Tag Archive for: GrandCare Systems

Knute Nelson awarded $350,613 for GrandCare technology incorporation

Today Knute Nelson of Alexandria, MN welcomed the MN Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson to hear about their successful implementation of GrandCare technology into their home care service model.

Jesson announced $3.5M in grants to 27 home and community-based services, shining a spotlight on Knute Nelson, who received the largest amount of funding at $350,613.

“Home and community-based service providers are key to helping people with disabilities and older adults live independently, which is what most people prefer,” Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson said. “We have found that initiatives like this promote greater, lasting quality and efficiency and a better overall experience for people being served.”

MN Department of Human Services Press Release:

Alexandria site recognized for using technology to help for people with chronic diseases    July 01, 2014

ALEXANDRIA – Numerous providers of services to older Minnesotans, people with disabilities and the deaf and hard of hearing community will receive funding this summer to implement innovative projects designed to improve service quality.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services today announced $3.5 million in performance-improvement funding to 27 projects in 39 Minnesota counties. To be eligible for funding under the Home and Community-based Services Performance-based Incentive Payment Program, authorized by the 2013 Legislature, providers must put strategies in place to improve in a measurable way recipients’ quality of life and/or service quality, or deliver good, quality service more efficiently.

“Home and community-based service providers are key to helping people with disabilities and older adults live independently, which is what most people prefer,” Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson said. “We have found that initiatives like this promote greater, lasting quality and efficiency and a better overall experience for people being served.”

Jesson visited recipient Knute Nelon’s Grand Arbor senior housing facility in Alexandria today to announce the program and see a demonstration of the organization’s GrandCare technology. Knute Nelson Home Care is receiving $350,613 under the program to improve efficiency of services for people with chronic diseases living at home, including implementing GrandCare, an interactive touchscreen used as a communication portal between the client and family caregivers. Since 2012, Knute Nelson has used GrandCare to promote aging in place for older adults with support from a DHS Community Services/Services Development grant. 

  • Knute Nelson Home Care, $350,613 to incorporate GrandCare technology, an interactive touchscreen used as a communication portal between the older person and family caregivers, for people with chronic diseases living at home in Douglas, Grant, Stevens, Traverse, Big Stone and 20 other neighboring counties.

Why your Homecare organization needs to go DIGITAL

Join GrandCare Systems® for a 45 minute webinar 

Thursday, July 17th, 2014 | 2:00 – 2:45pm CT (3pm ET)

Esther Taking BP and Skype

If you are providing in-home care services, you cannot afford to miss this opportunity to learn how caregiving technology can improve your top and bottom lines, make your team more effective, more efficient and enable a larger geographic reach.

Using real case studies & examples, GrandCare will be hosting a webinar that will prove that you can save money, reduce staff burdens and stress, while securing new revenue streams.

REGISTER HERE for your chance at winning a Fitbit® wearable fitness tracker!

Agenda:

  • The HUGE opportunity
  • What is GrandCare? 1 Stop Caregiver technology
  • Your New and IMPROVED marketplace
  • The truth about PERS and why it isn’t enough
  • Team-based approach
  • The GrandCare HomeCare Advantage
  • Office Staff advantage
  • In-home caregiver advantage
  • Client/Family advantage
  • Competitive Differentiation
  • GrandCare Implementation Story
  • Sally Roger’s story
  • Assured HomeCare’s GrandCare implementation
  • Cost vs. Profit: Return on Investment

Presenter:

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare SystemsLaura Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer, GrandCare Systems

Laura is a founding member of GrandCare Systems and was responsible for bringing GrandCares’s product to market in 2006, while aiding in the creation of the “Digital Health” and Aging & Technology industry. She specializes in channel partnerships, growth hacking, and non-traditional marketing and social media. She was featured in Forbes for her social media strategies and has been recognized by several industry media outlets, including Connected World Magazine’s 2014 Top Women of M2M, a nomination for the 2012 WEGO Health “Trailblazer”, 2012 Dealerscope’s 40 Under 40, 2012 “Young Turk of CE” by Custom Retailer Magazine, and the 2011 Mary Furlong Flame Award.

Laura speaks throughout the country at industry events and radio shows on Digital Health, Mitigating Hospital Readmissions Using Technology, Social Media, and Go-to-market Strategies in the Aging Industry. Venues include CES, Digital Health Summit, Mhealth Summit, M-enabling Summit, LeadingAge, AgeTech West, AARP, Connected Health Symposium, and others. She has authored several publications and whitepapers for industry magazines, internet publications, blogs, and books. Laura has consulted for major cable, aging service, and in-home care providers, and has mentored fellow start-up innovators. She was a key organizer in the early days of the EHX and CEDIA Future Home Pavilions, and created the first industry-wide Aging and Technology webinar series in 2008, which flourished for years. Laura was co-founder of the Aging Technology Alliance, an organization encouraging co-ompetition amongst the Aging in Place Technology industry.

Laura is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Madison and lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

 

 

Turns out you have to take the drug for it to work…

Everett C. Koop once said: “drugs don’t work in patients that don’t take them”… wise words…

I think medication noncompliance has several factors involved.

Sometimes it’s as simple as forgetting when and how to take a medication. This is the simplest form of noncompliance to fix. Text messages, watches, reminder alarms, touch-enabled pop-ups, phone calls, etc. can all be used to remind the user that would like to be compliant to take medications on-time and correctly. Pretty easy and not rocket science, nor are many of these technology fixes new by any means.
Other times there are other reasons for noncompliance including:
– patient doesn’t think they need the drugs
– adverse side effects (drug made them have to get up too many times during the night to go to the bathroom, acid reflux, dizziness, etc.)
– lack of transportation to get the refill
– lack of monies to get the refill

The trouble doesn’t necessarily fall with reminding someone to take medications, although, that certainly may be half the battle and the noncompliance issues resolved with that is well worth it. The other factors listed above are the ones that we need to know and it’s not so simple as to know if the patient didn’t take the drug, but so much more importantly it’s WHY….WHY didn’t they take the drug?

If we don’t know why, we cannot fix the problem. If they don’t think they need it, this should be addressed by family members and potentially a physician. Perhaps it could be as simple to remind the patient that this drug is meant to lower your blood pressure or perhaps this drug is to alleviate arthritis pain. If it’s a transportation issue, simply reminding the patient to take the drug will not help. If it’s a side effect issue, we need to intervene and find out if there is an antidote to the issue. For example, if a patient experienced stomach issues, prescribing an antacid along with the prescription could fix the problem and make that patient compliant. If it’s a financial issue, maybe we can get a social service involved. Again, a simple reminder will not the total solution.

We need technology tools that can enable a resident to not only “decline” a medication, but also indicate why so we have a chance at solving the issue at hand. I think there is so much emphasis on only knowing if the meds were taken or not, but we don’t take that extra step to figure out the ANSWER to noncompliance. More intuitive, interactive technology engaging the resident to remind them how and why to take the medication AND enable them to say why they are noncompliant.

Walgreens, CVS…you should be all over this!!

How do we shift the technology care delivery model to a pure outcome based solution?

The Digital Health Summer Summit was a success!  The team from GrandCare was there, showcasing the latest and greatest GrandCare System, designed for patient socialization and engagement, enhancing the patient experience, while enabling professional caregivers to turn their “man on man” caregivers into “zone caregivers”, providing better, more efficient, more cost-effective care.  Watch GrandCare’s chief medical officer, Laura Mitchell as she describes the shift in market traction and why our solutions should focus on the outcomes and not on the process.

The system is a vehicle behind a successful care delivery model, while putting the patient firmly in the center and emphasizing continuity and seamless transition throughout the whole care network (family, professional caregivers, healthcare providers, patient) and encouraging patient self care (chronic disease management), socialization with family and friends and virtual professional caregiving through HIPAA compliant video chat, medication prompting and check-in video visits.

GrandCare can better care delivery outcomes for:

– Professional In-home Care providers

– CCRCs without walls (Long Term Care Providers)

– HealthCare Providers (Hospital to Home Transitions)

– Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)

– Hospice/End of Life Care

skype

Private Consumers can purchase direct: http://store.grandcare.com/category-s/1821.htmSystem Comp HR NEW

 

GrandCare Systems® to participate in Panasonic Innovation HealthJam 2014

Innovation Jam

Connect with us through the Innovation HealthJam 2014 to learn about technology innovation in the Healthcare industry. GrandCare Systems wants you to be a part of the excitement. Chief Marketing Officer, Laura Mitchell, is a VIP member and will be speaking each day of the event.

The Innovation HealthJam is a completely virtual event that brings together a diverse and knowledgeable group of people from the healthcare and technology fields to brainstorm ideas, improvements and innovation in healthcare. The event is co-hosted by a group of  industry leaders and led by the New Business Development and Innovation group at Panasonic Corporation of North America.

Registration is now open!

There will be 8 different discussion forums consisting of the following:

  • Patient Engagement and Healthcare Design for Consumers
  • Technology and Older Adults: The New Era of Connected Aging
  • A Mobile Health Agenda for Transforming Healthcare Delivery
  • Compute for Personalized Medicine: Finding the Cause and Cure through Genomics
  • Telehealth and Telemedicine: Emerging Opportunities in Addressing the Triple Aim (Linking Patients, Caregivers and Providers)
  • Your Physician of the Future
  • Health Innovation for Vulnerable Populations – Worldwide
  • Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)
To get more details about this event CLICK HERE

Laura Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems

Laura is a founding member of GrandCare Systems, a comprehensive caregiving technology company that combines remote monitoring of activity and telehealth devices centered around a touch-based communication, socialization, and video chat appliance in the care recipient’s home.

Laura was responsible for bringing GrandCares’s product to market in 2006, while aiding in the creation of the “Digital Health” and Aging & Technology industry.  She specializes in channel partnerships, growth hacking, and non-traditional marketing and social media. She was featured in Forbes for her social media strategies and has been recognized by several industry media outlets, including Connected World Magazine’s 2014 Top Women of M2M, a nomination for the 2012 WEGO Health “Trailblazer”, 2012 Dealerscope’s 40 Under 40, 2012 “Young Turk of CE” by Custom Retailer Magazine, and the 2011 Mary Furlong Flame Award.

Laura speaks throughout the country at industry events and radio shows on Digital Health, Mitigating Hospital Readmissions Using Technology, Social Media, and Go-to-market Strategies in the Aging Industry. Venues include CES, Digital Health Summit, Mhealth Summit, M-enabling Summit, LeadingAge, AgeTech West, AARP, Connected Health Symposium, and others.  She has authored several publications and whitepapers for industry magazines, internet publications, blogs, and books. Laura has consulted for major cable, aging service, and in-home care providers, and has mentored fellow start-up innovators.  She was a key organizer in the early days of the EHX and CEDIA Future Home Pavilions, and created the first industry-wide Aging and Technology webinar series in 2008, which flourished for years. Laura was co-founder of the Aging Technology Alliance, an organization encouraging co-ompetition amongst the Aging in Place Technology industry.

Laura is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin in Madison and lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

She will be speaking on the following days:

June 17th  †  2:00-3:00 pm PT

Forum: Technology and Older Adults

Topic: Is it possible to utilize technology to provide a satisfying virtual caregiving experience?

June 18th  †  8:00-9:00 am PT

Forum: Technology and Older Adults

Topic: How can we effectively bring technology solutions for older adults to market?

June 19th  †  3:00-4:00 pm PT

Forum: Technology and Older Adults

Topic: How can we effectively bring technology solutions for older adults to market?

 

 

 

GrandCare Wins “Most Innovative Senior Living Product” Award 2014

For the second year in a row, GrandCare Systems® has been announced as the winner of SeniorHomes.com’s Best Senior Living Award for “Most Innovative Senior Living Product”.

GrandCare Systems provides the most comprehensive caregiving technology on the market today, 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.).

The SeniorHomes.com Best Senior Living Awards program highlights the best senior living communities in select major metropolitan areas across the US. Utilizing independent, reputable sources such as local experts, state inspection data, and online community reviews from across the web, the program aims to identify and recognize those communities that exceed expectations in serving their residents through highly effective programs and resources to help seniors and their family members navigate the multitude of senior housing options. Consumers face a multitude of care and housing options and today there is not a reliable, objective source of information for comparing and evaluating the quality of the senior living communities in those areas.

The winner of Most Innovative Products is awarded to the finalist that earns the highest rating during the Best Senior Living Awards.

The GrandCare System is now available online at the NEW GrandCare Systems web store. Shop now at Store.GrandCare.com, or learn more about the system at GrandCare.com.

GrandCare Systems to be featured at the 2014 Digital Health Summit

digital health 2014

The Digital Health Summer Summit takes a deep dive into the elements of a successful digital health venture. On the heels of the sold-out, wildly successful Digital Health Summit at the 2014 International CES, the Digital Health Summer Summit is a two-day conference showcasing the latest digital health innovations from the point of view of the industry’s most brilliant thinkers and doers.

Exploring the most pressing–and sometimes controversial–questions that face the industry today, the Summer Summit provides a unique forum for industry veterans to share their hard-learned lessons and insider tips on this multifaceted, fast-growing market.

To register now CLICK HERE

Who Should Attend?

  • Healthcare providers and professionals
  • Healthcare and fitness device/ technology companies
  • Policymakers, pharma execs, insurers and payers
  • VCs, angels and other vested financial players
  • Media and analysts
  • Academia, students and start-ups
  • And anyone looking to expand into digital health and fitness

Gaining Traction: The Markets to Watch
Friday, June 20th, 10:15am-10:35am

GrandCare Systems very own Chief Marketing Officer, Laura Mitchell, will be speaking at the 2014 Digital Health Summer Summit. This will be taking place June 18th-20th in San Francisco, CA.

With a number of growing markets in digital health, there are undoubtedly a few that seem to be picking up speed with consumers and care providers: aging and wearables. And with this comes more investor dollars and companies wanting “in.”

As one of the most valuable market segments, boomers account for nearly $230 billion in sales for consumer goods and will control 70% of the nation’s disposable income in the next twenty years. And with the value of the wearables market expected to cross $8B by 2018, consumers and companies are taking notice.

Laura Mitchell,  Chief Marketing Officer, GrandCare Systems

Laura 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. Laura specializes in Social Media and non-traditional, guerilla marketing strategies, furthering GrandCare brand recognition throughout the digital health industry, and has been featured in Forbes for her work.

She travels nationwide, providing educational presentations on digital home health, social media, using technology to mitigate hospital readmissions, and go-to-market strategies. Venues include the AARP National Convention, AHIMA, NAHB, Connected Health Symposium, ASA, CEDIA, CEA Industry Forum, and CES. She has also authored various magazine articles on the digital health market and go-to-market strategy.

Laura was a key organizer for the EHX and CEDIA Future Home Pavilion Educational Tracks. In 2008, she created the industry-wide Aging and Technology webinars. She was the recipient of the What’s Next 2011 Boomer Business Innovation Award for Excellence in Leadership and Innovation and was awarded the 2012 Dealerscope’s “40 Under 40” Award.

Laura was recently featured as a speaker on the Peggy Smedley Show.  Click here to listen.

Be sure to visit GrandCare Systems®
Silver Sponsor, 2014 Digital Health Summit

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.

GrandCare is a complete communication, cognition and monitoring technology – Designed to keep individuals safe, healthy, happy and independent at home. Using a series of wireless activity (door, temp, motion, bed, etc.) and telewellness (bloodpressure, weight) sensors, a care-partner can automatically be notified if anything is amiss. Family can can connect by two way video chat AND send pictures, messages, emails, videos and other communications to an easy-to-use touch monitor in the loved one’s home. Loved ones need ZERO technical experience.

GrandCare interviews on Peggy Smedley Radio Show

Last week, Peggy Smedley asked some pointed questions on how GrandCare Systems® responds to barriers and obstacles in the aging industry.  GrandCare’s Chief Marketing Officer, Laura Mitchell had the answers. Listen to the 15 minute segment on how GrandCare envisions the connected healthcare market, why socialization is critical to mitigate loneliness and isolation and why cognitive assists can help just about anyone.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

 

System Comp HR NEWGrandCare Systems, headquartered in Wisconsin, has provided the most comprehensive caregiving technology on the market since 2005, enabling individuals to remain safe, healthy, and happy at home.

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 alert designated caregivers by phone, email, or text if something seems amiss (e.g. no motion in the kitchen or medications were refused).

If interested in reading more about GrandCare Systems or purchasing our product you can visit the website at www.grandcare.com

 

Smedley   To access the Interview on the Peggy Smedley website Click Here

Senior Accessibility and technology for seniors: GrandCare slated to speak on two forums at M-enabling Summit in DC

M-Enabling Summit | June 9 – 10th | Washington, DC

The M-Enabling Summit is a joint initiative of the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and E.J. Krause & Associates (EJK) to promote mobile accessible and assistive applications and services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities leveraging the latest operating systems, handsets and tablets based technologies. The third edition of the M-Enabling Summit will be held in June 2014 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC.

The Summit is the only gathering of U.S. and international leaders of the global ecosystem supporting accessible and assistive mobile solutions. At the Summit they share experiences on how to best leverage the latest mobile operating systems, handset and tablet technologies, creating life changing applications and services for seniors and users of all abilities. More information on this event can be found online at www.m-enabling.com.

Studio D – Market Movers: Easy Apps and Services for Seniors, June 9th – 1:30 – 3 pm

Some of the best known brands in the world, as well as innovative start-ups, are leading digital marketing in the mobile senior market place. This session will review examples of the successful implementation of new features on existing services, as well brand-new apps and services specifically designed for the mobile senior market place. Those reviews will include the best social media, productivity apps, e-commerce, entertainment, search engines or communication solutions which are specifically addressing the needs of seniors around the world.

Session Chair: Janice Branham, Director of Communications and Technology, The OASIS Institute (invited)
Panelists:
Robin Raskin, Founder, Living in Digital Times
Jennifer Crutchfield, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sprint
Kevon Kothari, Director, Corporate Development, Intel-GE Care Innovations LLC
Laura Mitchell, VP of Business Development, GrandCare Systems
Other panelists to be announced

Studio F – M-Health Solutions for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities,  June 10th-  11am – 12:30pm

Few application sectors have seen as much mobile innovation as the health sector.  The potential to remotely monitor, alert, inform, guide and interact with patients, as well as the multitude of self-care and wellness apps, are transforming practices while enhancing safety and productivity of services delivery.  This session will look at some of the most innovative m-health applications and services relevant to seniors and persons with disabilities and review the status of the accessibility of some of the leading mainstream m-Health apps and services.

Session Chair: Stephen Johnston, Founder, Aging2.0

Panelists:

  • Myron Kowal, Owner, Response Care, Inc.
  • Alicia Heazlitt, Director of Strategy and Collaboration Guru, InnovateLTC
  • Courtney Larned, VP, Marketing and Corporate Communications, CareSync
  • Robert Primosch, Partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP
  • Laura Mitchell, VP of Business Development, GrandCare Systems

For a full list of conference programs, please visit www.m-enabling.com/agenda.html.

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare SystemsLaura Mitchell

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. Laura specializes in Social Media and non-traditional, guerilla marketing strategies, furthering GrandCare brand recognition throughout the digital health industry, and has been featured in Forbes for her work.

She travels nationwide, providing educational presentations on digital home health, social media, using technology to mitigate hospital readmissions, and go-to-market strategies. Venues include the AARP National Convention, AHIMA, NAHB, Connected Health Symposium, ASA, CEDIA, CEA Industry Forum, and CES. She has also authored various magazine articles on the digital health market and go-to-market strategy.

Laura was a key organizer for the EHX and CEDIA Future Home Pavilion Educational Tracks. She was the recipient of the What’s Next 2011 Boomer Business Innovation Award for Excellence in Leadership and Innovation and was awarded the 2012 Dealerscope’s “40 Under 40” Award.

 

The Peggy Smedley Show Featuring Laura Mitchell

Laura Mitchell, vice president of business development, GrandCare Systems, will join The Peggy Smedley Show, the voice of M2M and connected devices. Listen live by visiting The Peggy Smedley Show Website, or download archived episodes at www.peggysmedleyshow.com/archives

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE TODAY AT 12:00 PM CT

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems“The number of elderly people in the United States is rising at a rapid rate courtesy of longer life expectancies and an aging “Baby Boomer” population. Efficient care and assistance for these people is very important, and technology is playing a major role in helping ease some of that burden.” Laura Mitchell, vice president of business development for GrandCare Systems, explains how her company’s systems assist in care-giving efforts and what some of the barriers are in adopting technology to service an aging population.

Laura 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. Laura specializes in Social Media and non-traditional, guerilla marketing strategies, furthering GrandCare brand recognition throughout the digital health industry, and has been featured in Forbes for her work.

She travels nationwide, providing educational presentations on digital home health, social media, using technology to mitigate hospital readmissions, and go-to-market strategies. Venues include the AARP National Convention, AHIMA, NAHB, Connected Health Symposium, ASA, CEDIA, CEA Industry Forum, and CES. She has also authored various magazine articles on the digital health market and go-to-market strategy.

Laura was a key organizer for the EHX and CEDIA Future Home Pavilion Educational Tracks. In 2008, she created the industry-wide Aging and Technology webinars. She was the recipient of the What’s Next 2011 Boomer Business Innovation Award for Excellence in Leadership and Innovation and was awarded the 2012 Dealerscope’s “40 Under 40” Award.

GrandCare Systems

GrandCare Systems, headquartered in Wisconsin, has provided the most comprehensive caregiving technology on the market since 2005, enabling individuals to remain safe, healthy, and happy at home.

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 alert designated caregivers by phone, email, or text if something seems amiss (e.g. no motion in the kitchen or medications were refused).

For more information or to buy online visit grandcare.com.

About The Peggy Smedley Show

As the voice of M2M and connected devices, The Peggy Smedley Show is an entertaining, yet fun, resource for listeners looking to understand the issues and challenges of implementing the newest technologies both in the workplace and at home. Broadcast live each Tuesday from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. CT on wsRadio.com, host Peggy Smedley brings her years of experience, knowledge, analysis, and sense of humor to each show. The Peggy Smedley Show features discussions with top-tech thinkers and newsmakers, offering in-depth analysis, while sharing the hottest connected-device stories and trends. To learn more, or to hear current or past shows, please visit www.peggysmedleyshow.com.