Tag Archive for: GrandCare Systems

Technology A Blessing, A Curse For Remote Island by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Technology A Blessing, A Curse For Remote Island
by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS by Martha Irvine, Associated Press national writer.

BEAVER ISLAND, Mich. November 8, 2010, 12:14 pm ET
Muggs Bass doesn’t own a computer. She’s pretty much dead set against e-mail. Anyone who calls her home on Michigan’s remote Beaver Island should be prepared for a busy signal, if she’s on her land-line phone. She has no cell.

“When you don’t have it, you don’t miss it. That’s what I say,” says the spunky 70-year-old grandmother, who’s as comfortable telling jokes at the local pub as she is attending Mass each morning.

Technology isn’t really her thing. So, it’s a small miracle when Bass drives, once a month, to her island’s rural health center to sit down in front of a wide-screen television. There, she and a handful of other islanders connect by video conference with a similar group in Charlevoix, Mich., a two-hour ferry ride to the south and east.

They chat. They laugh. They cry together.

All of them have, or have had, cancer, Bass included. Hers started with a lump in her breast and has since metastasized to her bones, making her cancer treatable, but incurable, her doctors tell her.

Her own grandmother died of the same disease and went off the island for occasional treatments, as Bass does every few weeks. But that grandmother could hardly have imagined a day when islanders talked openly about their cancer, face-to-face with people in a support group miles away.

It’s just one of many ways technology is making this rugged place less remote than it once was and, some would say, more livable for more people.

It also gives islanders hope for new jobs that could attract residents to this island in northern Lake Michigan where the year-round population is about 650 people, give or take a few dozen.

“In the last few years, technology has sprung,” says Joe Moore, a retired teacher who’s known as one of the geeks on the island who helps keep computers running.

Not that the change has come quickly, or that technology always works perfectly.

That’s just how it is on an island where a popular bumper sticker reads “Slow Down! This Ain’t The Mainland.” It’s aimed at anyone who’s in too big a hurry, including lead-footed tourists who kick up dust on the many dirt roads or who panic when cell phone service drops.

That’s life on wired — or at least, semi-wired — Beaver Island… (continued)

OUR THOUGHTS:

I think this is a Great article – I love hearing positive tech success stories & how it’s used to connect with loved ones as well as communicate with remote care providers. This is the way technology should be used. Certainly, like with anything, it can be over-used and abused. Thinking about the island visitors who freak when cell reception goes dead finds me feeling a bit sheepish – perhaps we ALL could use a little more of the Beaver Island attitude. What really is important is that with tech today, all age groups can CONNECT & benefit! Muggs discusses that she doesn’t really care to use tech & while that may partly be true (no cell or PC), she really IS using technology every day. Using web chat (via skype) an I would guess that much of her medical care utilizes cutting-edge tech as well. At GrandCare Systems, we do the same thing. Smarthome Tech, Activity of Daily Living monitoring, Telehealth, Remote Socialization Tech to individuals who want to stay independent & connected to family. Similarly, GrandCare allows a loved one to Skype with ONE touch on the interactive touchpad. The loved one doesn’t have to know anything about computers to use it – perfect for beaver island! Thanks again! Laura Mitchell, GrandCare Systems
www.grandcare.com

11-4-10 Webinar: E-Learning for Caregivers, Dr. Marion speaks

WHEN: Thursday November 4th, 2pm EDT (1p CT).
WHERE: http://my.dimdim.com/grandcare
WHAT: E-Learning for Caregivers, Dr. Marion speaks
WHY: With the senior generation living longer than ever before, Dr. Marion believes we are on the verge of an “elder care tsunami.” Her proven advice and support can help caregivers address the challenges they face as they care for their aging parents, spouses and loved ones.
Topic Description: Dr. Marion is about to release her E-Learning Tool for non professional caregivers. It is a program in partnership with Adobe featuring Captivate 3 technology. It is a 5 hour online class that walks Caregivers through the basics of caregiving from how to properly use a wheelchair to how to make the home safe. They are interested in embedding various products and services within the tool and offering them for sale under an affiliate model through the class.

About Dr. Marion:
A recognized visionary and thought leader in the elder field, Dr. Marion (Marion Somers, Ph.D) has over After decades of working directly with seniors and their caregivers, Dr. Marion launched a public effort to provide practical tools, solutions, and advice to those struggling to care for our aging population. She has helped millions of Americans through her book, “Elder Care Made Easier: Doctor Marion’s 10 Steps to Help You Care for an Aging Loved One,” and her web site, www.drmarion.org , speaking tours, syndicated column, national media appearances, and more.

Upcoming Events:
NAHB Webinar – Nov 17 (Laura M from GrandCare speaks) for info: nahb.org

CES (PRE CES WORKSHOP & ANNUAL AGETEK MEETING) – You don’t want to miss this!
ou are Invited to register for an exciting pre‐CES Workshop:
The Silver Tsunami’ is Coming: Is Your Company Ready?
Wednesday Afternoon ‐‐ January 5, 2011, Las Vegas
AgeTek member companies: $99, non‐members $149 suminfo@silverssummit.com
http://silverssummit.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=183&Itemid=71

NAPGCM- – May 12-15, 2011 | Sheraton New Orleans Hotel | New Orleans, LA
AgeTek Discounts apply: http://www.caremanager.org/calendar.cfm

If only the elderly could stay HOME: GrandCare Featured in Inc. Magazine

Hot Market: The Aging Population
Baby boomers are hitting old age—and they are terrified of nursing homes. If only there was some way to keep the elderly in their homes and healthy.

By Leigh Buchanan | Nov 1, 2010
By 2030, 71 million Americans will be over age 65, according to the U.S. Census. Currently, 30 percent of elderly Americans who are not in assisted living live alone, and 90 percent say they want to grow old in their homes, according to AARP. Home health care, much of it for the elderly, is one of the fastest-growing segments in the country’s fastest-growing industry.

The Inspiration: In 1993, Charles Hillman, an engineering consultant, was living on a farm in Wisconsin. His great-aunt Clara, then in her late 80s, occupied a cottage 100 yards from the main house. One day, Aunt Clara called to complain she was cold. Arriving at the cottage, Hillman found all the windows flung wide; his aunt said she had opened them because the room was smoky. “I went down into the crawlspace and saw her furnace was on fire,” recalls Hillman. After extinguishing the blaze, Hillman asked his aunt why she hadn’t mentioned the erratic temperatures and strange noises that had been emanating from beneath the house for days. Says Hillman: “She gave the answer that boomers caring for aging parents hear all the time: ‘I know you’re busy and didn’t want to bother you.’ ”

The Business: GrandCare Systems, based in West Bend, Wisconsin, makes technology that helps seniors live independently. Sensors installed around the home monitor motion (tracking, for example, if the resident appears to be wandering or fails to rise from a chair or bed and how often doors open and close); check room temperature; and allow remote reporting of blood pressure, pulse, weight, and other health indicators. A communications base, accessed through an ordinary television, delivers content that includes weather and spiritual offerings and enables communication with family, friends, and caregivers.

How It Got Started: After rescuing Aunt Clara, Hillman had to wait for the technology to catch up to his idea for a system to help seniors and their caregivers avoid similar situations. He bided his time by studying the market. He joined the boards of a local long-term-care organization and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. “As we would discuss finances and state reimbursement, it was pretty clear that institutional long-term care was not a sustainable model,” says Hillman. “Also, the view of nursing homes has really changed. People fear them more than death.”

As he prepared to launch the business in 2004, Hillman joined a consortium of companies developing technology for the aged. The consortium’s large corporate members — including Intel and Philips — were generous with their survey data. That research helped Hillman determine how to price his offerings, market simultaneously to seniors and their personal and professional caregivers, and design products that wouldn’t simply be unplugged or ignored. “People are used to getting information from their television and their telephone, so that’s where we started,” says Hillman, who purchased sensors and other hardware components from GE and hired programmers to develop software linking it all together.

The company launched in 2005 and spent several years testing the system in the independent-living units of long-term-care facilities. Those facilities may become his customers as well, Hillman says.

The Result: GrandCare released its new core system, HomeBase, last summer, and had sold several hundred units by mid-August, after the product was featured on CBS’s The Early Show. The company, which expects to become profitable this year, has seven employees — chiefly programmers — and markets through a network of almost 200 independent dealers. It has sold systems in every U.S. state, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Comment by GrandCare Systems:
thanks for the wonderful article Inc. Magazine!!! The GrandCare System was released into the market in 2006 and has been installed by authorized dealers ever since into private homes, long term care facilities, independent apartments and group homes. Our latest model, the GrandCare HomeBase allows families to not only assess activities of daily living and tele-wellness, but also has an easy-to-use INTERACTIVE touchpad for the LOVED one to be able to see pictures, messages, emails (and post simple responses using the onscreen key pad), online family videos, two way interactive web chat via skype, check weather reports, play games like trivia, solitaire, tic-tac-toe and more. It’s simple for the LOVED one to use and requires ZERO computer knowledge or experience! Authorized family and caregivers can access info easily from any Internet Connected computer and send communications through the GrandCare web portal.

Thanks again to Inc. Magazine and Leigh Buchanan for covering the ever-important issue of staying safe, independent, healthy and HAPPY at home!!

The GrandCare Team
www.grandcare.com
262-448-6147
info@grandcare.com

AgeTek Alliance Newsletter

AgeTek Newsletter
From the Chairman Peter Radsliff

NEW AGETEK WEBSITE PROGRESSING
Great progress has been made on the new AgeTek website. Not only has the board website subcommittee vetted three website development firms and their bids, we have developed an architecture for the site and a basic framework is now ready for initial review on a test site. Our intent is to have the site up before this Holiday season and to have it be an important place on the Internet to showcase solutions for aging in place. See later in this newsletter for a request for content for your company’s listing.

PRE-CES WORKSHOP & GENERAL MEETING
AgeTek was invited to co-sponsor a special Silvers Summit workshop the day before CES. This workshop is being run by the Silvers Summit people but the AgeTek board provided assistance in the development of the curriculum. There is a cost for this workshop, and AgeTek is not involved with that, but, Silvers Summit has generously offered to let us use the facilities after the workshop for an AgeTek meet-n-greet followed by our Annual Meeting. I encourage all AgeTek members to dedicate one or
more of their employees to sign-up for the workshop (be sure to ask for your AgeTek discount – you save $50!). But whether or not you attend the workshop, BE SURE you attend the AgeTek meet-n-greet and Annual Meeting from 5:30 P.M. — 8:30 P.M.

Sign-up here: http://bit.ly/silversworkshop or, see the workshop flyer which is appended to this newsletter.

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN AGETEK PAVILLION AT CES
There is still one spot left in the AgeTek Pavilion at CES. This is a collection of exhibitors sharing a multi-booth space under the AgeTek imprimatur. My company is participating so that we can take advantage of what I believe will be greater interest from press and attendees to the AgeTek name than I could get alone. I suggest you look at this again if you haven’t already made plans for CES. It could be a cost-effective and no hassle way for you to get the most out of CES.

AARP’S NEW DIRECTOR OF THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
I had a chance to have dinner this week with a number of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Mary Furlong and AARP’s new Director of Thought Leadership, Jody Holtzman. It was a lively conversation where Jody and Jeff Makowka presented AARP’s plans to extend their brand to be as much about living well as it is about aging well. Jody is an influential guy with a ton of good ideas. He said that it is a major initiative for AARP to find out how to best support technology entrepreneurs that serve their members plus they expressed strong support for AgeTek itself. It was a great meeting, albeit early in the process,
but I came away truly impressed with what was said. Thanks to Mary Furlong for being sure to include AgeTek in the event.
Here’s wishing you a strong Q4,
Peter Radsliff
Chairman of the Board
Aging Technology Alliance

From the Secretary
Michele Ahlman
EMAIL
To all AgeTek Regular Members:

It’s hard to believe we are well into the 4th quarter of 2010. I’m still working on getting my head around the idea that we are already 10 years into the 21st century!

It’s voting season! Not just for some of our D.C. friends but for AgeTek as well. Attached is a ballot for our 2011 Board. Please take a moment to review and complete right now! Ballots must be completed and postmarked by October 28th. Or, if sending electronically, they must be received by October 29th (see email and fax instructions on the ballot which is appended to this newsletter). The tally will be complete by Nov 5th. Results will be posted on the web site.
We look forward to an exciting 2011!
Thank you for your participation.

Kindest Regards,

Michele Ahlman
Secretary of the Board of Directors
Aging Technology Alliance

From the membership committee chair
EMAIL

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Growth & Membership Committee to personally welcome all the new AgeTek members to the organization. Since the last newsletter you received, the following new members have joined: Halo Monitoring, National Alliance for Caregiving, VRI, Posit Science, BeClose, Happy Elder Corp., At GuardianAngel, Inc., and HB Building and Design, Inc.
The membership committee is not only working hard to enlarge our member base for the benefit of all of our members; we also want you to know that we are here for all of you and welcome your suggestions.

Our goals are simple – we want to increase the number of our members substantially over the next few months as well as ensure we are continuously meeting and exceeding the expectations of both new and old members.

How can you help? Please reach out to any member on our committee (Scott Collins, Joe MacAdams or Karen Routt) and share any thoughts you have regarding your membership. We are currently reaching out to all individuals and companies who have shown interest in joining the Alliance and will soon embark on an e-mail outreach campaign as well.

If you have any non-proprietary lists of companies who might benefit from membership in AgeTek please share them with us. We promise to take good care of your information. If you have any potential members you would like us to contact just let us know and we will take it from there. You can e-mail me directly
Thanks again for being a member of the Aging Technology Alliance.
Warmest Regards,
Shana Duthie
Committee chair, Growth & Membership Committee

From the board: awareness
EMAIL
The Awareness and Promotion committee is responsible for making sure there is real value to members by promoting the value of regular member products and services to the outside world. Examples include procuring discounts and strategic consolidations at tradeshows, creation and promotion of member directories, et al. It is also responsible for creating opportunities for associate members to access the regular members to promote their wares.

With the new website coming, this is a great opportunity to have another vehicle to drive awareness to your company and product. We are looking for committee members and a chairman for this all-important function. Please let me know if you wish to participate and in what capacity. It’s time to step-up and help the Alliance with your talents to provide awareness and promotion for all of our members.

Sincerely,

Laura Mitchell
Board Sponsor, Awareness & Promotion Committee

You are Invited to register for an exciting pre‐CES Workshop:

The Silver Tsunami’ is Coming:  Is Your Company Ready?
Wednesday  Afternoon ‐‐  January 5, 2011, Las Vegas
AgeTek member companies: $99, non‐members $149

If you plan to target one of the largest and fastest‐growing markets;
specifically the Boomer
Consumer and their elder parents, you will have to get ready and get
the inside information.  Learn from companies and thought‐leaders how
to develop a plan for success.

Boomers and their parents continue to be the most powerful consumers in the marketplace, despite an increasingly challenging economy.   In the United States alone, there are more than 108 million people over age 45, a group with more than $2.5 trillion in annual spending power. The 78 million boomers born between 1946 and 1964 make up 28% of the U.S. population and own more than 77% of all financial assets, and the number of Americans age 65 and older is set to double by the year 2030.  Your company cannot afford to miss this market opportunity.

Agenda:
1:00 – 2:00pm   Branding Your Products to the Boomer/Senior Consumer –
Create the Plan. Learn how to create a brand and message that
resonates for the boomer/senior market. What is the most powerful media vehicle to reach this audience?  Plus,
how do you create advertising on a shoestring budget that creates response?  We
want you to walk away from this session with a plan you can implement when you get back
to the office.
2:00 – 3:00pm  Channel Roulette:  View from inside the Retail, Catalog
or VAR Channels

Learn from the channel‐side when a new vendor shows up to pitch their
wares, what is the magic formula that will get them to want you on the shelf or in
the catalog or offer your services.   The panelist will discuss what motivates them to
chose a brand or product, how they test new product concepts, what defines successful
sell‐through and how does pricing play a role.

3:00 – 4:00PM   You know Social Media is Hot… But How do you Make it Pay off?
If you plan a social media marketing strategy it is essential that it
includes mechanisms to assess business value.  It might be a value placed on increased
product awareness, or solid sales leads or cost savings in reduction of print advertizing
cost.   ROI is easier to obtain if there is a goal set for the social media campaign.
Regardless of how value is determined, social media needs to be validated as a profitable
marketing channel. Learn from companies that have leveraged social media to their benefit.

3:00 – 4:00PM   Creating Partnerships and Strategic Alliances
The marketplace is rich with potential partners for strategic
alliances. Potential partners can be competitors, more often they are other businesses that provide
complementary goods and services.  Sometimes powerful partnerships can be created between
companies that have seemingly little in common. .  Hear from companies
that looked both inside and outside this market for alliance partners.   Learn
what to look for in a potential alliance and how to make this happen.

5:30 ‐8:30pm – 1st AgeTek Industry Alliance Annual Meeting and Networking Event
For more Information:  suminfo@silverssummit.com

HealthTech Marketing Group takes on GrandCare Systems!


http://www.healthtechmg.com/docs/HealthTech_Brochure.pdf

Searching for Technology to assist with care for the Aged:

(Taken from the HealthTech Marketing Group Literature)
For Families
Caring for a senior can be a challenging, expensive, and frustrating experience. Allowing them to remain safely living where they prefer is our focus. As the leading provider of Aging-in-Place solutions, we ensure that your loved one is monitored, from a safety and health perspective giving you peace of mind. And our communications tools, computerless e-mail and photo sharing, ensure they are able to stay connected without learning new skills.

For Facilities
Keeping a watchful eye on your closed-door residents is challenging yet can be critical to their survival. HealthTech provides solutions that allow the senior to be safe in their private room, and the facility completely connected to their situation. As the leading provider of technology solutions for seniors, we ensure that your residents are monitored, from a safety and health perspective, and are able to function without ongoing attention.

For Agencies
Being able to protect your clients without being there is what HealthTech provides for home health providers. Our Aging-in-Place solutions allow the senior to be safe at home, while keeping you completely connected to their situation 24/7. You can increase their survival rate while lowering their cost of service. We ensure that your clients are monitored, from a safety and health perspective, and are able to function without ongoing attention.

For Professionals
Wouldn’t it be great to allow your patients to stay home and provide daily health updates to you? With HealthTech solutions you can reduce office visits while improving patient care/case management. You are always connected to them, ensuring that you are in the loop at all times. Being able to protect your clients is what HealthTech is all about.
Our solutions allow the senior to be safe at home, while keeping you completely connected.

About GrandCare
Using a combination of remote environmental and passive physiological sensing, RULE-BASED intelligence and networking technologies, GrandCare Systems allows the caregiver to remotely and passively monitor a loved-one without compromising dignity or privacy. This reduces caregiver stress by providing peace of mind all around. GrandCare recognizes the importance of an active body, mind and soul by simultaneously addressing the loneliness and social isolation associated with aging. Family can easily stay connected by virtually sending communications to the loved one’s TV or TouchScreen. This not only improves the quality of life for an individual living alone, but also enhances memory.

GrandCare System Features
• Activity Monitoring including:
– Door Openings, Weight, Meds, Blood Pressure, Sleeping Patterns and Wake-ups
• Wellness Reports
-Weight, Blood Pressure, Pulse
• Rules-based Communications
– Phone, E-mail and Text
• Family and Staff Communications
and Scheduling Systems
How GrandCare Works
The GrandCare system connects to any television set with audio/video
inputs and any full-time Internet connection. The GrandCare sensors are
discreetly placed around the residence and report sensor activity to the
system. Caregivers can view the data on-line and set up conditions to receive automated alerts via e-mail, text messages or phone calls. Family can send communications and cognitive assists right to an interactive touchpad or dedicated
channel on the loved one’s television set.

GrandCare is now working together with HealthTech Marketing Group!

About HealthTech:

HealthTech Marketing Group launched more than a decade ago as Marketlink, an international provider of market launch services for high-technology startups. Our success has spanned many categories of technologies, from networking, security and storage to mobile and wireless. In 2009, we made the decision to launch a healthcare focused initiative, specializing in the rapidly growing senior market. The aging baby boomer population, combined with expanding mortality rates of Americans, has created an enormous and rapidly growing market for Aging-in-Place technologies. With the new
focus on health care initiatives, HealthTech Marketing Group was launched. HealthTech provides aging-in-place technologies to the adult children of the senior community, to facilities and agencies that service and house seniors, and to professional caregivers including doctors and service providers. And for the supplier base, we provide an ideal environment to aggressively launch your solutions through our provider clients and directly to the senior community. HealthTech Marketing Group is headquartered in Novi, Michigan. We have amassed a U.S. sales force in excess of 180 professionals located across the country and our long-term goal is to create a group of 400+ professionals, touching every community. HealthTech Marketing Group…Technology Solutions for the Aging Community!

GrandCare Systems Selected as Mobile Health Expo 2010 Award Winner

For Immediate Release:

GrandCare received an award from the Mobile Health Expo 2010 for the following category: Outstanding Contribution to the Growth and Success of Aging in Place using Mobile Health Technology.

GrandCare Systems combines aspects of home automation, smart home technology, brain fitness and cognitive assists, social networking, standard virtual communications, digital photo frame technology and 2-way video chat to provide the ultimate in-home experience for an individual who prefers to stay independent, connected and healthy at home.

The awards ceremony took place at the Caesars Palace Convention Center in Las Vegas on Thursday, October 21, where GrandCare founder, Charlie Hillman, accepted the Mobile Health Award.

“I am thrilled to see the industry is challenging itself to come up with better, more cost-effective ways to enable our loved ones to stay independent at home”, said Hillman. “I applaud the Mobile Health Expo for bringing attention to solutions like GrandCare, where we can do well while doing good.”

“The Mobile Health Expo 2010 Award winners represent companies and individuals who have had a profound impact on advancing the convergence of mobile technology and healthcare,” said Wendy Thomas, founder and CEO of Mobile Health Expo. “GrandCare Systems and the other award winners have set a high standard for creating and delivering mobile healthcare solutions now and in the future.”

About GrandCare Systems:
GrandCare Systems is a complete communication, cognition, socialization, activity of daily living and tele-wellness assessment system that can allow active, independent individuals the freedom to stay home. For more information or to located an authorized GrandCare dealer near you, please visit: www.grandcare.com or call 262-338-6147

About Mobile Health Expo
Mobile Health Expo™ is the only event focusing on the convergence of mobile technology and healthcare across the entire mobile health ecosystem, including mHealth, telemedicine, wireless and connected health, and e-patient. Mobile Health Expo is designed to catalyze the discussions, partnerships, visions and public policy debates to move mobile health into the future. The event will focus on eight market drivers: aging at home, disease management, mobile health in the military, health inclusion™ for developed and developing countries, provider education, patient education, healthcare gaming, and mobile wallets and benefits management. The event will take place October 19-21, 2010 at the Caesar’s Palace Convention Center. For more information, visit http://www.mobilehealthexpo.com

Submitted by
Laura Mitchell
GrandCare Systems
www.grandcare.com
info@grandcare.com
262-338-6147

10-22 GrandCare Webinar: Understanding & Connecting the Generations, Harper Tech Group speaks

WHEN: Thursday October 21st, 2pm EDT (1p CT).
WHERE: http://my.dimdim.com/grandcare
WHAT: Understanding & Connecting the Generations, Barbara Harper, DC of Harper Technology Group speaks
WHY: It’s important to understand each generation’s needs and wants in order to properly bridge the gap and allow all age groups to communicate in a comfortable setting.

Topic Description: Connecting the Generations using Technology.

About Dr. Barbara Harper:
Barbara A. Harper BS, DC
Present Regional Accounts Manager for HTG; 20+ years Chiropractic Physician specializing in brain, nervous system and bone function; Post-graduate studies in Alternative Medicine and Nutrition ; Reiki Practitioner; Currently employed part-time as a Professor of Science and Bioethics teaching courses in Anatomy& Physiology, Biological/Chemical/Environmental Sciences and as a Blackboard Online Course Instructor for Berkeley College, NJ/NY; Penn State Post-Graduate study in Educational Technology. Married to husband Robert for 40 + years with two sons, Jude and Robert, Jr.

This call is sponsored by Harper Technology Group

CES, Digital Health & Silvers Summit

I received a message today from Boomer Authority and wanted to share this – GrandCare will be exhibiting in the Aging Technology Alliance Booth (AgeTek Pavilion) at CES!!! Charlie Hillman & Laura Mitchell from GrandCare Systems will also be speaking during the Digital Health and Silvers Summit. Hope to see you all there!

WEBINAR ── “Emerging Trends in Technology for an Aging Population: An Advance Look at the Silvers Summit and Digital Health Summit” | Organized by: International Mature Marketing Network and Boomer Authority™ Association

Moderated by Lori Bitter, President, Continuum Crew, join industry Thought Leaders Susan Ayers Walker, Silvers Summit and Jill Gilbert, Digital Health Summit ── who are on technologies cutting edge ── and hear them share their views on the latest trends in technology for an aging population. Find details here. Register here.

Date: October 26, 2010 | Time: 1:00 PM (CDT)

Silvers Summit and Exhibition (January 6-9, 2011 at Las Vegas NV) ── “The digital life of this generation changes the rules about how we age” is the theme of the 2011 Silvers Summit, which is held in conjunction with the Consumer Electronics Show. The Silvers Summit will showcase the products and services that keep boomers engaged, entertained and connected. Silvers Summit will assemble companies, distributors, journalists, research firms, think tanks, to demonstrate the products and services that will help mature consumers maintain their high quality of life. The Conference takes place on Jan 8, 2011. Contact: Susan Ayers Walker at walker@smartsilvers.com.

Digital Health Summit and Exhibition (January 6-9, 2011 at Las Vegas) ── The Digital Health Summit is an important new conference and exhibition at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show. The Summit focuses on the emerging market of consumer-based digital health and wellness devices, related applications and services – – with a special focus on technologies for an aging population! Contact: Jill Gilbert jill.gilbert@me.com.

Visit Boomer Authority™ at: http://boomerauthority.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_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.”

Daily News Record reports on GrandCare Technology


Article by DNR Harrisonburg, VA Paper:

Aging In Place
New Technology Helps Seniors Stay In Their Homes Longer
As published in: Daily News Record
By: Jacquelyn Walsh

According to a March 2010 article in the New York Times, the average cost of nursing home care is $200 a day, not including additional fees for specialized services such as Alzheimer’s or dementia care. That amounts to roughly $6,000 a month and $72,000 annually to keep a parent or loved one in a nursing home.

With baby boomers approaching senior citizen status, these figures can be daunting for them and their children. But with technology moving at a rapid pace, new systems are helping seniors “age in place,” or live at home longer.

Elizabeth Roach, 71, of Harrisonburg had a Grand Care System installed in her home a few months ago. Her eldest son, Michael Murdock, came across the product at a technology convention in Florida, and now sells the product as owner of Enhanced Caring, a company based out of Aurora, Colo. Murdock also owns a home automation and integration company, Enhanced Living.

“We do all the cool high tech Jetson stuff to homes,” says Murdock, whose company installs high-tech security systems, home theater systems and now Grand Care Systems throughout the country.

“When I saw the Grand Care System, I thought ‘This is what my mother needs. This is a product that can change her life,’ ” says Murdock. “I am finally involved in a product that’s going to make a difference in the last years of people’s lives, and what I’m doing now makes a difference.”

The system focuses on three functions: communication, cognitive abilities and wellness.

It centers on a computer that allows the homeowner to keep in touch with the outside world and also collects information from sensors installed around the house, reporting data to designated caretakers.

Complete with a touch-screen monitor, this “computer” is free of the hassles of logging on, remembering passwords, downloading files and deleting spam, says Roach, so that she gets the technology of a computer with a simplicity geared toward a senior’s needs.

The computer system also gathers information from pressure mats installed under Roach’s chair and bed, motion sensors on her medicine cabinet and fridge, a heat sensor on the stove and panic buttons next to her bed, the bathtub and at the bottom of the basement stairs. These sensors signal alerts that send warning e-mails to designated people, such as Roach’s children, that lets them know if she hasn’t gotten up yet or has left the stove on for several hours. The system can communicate by sending texts, e-mails and phone calls to designated children or neighbors. This is used to alert these people if anything is out of the ordinary or Roach presses one of the panic buttons, which will also call 911.

Roach also logs on to the computer every morning and does a series of exercises that range from tic-tac-toe to trivia meant to strengthen cognitive functioning. With a scale and blood pressure monitor connected to the system, Roach weighs herself and checks her blood pressure each morning. The numbers are sent to the computer and tracked, showing any fluctuations and making the daily data available should the family wish to send it to a doctor.

“My mom is in pretty good health but she is getting older, so what we did was I got her a weight scale and blood pressure monitor and she checks it every day,” says Murdock. “We can take that information to the doctor and we can set up a rule [in the computer system] to alert someone when something isn’t normal. We don’t want to be intrusive on their lives and we don’t want to invade their privacy,” says Murdock.

With the information gathered from the sensors, Murdock can tell how long his mother sleeps each night and how long she sits in her favorite chair, most likely crocheting. These are not things he checks on constantly though, says Murdock, but uses to gauge patterns in her daily habits, and is alerted when something is wrong.

Roach was skeptical at first and worried about an invasion of her privacy, she says, but once installed, it became routine for her to use the system.

“Because there’s no cameras involved in it and people get into a normal routine of using it, it does not invade their privacy,” says Murdock. “It’s not like I check everything every day. I just find out when there’s something out of the [norm].”

The system costs about $8,000 to install and requires a monthly fee of about $75, more or less depending on what features you choose, says Murdock.

“As I get older I find that I want to stay home more. That’s why I retired,” says Roach. “I have very close relationships with family members; however, independence is important to me. With this system, I feel like I can be independent and know my family is a touch screen away.”

Because Roach lives alone with only one out of her four children nearby, it’s important to help the siblings communicate, says Murdock, a Spotswood High School graduate. “I miss being home and it has helped me as much as it has helped my mom — it gave me another avenue to communicate with her.”

In addition to the safety features, the system also offers more typical computer features. With the photo feature of the system, Roach’s children can upload photos of trips they’ve taken and Roach’s grandkids directly to her computer screen.

“I believe that the general reason behind it all, the core feeling, is that people want to age in place, no one wants to go to a facility,” says Murdock, who says he got the system mainly for communication and the brain exercises.

These systems are not only for those seniors in their last years of their life, Murdock said. It’s important for seniors to begin using the system early on so it becomes second nature for them.

For Roach and Murdock, the new technology has been a blessing for the whole family.

“We’ve distributed the responsibility of caring for my mother to all four children and we’re thousands of miles apart. It’s absolutely changed our lives,” says Murdock. “She feels more connected than ever, and that’s priceless to me.”

Roach and Murdock were featured in a July article of The New York Times, and will be featured on a Discovery Channel special about baby boomers and aging in place in November.

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