Independent Living - GrandCare Systems

GrandCare hailed as “Granddaddy of all Tech Tools for Seniors”

May 11, 2016

GrandCare was back on TV.

In a feature on ABC News 19 (WXOW in La Crosse), GrandCare was highlighted as one of five tools recommended to keep seniors living safely and independently in their homes as long as possible.

The segment, called “Making Technology Work for You,” which aired on May 3, described the technology available today to help seniors and people with disabilities live more independently and enjoyably as impressive. “As people are living longer, technology is only getting better.”

The segment featured Stacy Mitby, Service Coordinator for Western Wisconsin Cares, a nonprofit that provides long-term care services in the western region of Wisconsin, with the mission of keeping members as independent as possible. It operates under a contract with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

One of the things Mitby liked about GrandCare is that, “it’s programmable, so you don’t need to go through an agency. It can alert your family or your friends, your support system, if you need help.” She also praised how easy it is to use. “It’s technology I can use, without having my children teach me.”

GrandCare was described as the “granddaddy of all tech tools for seniors.”

“The systems cost $699, plus $49 monthly subscription fees, but they pack in a lot of features. The GrandCare System has many of the same features you’d find in other tools, such as smart watches and medicine dispensers, plus it can be used in any setting and can record blood pressure, weight, pulse, blood glucose and temperature. It’s a communication, care management and activity sensor all wrapped into one touchscreen device.”

Southgate at Shrewsbury Names grandCARE as One of The Best Gadgets for Independent Living

October 14, 2015

The Best Gadgets for Independent Living

http://southgateatshrewsbury.com/the-best-gadgets-for-independent-living

“If you constantly worry about your mom or dad who lives alone, it’s normal. Many senior caregivers and adult children have concerns about their parents living on their own after a certain age. Whether your live locally or far away, these thoughts can be stressful. Luckily, there are a lot of high-tech gadgets that can do the job for you.

…

Try out grandCARE, a tool that lets parents video chat and message family on a big touch screen. They can also find out the weekly weather and news, play games with friends and check their calendar to see what independent living activities they have going on this week. It also investigates their health using telehealth technologies. Want to know if they’re taking medication? Check in to the caregiver portal.”

September 11, 2015

Southgate at Shrewsbury

Southgate at Shrewsbury is a premier destination for senior living. Located in historic Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, we offer independent living, assisted living and long term care. Southgate is a well planned community designed with an energetic, exciting, sophisticated lifestyle in mind. Situated on a 30 Acre campus, our beautifully maintained grounds and distinctive architecture flow graciously into Southgate Park, where lush flowers highlight our heirloom fountain and surround our footpaths and gazebo. Since 1989, Southgate has been unsurpassed in amenities, service and hospitality.

Learn more at http://southgateatshrewsbury.com.

Sunrise Senior Living Highlights grandCARE technology for Independent Living

September 14, 2015

Sunrise Senior Living, a leader in long term care communities in the United States, has featured grandCARE as a technology solution for independent living, whether it be in the private home or community-based. Sunrise Senior Living operates 302 communities worldwide with 245 locations in the US, 15 in Canada and 42 in the UK. They offer a range of personalized senior services, including independent living, care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss, as well as skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitative services.

The Best Gadgets For Independent Living by Tim Watt | AUG 31, 2015

“If you constantly worry about your mom or dad who lives alone, it’s normal. Many senior caregivers and adult children have concerns about their parents living on their own after a certain age. Whether your live locally or far away, these thoughts can be stressful. Luckily, there are a lot of high-tech gadgets that can do the job for you. Think about trying out one – or all – of these gadgets in your parent’s home…”

…

“If you can’t be there all the time… When parents live alone, you may want to be by their side always. While you may see them as often as you can, you can’t always be there every day. Not to worry – there’s a device that can alleviate your worries. Try out grandCARE, a tool that lets parents video chat and message family on a big touch screen. They can also find out the weekly weather and news, play games with friends and check their calendar to see what independent living activities they have going on this week. It also investigates their health using telehealth technologies. Want to know if they’re taking medication? Check in to the caregiver portal.”

For more information, visit: http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com.

Read the entire article The Best Gadgets For Independent Living

Going above and beyond the traditional PERS

July 27, 2015

If you were around during the 80’s and 90’s, I’m sure you remember that clever catchphrase, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”, and the television commercials from a certain maker of a medical emergency response systems. Fast forward to 2015, and a lot has changed in the way of digital health technology. The advent of smartphones, tablets, watches, fitness wristbands, and other devices are changing our world and just how mobile we can be without losing our connection to everything digital.

Let’s face it, we live in a fast paced world and people crave their technology gadgets, addicted sometimes, and when said gadget goes down for any reason, say, your kid drops it in the toilet, or you leave it in the bathroom at the airport in your rush to make your connecting flight…your digital life is temporarily ‘over’.

But, if you are someone over the age of 65, life tends to slow down a bit. Trading in chasing around kids to soccer practice, and making the early morning client meeting for a more relaxed lifestyle tending to a flower garden at home, enjoying time volunteering for local community causes, or even just unwinding in a favorite recliner while reading a good book. However, this newfound freedom and independence often comes with its own share of dangers of the unknown.

According to a recent article by Today’s Caregiver:

Studies report that 30% of people who are over the age of 65 (about 35 million Americans) fall every year, and that these incidences increase to 50% for those over the age of 80.

It’s been estimated that at least 60% of all falls occur in the home… people with neuromuscular or cognitive diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, ALS and even diabetes fall even more frequently.

Whatever the reasoning, the danger still exists for someone who has taken a fall, especially if they are elderly and alone. For those who are unable to get up from a fall, the amount of time they spend immobile will greatly affect the outcome of their health and rehabilitation. In other words, a fall that results in a serious injury may signify the beginning of declining health that may become an irreversible, downward spiral.

So, how can you ensure your loved one won’t become a tragic victim of this downward spiral from a fall that goes undected? You could opt for a personal emergency response system (PERS), such as the one from the tv advertisements, but those require your loved one to actually push a button. What if your loved one suffers a medical episode which hinders their ability to push this button? This is a gap of the traditional PERS solution, a gap that our technology can help fill.

Introducing the grandCARE system solution which incorporates a series of passive activity and motion sensing devices to better monitor patterns of behavior instead of requiring the user to push a button. If there is no motion, excessive motion, or activity patterns that do not fit the norm, an alert will go out regardless of the individual person’s ability to engage the push button. Download: Gaps of PERS System Flyer

Learn more about how passive activity and motion sensing devices can provide you added peace of mind by visiting our website www.grandCARE.com.

About grandCARE:

GrandCare Systems LLC, founded in 2005, offers the most comprehensive and holistic professional care giving and health coordination tool on the market. grandCARE is a large touch platform which provides health instructions, secure video chat, wireless vital recordings and analytics, medication compliance, activity sensing, and family communications into one intuitive and expandable platform. grandCARE focuses on true individual centered care, enabling better experience, better engagement, and better outcomes. For more information, visit: www.grandcare.com or call 262-338-6147.

Media Contact:

Amy Schwengels 262.338.6147 media@grandCARE.com

Note: “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” is a registered trademark of LifeAlert.

Technology paves the way to tackling the senior care crisis

June 29, 2015

According to the U.S. Department of Health Human Services and the Administration for Community Living, the elderly population in the United States is expected to more than double from 39 million to 72 million by 2030. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing also predicts that there will be a serious nursing shortfall in the next few years as there will not be enough to meet these increasing demands. These issues along with the rising costs of long-term care leads many seniors and their families seeking alternatives to allow the elderly to remain independent and aging at home for as long as possible.

This is where home care providers and technology can bridge this widening gap. A recent article by Kris Bevill in the July Issue of the Prairie Business Magazine, in Grand Forks, ND talks about these issues that are becoming a big concern for the northern Plains where much of the population is in the 65 years plus range.

This new and growing demand, combined with a region-wide health care worker shortage, means the fairly young home health care industry is often racing to keep up with patient loads and regulations, but providers say they are confident they will continue to meet demand, thanks in part to new methods of care delivery. – See more at: http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/24157/#sthash.akar3ksu.dpuf

In the article, Patti Cullen, president and CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota talks about how “congregate settings allow fewer workers to care for more patients. She also points to technology as a great potential aid in allowing seniors to remain in their home with limited personnel visits.”

Anne Major, president of Fargo-based Ethos Home Care agrees that technology can aid the industry by confronting staffing challenges while providing top-notch care to patients.

Major points out that Ethos has been advertising for a licensed practical nurse and another RN “for quite a while,” but finding staff is an ongoing problem. “The hospitals are feeling it, the care centers are feeling it, and home care is feeling it as well,” Major says.

She adds, “incorporating technology into home care not just for the staffing benefits, but for the additional well-being that remote monitoring can provide for families. Technology can be utilized in a variety of ways for senior care. Medication dispensers can send an alarm to caregivers if medicine is not dispensed at the correct time, motion sensors can automatically trigger lights to turn when a person enters a room or steps on the floor as they get out of bed. Major offers another example she’s seen firsthand, where a child was concerned about his parent leaving home and becoming disoriented, so a sensor was enabled to alert the child whenever the parent’s garage door opens or closes.” – See more at: http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/24157/#sthash.akar3ksu.dpuf

Knute Nelson, based in Alexandria, MN utilizes the GrandCare Systems technology to meet their care giving needs by providing a touch screen in the patient’s home.

The grandCARE product is a complete care system that combines telehealth, activity monitoring, digital health management, medication reminders, remote patient monitoring and entertainment/social engagement features into a single, easy-to-use touchscreen designed to keep seniors aging in place.

Technology like grandCARE can actually be more affordable than you think. For home care, senior living and other healthcare organizations, grandCARE offers special enterprise solution programs that can make implementation of this type of technology a reality. Jerry Furness, Chief Operating Officer at grandCARE systems says, “we believe in the benefits of our system and want to provide organizations an opportunity to reap the benefits which is why we have these special enterprise programs in place. Our goal is to make implementation happen in a meaningful way by partially or fully eliminating the up front cost hurdles for these groups.”

Caregiver showing grandCARE user new task list feature.

The article concludes: Andrea Jung, president of Elk River, Minnesota-based Guardian Angels Elimm Healthcare and Hospice added, “I’m really excited about the potential there is for home care….I think technology is going to be a big impact and change the way we deliver care and how many people we’re reaching. There are so many things going on in this industry that I’m really excited about.”

About grandCARE:

GrandCare Systems LLC, founded in 2005, offers the most comprehensive and holistic professional care giving and health coordination tool on the market. grandCARE is a large touch platform which provides health instructions, secure video chat, wireless vital recordings and analytics, medication compliance, activity sensing, and family communications into one intuitive and expandable platform. grandCARE focuses on true individual centered care, enabling better experience, better engagement, and better outcomes. For more information, visit: www.grandcare.com or call 262-338-6147.

Media Contact:

Amy Schwengels 262.338.6147 media@grandCARE.com

GrandCare Systems debuts new website

June 1, 2015

You may recall that late in 2014, we announced our new brand logo, identity, and new color schematics as GrandCare Systems looked to modernize and give our brand an updated and refreshed look. Expanding on what we started, we are aligning our new brand identity to our completely redefined sales and marketing strategy in the hopes to better target our product solutions to the various customer markets we serve on our newly redesigned website: www.grandCARE.com.

Introducing: Our all new grandCARE program solution strategy featuring Professional Care, Community Based Care, and Family Centered Care programs. While our product and its capabilities haven’t really changed, what is different is the way we are presenting it to each of the individuals and organizations our product is designed to benefit.

“When I first came on board, I started to evaluate our website immediately, because it is the most highly visible sales and marketing tool we have. In most cases, our website presents the first impression we make to our customers. My goal when redesigning the site was to take the new branding and color schemes and build on those ideas by developing very distinct program solution paths for visitors to take based on their specific personal or business needs,” said GrandCare Systems Marketing Analyst, Amy Schwengels.

Along with an all new look and feel to the site, the new website includes two new sections to help users decide which program solution is best for them: Who We Help and Selection Guide.

“We wanted to create a more straight-forward approach to how we engage visitors on our website. We feel that by creating the color-coded program solution paths along with useful selection guide tools, we are able to better communicate with our customers and make sure that they are able to find more meaningful content on our site,” added Dan Maynard, GrandCare Systems CEO.

Additional information, questions, or comments regarding the new website can be directed to Amy Schwengels, Marketing Analyst at 262.338.6147, or please visit www.grandCARE.com and drop us a line on our Contact Us page. A media kit and other marketing materials are available on our website.

How one man’s journey with dementia will change lives.

May 20, 2015

Sandy Halperin

While recently speaking at the National Alzheimer’s Project Act Advisory Council meeting in Washington, D.C., Dr. Alexander “Sandy” Halperin, DDS talked about his life as a dementia patient. The outspoken advocate for the Alzheimer’s Disease Care and Cure cause, openly shared his daily struggles with the symptoms of the disease and its progression since being diagnosed in 2010. During his impassioned speech, Sandy talks about how he often requires the assistance of what he refers to as his “second brains.” Said brains taking the form of note pads, books and documents Sandy has authored over the years, his family memories scrapbook, the grandCARE system technology tool, and his loving wife of over 40 years, Gail.

What struck me most about Sandy’s speech is that save for a few brief moments of a lost train of thought, I wouldn’t have even thought he was a man struggling with the effects of such a disease given his poise and passion for speaking. Having experienced this first-hand, as my own grandmother suffers from late stage dementia, her outward appearance, cognitive, and physical capabilities are marked and noticeably different. She rarely speaks, remains largely confined to her bed in the nursing home where she resides, and her cognitive capabilities are virtually non-existent, as she no longer remembers me as her granddaughter or other close family members whom she has known for years. She is older, at 79 years of age, but her disease progression moved swiftly after receiving her initial diagnosis only a few short years ago. Unfortunately, by that time, she was already too far gone, to the point of requiring extensive care.

The early warning signs were there, the simple daily forgetfulness of “where did I leave my purse?”. To the re-telling of a story we’ve heard for the umpteenth time. In retrospect, red flags should have been going up, starting probably 10 to 15 years ago. As with anyone, getting older often comes with its fair share of “senior moments”, at some point however, those innocent “senior moments” become something more.

Despite Sandy’s open acknowledgement and awareness that one day, he too may find himself in such a condition as my grandmother, his spirit, courage, and fight to be a vibrant and public voice of awareness for the disease is certainly inspiring. His voice is getting heard and his message on alzheimer’s is loud and clear, “care and cure”. CNN is currently following Sandy, filming a multi-chapter documentary on his personal journey, in a piece appropriately titled, “Sandy’s Story.” The world renowned, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will also be following Sandy Halperin’s story on “Sanjay Gupta, M.D.“

A brief excerpt of chapter one of “Sandy’s Story”, by Stephanie Smith, CNN:

“It is a horrifying, gripping, devastating disease that plays havoc on the family and on the patient,” says Gail Halperin, Sandy’s wife.

But, she says, what has softened the blow of Halperin’s diagnosis is the way he responded to it — at least after the initial stunned feeling subsided.

“He immediately came out and said, ‘I don’t want to cover this up. I want to share it with people and be proactive,'” his wife says.

Recent data suggest that such a response is rare: Nearly 13% of Americans reported experiencing worsening confusion or memory loss after age 60, but most — 81% — had not consulted with a health care provider about their cognitive issues, according to the March Alzheimer’s Association report.

One of the goals of the project is to achieve increased awareness, in the hopes that individuals and family member’s recognize the early warning signs sooner to increase the effectiveness of medical intervention, and even incorporate technology aids, like the grandCARE system, to help improve the patient’s quality of life and their ability to remain more independent.

To learn more about this project, and how you may be able to help, please go to:
http://napa.alz.org/national-alzheimers-project-act-backgroun

Not just for seniors… grandCARE helps developmentally disabled too.

April 16, 2015

The grandCARE system remote monitoring and communication solution may have started by solving a need to help the elderly age in place, but it’s not just for seniors. Our product has shown to be an effective monitoring solution, as well as, a social and communication tool for developmentally disabled individuals, allowing them to live more independent lives.

Channel 13 ABC affiliate in Toledo, Ohio, recently featured a success story on how a grandCARE solution is being used as an in-home monitoring tool by the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities to help individuals with developmental disabilities remain more independent.

http://www.13abc.com/home/headlines/Developmentally-Disabled-Learn-To-Live-More-Independently-297697701.html

In addition to remote monitoring and video communication functions, the grandCARE system’s simple touchscreen design can include easy one-touch access to a wide range of information including: Facebook photo sharing, Calendars, Task List Reminders, Messaging, Letters, Games, News, Weather, and virtually any website.

For even more added benefits, our system capabilities can include wireless motion sensor activity monitoring and digital medical device vital measurement tracking.

To learn more about how a grandCARE system solution can benefit your organization or someone you know, please visit our website at: www.grandCARE.com.

GrandCare Systems’ Laura Mitchell to speak on AT&T’s panel at mHealth

December 6, 2013

Register Now

AT&T Presents:
Independent Living Thru Technology

Session Overview

With the challenges facing the U.S. healthcare system – increasing demand, spiraling costs and limited resources – it’s not surprising that providers and consumers alike are feeling the pressure to use resources more efficiently and cost effectively. The good news is that technology and emerging care delivery models now make it possible to have care delivered in the home or on the go. This discussion will center on aging in place technologies and the future of the digital home. We’ll explore how the use of smartphones, tablets and other mobile, connected technologies can play a central role in enabling the patient centered medical home, improve quality of life, enhance peace of mind, and ultimately create the framework for independent living and patient self-management.

Session Objectives

Explore emerging care delivery models as healthcare moves away from volume-based to value-based care.
Discuss the role the digital home can play in patient centered medical homes.
Learn how mobile technologies can empower patient self-management and independent living.

Speakers

Nasrin Dayani, Executive Director, AT&T ForHealth℠, AT&T Advanced Business

Nick Martin, Vice President, Innovation and R&D, UnitedHealth Group

James Mault, Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Qualcomm Life, Inc.

Laura Mitchell, Vice President Business Development, GrandCare Systems

Bill Walsh, Senior Advisor, AARP

Learn More at http://www.mhealthsummit.org/program-details/att.

Home Health Tech in the UK

August 28, 2012

Home health technology has made it way over seas and is a big topic in the UK right now. The BBC Technology News program “Click” recently featured a variety of these technologies in their report “How tech can help the elderly stay independent”, which highlights tech that allows caregivers to look after relatives who wish to remain independent at home.

The GC-HomeBase, our interactive system, is one of the technologies covered in the video report.

How tech can help the elderly stay independent

Monday, 20 August 2012 08:59 UK

As the population ages – an increasing number of elderly people will need care. Most people are resistant to the idea of going into a care home and would prefer to remain independent in their own house.

Lara Lewington looks at how the latest technology can help elderly people enjoy their own home comforts for longer.

Take a look at online at http://news.bbc.co.uk.

Tag Archive for: Independent Living

GrandCare hailed as “Granddaddy of all Tech Tools for Seniors”