Tag Archive for: Daphne Karpan

elderly care monitoring system

GrandCare benefits all areas of elderly care

Caring for a loved one who is facing end of life is a difficult situation for all parties involved. Time or geographic constraints can sometimes prevent family members from being physically present, but modern technology is changing the way the nation looks at quality health care.

Knute Nelson, a nonprofit, Christian-based organization that specializes in senior care, has teamed up with local telecommunications providers such as Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association (Brandon, Minn.) to offer an in-home technology solution that connects seniors and Hospice patients with their loved ones, caregivers and medical team.

Through the use of the GrandCare System, a simple touch platform enables in-home residents to view pictures, receive incoming messages, watch videos, listen to music and video chat with family. The system uses a variety of wireless activity and telehealth devices that also can alert designated caregivers by phone, email or text message if anything seems amiss.

Daphne Karpan, Knute Nelson palliative care manager, said the system has been particularly helpful and beneficial to the health-care organization’s Hospice clients, who generally have a one- to nine-month life expectancy. Being able to connect them with their loved ones at such a critical time has been a rewarding experience for all parties involved, she said.

Testing Out Telehealth Services

The GrandCare System requires an Internet connection to work. Because most of the affected patients are not existing customers, Dave Wolf, chief executive officer/general manager of Gardonville Cooperative Telephone, said that his team makes it a top priority to install the low-cost broadband connection “without a bunch of red tape.”

Karpan noted that Knute Nelson is only able to offer this service through the support of a Blandin Foundation grant. The private foundation is the state’s largest rural-based, rural-focused foundation that seeks to strengthen communities in rural Minnesota.

Karpan said hospice nurses are able to work with clients to set up Skype sessions and to upload pictures for families to share. In addition, the device can be programmed to monitor vital signs and activity. There are also sensors to alert caregivers if someone falls or needs to take their medicine.

“We have been proactively redefining the health-care paradigm over the last decade and have found great value in how technology helps to enrich the lives of our patients. With GrandCare, patients are able to become more involved in their own health care, stay living in their homes, and be connected to families and friends in meaningful ways,” said Mark Anderson, president/chief executive officer of Knute Nelson. “Partners and leaders in the field such as Dave Wolf … understand the value in delivering this technology. Making it available to their customers helps to spur economic development and vitality in our region—and, most importantly, adds significant value in the lives of our patients.”

Doing the Right Thing

Reflecting on the decision to partner with Knute Nelson on this initiative, Wolf said it was an easy decision to make despite the fact that it’s not a revenue generator. “These people are facing end-of-life,” he said. “It would require a one- to three-year triple-play package in order to break even at best. Everyone—the patient and their family members— is grateful and becomes loyal to the co-op for providing this service.

“There are 100 economic reasons not to get involved … but we have the means and the network already in place,” he said, explaining that Gardonville Cooperative Telephone is promoting the service as a low-speed data package that runs on 1 Mbps and doesn’t require those in home care or Hospice to sign a contract.

“Not everything has to be a slam-dunk,” Wolf said. “In this case, loyalty is a measurable outcome.”

 

By Tennille Shields, NTCA Senior Writer/Editor

Minnesota-based Aging Services Group exclusively selects GrandCare for member organizations

Aging Services Group Chooses GrandCare to Help
Senior Living Providers Better Serve Older Adults at Home

Innovative Technology Empowers Consumers, Removes Distance as Barrier to Care

“GrandCare was a natural choice for us. We are seeing an exponential increase to our aging population, while the relative number of caregivers and physicians is in decline,” said Jared Schei, Executive V.P. of Aging Services Group.”

Aging Services Group, a subsidiary of Aging Services of Minnesota, the largest association of organizations serving Minnesota seniors, has partnered with GrandCare Systems, to change and enhance the way traditional caregiving services are deployed for older adults in the state.

GrandCare Systems utilizes digital health and socialization technology to reduce health care costs and improve outcomes by enabling designated family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals to remotely care for individuals in their home, regardless of location.

Aging Services of Minnesota is eager to equip their member organizations with a comprehensive, fully-featured and flexible platform, helping them to provide better, more efficient and more cost-effective care.

“GrandCare was a natural choice for us. We are seeing an exponential increase to our aging population, while the relative number of caregivers and physicians is in decline,” said Jared Schei, Executive V.P. of Aging Services Group. “We believe technology will greatly help amplify care giver efforts and promote patient empowerment and family participation. With its extensive capabilities, GrandCare fits the needs of our members across the long term care continuum, whether they are providing home-based, facility-based, short-term stay or hospice care services.”

Minnesota caregiving organizations like Knute Nelson and LB Homes already utilize GrandCare’s digital health and activity monitoring technologies.

“GrandCare has changed the way we offer care,” said Daphne Karpan, Palliative Care Manager, Knute Nelson in Alexandria, MN. “Knute uses it to remotely monitor our clients’ vitals and quickly identify if a physical nursing visit is needed. It’s been a valuable resource for our hospice clients who use it for end-of-life conversations and video chatting with family.”

Dell Med Prompt
The heart of GrandCare is a large, easy-to-read touchscreen placed into the client’s residence providing medication prompts, family communications, one touch HIPAA compliant video chat, messaging, patient assessments, discharge information, scheduling, care plans and more. It is designed to empower and engage the resident, while providing information to improve health and outcomes. A series of optional wireless telehealth sensors can be used to automatically report and graph vital readings, and even notify a staff member if readings are outside of designated thresholds.

“GrandCare is a holistic platform, customized to address all human needs from physical to emotional to spiritual,” said GrandCare co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Laura Mitchell. “With remote telehealth monitoring and virtual visits, distance is no longer a barrier to providing efficient, secure and professional care.”

About Aging Services of Minnesota
Aging Services of Minnesota is the state’s largest association of organizations serving Minnesota seniors. Together with more than 50,000 caregivers, Aging Services members serve 63,000 older adults every day in all of the places they call home, including home care and services, independent senior housing, assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities. Aging Services of Minnesota is the state partner of LeadingAge and state affiliate of Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA).

Aging Services of Minnesota Media Contact:
JODI BOYNE
Vice President of Public Relations
jboyne@agingservicesmn.org
651.659.1430 (direct)

About GrandCare
Since 2005, GrandCare Systems has provided the most comprehensive caregiving technology on the market, enabling care professionals to provide safer, faster and more affordable care. GrandCare’s simple, touch platform enables a Resident to self manage chronic conditions, follow health instructions, view family pictures, receive incoming messages, watch videos, and participate in secure video chat sessions. Using a series of wireless activity and telehealth devices, GrandCare can alert designated caregivers by phone, email or text if anything seems amiss (medications not accessed, glucose levels not taken, abnormal vitals, etc.)
GrandCare Media Contact:
media@grandcare.com 262-338-6147 @grandcare

GrandCare showcased on Lakes Area News

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9hhQPs8X9M?rel=0&w=420&h=315]

GrandCare Systems and Knute-Nelson were recently featured on Lakes Area News. Anchor Chelsea Nelson explored how technology is changing the way we take care of our seniors, often in the comfort of their own homes.

Knute-Nelson Home Care provides personalized health care to individuals in their own home. Services are tailored to meet the needs of each individual and are provided on a one-to-one basis. They use GrandCare in both home care and hospice.

GrandCare starts with a central touchscreen hub that acts as a source of information, communication, video chat and medication reminders. A series of telehealth and activity of daily living monitoring devices report wirelessly to designated care partners. GrandCare can be an opportunity for new revenues, a way to extend staff through virtual care services, and a method to reach more clients at once (a dashboard view allows an omniscient view of several clients at once). GrandCare can also be a bridge/opener to new clients that may not be ready for hands-on care yet. Rather than replace on-site caregivers, GrandCare enhances caregiving and offers a new model of delivery.

 

For more information on GrandCare visit: www.grandcare.com

 

Digital Caregiving? Why would we ever do that?

Have you wondered how you can use new technologies within your existing in-home care business while ensuring a return on investment?

FREE Webinar: Why Digital In-home Caregivers will win with a proven ROI

Learn practical knowledge of what caregiving technologies are available, what services you can’t afford to not offer and how technologies can improve your bottom line without disrupting your current service model

This free 45 minute educational session cover how innovations in digital caregiving can redefine productivity and customer satisfaction for home care and hospice providers.

Hear directly from one homecare provider that has successfully used GrandCare and other technologies to improve client care, leverage a bridge to new clients and differentiate from the competition.

Make sure to Register below for a chance to win a Toshiba Tablet!

Thursday April 17, 2014
1:00 PM to 2:00 PM CDT
Event information

Do you ever wonder…

  • How to set yourself apart from the hundreds of in-home caregiving service providers?
  • How do you leverage technology and make money?
  • How to ensure client/family peace of mind?
  • If a crisis pendant is “peace of mind” enough?
  • How to improve staff and family/client communication?
  • How to PROVE the integrity of your staff and organization?
  • How to make your caregivers more efficient for less cost?
  • How to build new client channels without having to add more staff?
  • How to provide “zone caregiving” vs. man on man?
  • If you answered yes to any of these, this webinar is for you!!

Presenters

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare SystemsLaura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems
Laura is a founding member of GrandCare Systems. A significant part of her initial role was to bring the product to market in 2006 through the development of a nation-wide distribution network. She travels nationwide, providing educational presentations on digital home health, social media, using technology to mitigate hospital readmissions, and go-to-market strategies. She has also authored various magazine articles on the digital health market and go-to-market strategy. Laura is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Karpan, DaphneDaphne Karpan RN, BS, BA, Palliative Care Manager, Knute Nelson Home Care
Daphne is the project coordinator for GrandCare with Knute Nelson. Her previous experience as a home care nurse, home care branch manager, ER nurse, and inpatient staff nurse, as well as her volunteer work as IT manager for a family business, uniquely qualifies her to address the aging client’s medical and technology concerns. Daphne is a member of the national and local chapters of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Cloud State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Jewish Studies from Hamline University.

Contact

GrandCare Systems
262-338-6147
info@grandcare.com

Digital Health & Professional Care: What’s the ROI?

Learn about how one GrandCare HomeCare provider successfully utilizes the GrandCare technology as a tool for clients to provide better, more cost-effective and visionary care. GrandCare & Knute Nelson co-presented at the AgeTech West Conference in Pasadena, November 2013. The audience: long term care and in-home care providers, looking to utilize activity and digital health telemonitoring and socialization technologies for a competitive edge and to improve their bottom line!!

Realizing the Value of Care Technologies through Implementation at Scale:
“The New Care Professional: Powered by Digital Health Technology”

PRESENTERS: Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems and Daphne Karpan, Palliative Care Manager, KnuteNelson Home Care
Digital health, social engagement and remote monitoring technologies are designed to not only create a better care experience for seniors and their families, but equally important is enhancing the way professionals can manage the care needs of their clients. This session discusses how an easy-to-use, convenient technology platform has been integrated into a home care organization, empowering and transforming Professional Care Managers into efficient, more knowledgeable purveyors of care and support. Learn how integrating technology with hands-on services can change the way we care for those in need in the most efficient and cost-effective manner without compromising quality.

GrandCare thrives in hospice/palliative care

GrandCare client, Knute Nelson,  is a senior care provider in Minnesota who have been proactive and visionary in embracing caregiving technology as a tool to better their care.  The GrandCare System enables Knute Nelson to provide more proactive, proficient, predictive & cost-effective care to in-home clients, facility-based clients and rural clients.

 

We have had tremendous success with GrandCare in both Home Care and Hospice. In Hospice, GrandCare has been a primary means of facilitating end-of-life communication between our clients and their distant families. Our clients have had Skype, letter and picture contact with their loved ones in over 6 states and one foreign country. In Home Care, GrandCare is an integral part of our care delivery system, allowing the family and caregiving team to promote safety and health education, provide for early recognition and intervention to changes in condition, and facilitate enhanced communication and participation of the entire caregiving team. One Home Care client states, “I depend on it now. It’s comforting to have GrandCare. It’s like having a nurse right here with you.”

Knute Nelson Resident utilizes GrandCare technology in conjunction with in-home caregiving services

Knute Nelson is a non-profit, Christian-based organization that combines an extraordinary legacy with an innovative presence in senior care.

Contact Knute Nelson

  • Knute Nelson Care Center – 320.763.6653
  • Nelson Gables – 320.762.4310
  • Grand Arbor – 320.763.1600
  • Nelson Wellness Center – 320.759.4613
  • Subacute & Therapy Center – 320.763.6653
  • Home Care – 320.759.1273
  • Hospice Care – 320.759.1270

Knute Nelson and GrandCare Systems Present Seminar on Technology Empowered Caregivers at Silicon Valley Conference

November 7, 2013

MEDIA CONTACT:
Katie Perry, Foundation Executive Director
Knute Nelson
Direct: 320-763-1153

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Knute Nelson and GrandCare Systems Present Seminar on Technology Empowered Caregivers at Silicon Valley Conference

Knute Nelson, a leading senior care provider, and digital health remote monitoring pioneer, GrandCare Systems, have been selected to present “The New Care Professional: Powered by Digital Health Technology” at the AgeTech West Conference November 14-15, 2013, in San Jose, Calif. The AgeTech West conference entitled, “Aging Services Meets Silicon Valley: Creating the Future of Care” aims to arm aging organizations with guidance, support and the latest enabling technologies to create the best, most efficient and highly innovative aging service organizations.

“With the convergence of an aging population, declining percentage of care practitioners, and rapidly evolving technological capabilities — all at a time of healthcare reform — aging service providers have an unprecedented opportunity to leverage technology to help people remain healthy and independent as they age,” says AgeTech West Executive Director Scott Peifer.

Daphne Karpan, Registered Nurse and Palliative Care Manager at Knute Nelson, will present alongside Vice President of Business Development for GrandCare Systems, Laura Mitchell. Together, they will demonstrate how caregiving organizations like Knute Nelson are utilizing digital health and activity monitoring technologies to change and better the way caregiving services are deployed, without compromising quality.

GrandCare is an all-in-one, in-home monitoring and sensor technology that enhances direct client care to promote aging in place. Using a small, touch screen monitor placed in a client’s home, both clients and their families are able to access resources on topics such as health and wellness, bereavement and chronic disease education. GrandCare allows clients, caregivers and nursing professionals the ability to access essential client information to monitor and ensure proactive health care interventions. GrandCare also promotes family connectivity through video chat and multi-media sharing features.

“Knute Nelson has proven to be a visionary, creative and innovative partner,” said GrandCare’s, Laura Mitchell. “The professional caregiving industry is embracing technology solutions to positively impact patient care. Knute Nelson is a great example for others who want to see how it is done.”

The Knute Nelson Foundation was awarded two separate grants to introduce GrandCare technologies to palliative care and hospice clients throughout a 25-county west central Minnesota region where Knute Nelson serves. The grants were awarded by the Blandin Foundation and the Minnesota Department of Human Services through their Community Services/Service Development Program.

For information on Knute Nelson Home Care and Hospice visit www.knutenelson.org or call 320-759-1273.

About Knute Nelson
Knute Nelson, a 501c3 non-profit, faith-based corporation, is an innovative leader in senior housing and health care that offers a full family of services to the West Central Minnesota region. Knute Nelson Home Care and Hospice offer services provided in the comfort of an individual’s home ranging from skilled nursing care, physical/occupational/speech therapies, medication and pain management, smart home technology solutions and home health aide services throughout a 25-county region in West Central Minnesota. Persons of any age qualify for service.

About GrandCare
Since 2005, GrandCare Systems has provided the most comprehensive caregiving technology on the market, enabling individuals to remain safe, healthy and happy at home. GrandCare’s simple, touch platform enables a Resident to view pictures, receive incoming messages, watch videos, video chat with family, listen to music and play fun games. Using a series of wireless activity and telehealth devices, GrandCare can alert designated caregivers by phone, email or text if anything seems amiss (medications not accessed, glucose levels not taken, abnormal activity, etc.)

About AgeTech West
AgeTech West is a collaborative founded by LeadingAge California, LeadingAge Oregon and LeadingAge Washington advancing the delivery of tech-enabled aging services toward a new standard of care.

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