out an S.O.S. Referred to as ADL (activities of daily living) monitoring systems, they employ a combination of small, unobtrusive wireless environmental sensors, a networking base unit, specially configured software, and the Internet to communicate to caregivers the daily routines of their elderly stay-at-home parents. The sensors and networking unit capture information about the person’s movement throughout the day and distribute it to a secure web server, where the software analyzes and organizes the data. Invited caregivers can then log on to review the recorded information. They can also receive instant alerts via email or text when specified sensors are tripped or if no activity has been recorded within a certain period of time…

Read more: http://www.electronichouse.com/article/the_new_wave_of_home_healthcare/C155

3-11-10 AgeTech Call Topic: Remote Monitoring for Caregiving, Card Access speaks

Join us tomorrow (3-11-10) at 2pm EST/1pm CST for our weekly industry AGETECH webinar/conference call!

1. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A.INTRODUCING the NEW AgeTek Alliance (A consortium formed in the spirit of co-ompetition. Working together to achieve the same goals) Peter Radsliffe, Chairman of AgeTek will tell you how you can join this EFFORT!
B. ASA & What’s NEXT BOOMER SUMMIT
C. EHX – there’s still time to sign up!!! JOIN US
D. LSN (CHICAGO)

2. WEBINAR Topic: Remote Monitoring for Care Giving. What is it? Why should we care?
Kent Hansen, President and CEO for Card Access, Inc will talk about Remote Monitoring for Care Giving. What is it? Why should we care? And, how their new product, CloseBy Network has been developed to keep people aging in place.

when: Thurs Mar 11, 2010, 2pm EST/1pm CST
where: http://my.dimdim.com/grandcare
optional dial in: listed at the top of the webinar!

These aging & technology conference calls are open to anyone and everyone in the aging and technology industry and are meant to educate, learn from each other and network!

Remember, The Aging Tsunami Will Float All Boats!!! Let’s work together

Thanks!

Laura Mitchell
Your Host
Director of Business Relations
GrandCare Systems
www.grandcare.com
262-338-6147

GrandCare combines 4 smart technologies (social networking, ADL monitoring, telewellness & cognitive prompts) into one easy-to-use SYSTEM for individuals who want to AGE RESPONSIBLY at home. ZERO computer know-how necessary!!