Tag Archive for: telehealth devices

elderly care monitoring system

GrandCare benefits all areas of elderly care

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

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

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

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

Testing Out Telehealth Services

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

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

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

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

Doing the Right Thing

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

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

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

 

By Tennille Shields, NTCA Senior Writer/Editor

How to become a champion of technology

Whether your company provides housing or in-home care, you need tools you can count on. Many organizations feel overwhelmed by the processes of adopting new technologies to help improve care delivery, lower expenses, and raise revenue. Decision makers see the benefits of using a variety of technologies, but the idea of institutional change that impacts work flow can be daunting.

Organizations that focus on innovation shared insight on how to evaluate, implement and measure the success of technology. And to help you in your efforts, they highlighted areas to be cautious.

Choose your partner wisely
Kaitlin Cuffe, strategic initiatives coordinator at Eskaton in Northern California says the vendor and client relationship must be strong. Eskaton, a nonprofit focused on transforming the aging experience, looks for technology partners with similar culture and values.

“Typically we are approached by technology companies,” says Cuffe. “We have implemented a technology pilot proposal asking them to fill out a form eight questions long.” Staff time, resident time, costs associated, and process for uninstalling are uncovered before moving forward in the discussion. “Any time we get a proposal we send it out to the [Eskaton] people who would be interfacing,” explains Cuffe. Staff who are expected to work with the technology can give feedback in the decision making process.

Develop technology champions
“We go into a pilot with buy-in when there is a champion,” says Prentiss. “One to two champions serve as an internal point person.” Cuffe, Eskaton’s champion, is the person accountable to keep the project going. Cuffe’s role in the eight week pilot was to:

  1. Identify participants
  2. Coordinate program launch
  3. Schedule all program components
  4. Communicate to participants, stakeholders, and Lively customer support
  5. Develop and conduct surveys: A ten question baseline survey and 15-question post survey

Managing time and expectations is critical for the champion. While this pilot lasted only eight weeks, there was preplanning and post evaluation. Upon completing the evaluation, the decision will be made if it should be scaled.

Create a culture of technology
In 2013, Emeritus began testing the use of iPads with residents. Ginna Biak, National Director of Innovation and Resident Technology, conducted an eight building pilot where 5-10 iPads were made available for residents to check out. Weekly trainings were offered and Internet cafes and kiosks were deployed. Biak says they needed to “make it part of the culture”.

The iPads were loaded with apps Biak selected for social engagement and entertainment. Two vendors who understand the mission and the industry were selected. LivWell Health built the platform on Sales Force and Sitelligence developed an iPad app for resident and staff use.

“Not a lot of technology companies are understanding the silver tsunami,” says Biak. “It’s encouraging to see the big companies are starting to.” During a recent pilot in Freemont, California, representatives from Apple attended the training. In this pilot, 20 residents were given iPads and a baseline survey. At the end of the pilot, a post survey will be conducted and compared to 20 resident surveys who did not receive the iPads.

Biak says they are “trying to come up with a more cohesive, comprehensive solution for a larger roll out.” It can be tough recruiting champions in a large organization, but according to Biak, changes in technology expectations and the new hire process helped shift the Emeritus culture and lay the foundation for a larger deployment.

Deploy small, then scale
Neil Tantingco, owner of Evergreen Residence, says technology is a key contributor to the 100% occupancy and waiting list. In 2013, he began testing technology in two of the apartments in his Central California assisted living and memory care units. “I didn’t know how it would be accepted by my residents or how difficult it was to set up,” explains Tantingco. “I didn’t want to invest all that money for something that may not be proven.” He put it to a litmus test:

  1. Will my residents use it?
  2. Will the family embrace it and use to the video conferencing to increase social interaction?
  3. How will my staff react to it?

Tantingco now uses GrandCare Systems throughout the community and as remote care monitoring for an in-home care solution. This allows him to serve the waiting list and others living in their own homes.

Tantingco recommends to always do a beta test, create a roll out schedule, and set a reasonable, attainable goal. “Roll it out small and develop a work flow. Make sure it doesn’t disrupt your business process.”

Define success before you start
Before testing, develop a hypothesis. For example:

If seniors use technology to communicate with family via email, video conferencing, or Lively Grams, then they will experience less social isolation, less depression, and their quality of life will improve.

Create a list of quality measurements. Your vendor can help you with the metrics. If not, engage with an academic institute or an industry association such as the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST).

Success is not limited to just the resident experience. Make sure to include measurements of staff time and dollars invested in order to measure ROI.

 

To read full article click here.

Visit www.grandcare.com for more information.

It’s time for your organization to GO DIGITAL

Join GrandCare Systems® for a 45 minute webinar

Thursday, August 14th, 2014  ¤  1:30 pm CT (2:30 pm ET)

CC Esther taking BPIf 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.

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

Register Now

Featured Presenter:

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems

Laura 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.

 

What is GrandCare?

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

Technology helps seniors stay independent longer

We all want to remain independent as we age. But living alone can be difficult, if not dangerous, for seniors with declining cognitive abilities, including the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Even common tasks, such as preparing a sandwich, can be a challenge.

kare11There’s good news, however. New technology can help many people with mild cognitive impairments, such as persistent memory loss, stay in their homes a bit longer. Jewish World Review goes into great depth talking about the latest technologies that are helping seniors stay happier and healthier longer.

“There’s a tremendous demand for technological tools to help caregiving, particularly as baby boomers deal with elderly parents who may be living across the country,” says Tracy Zitzelberger, administrative director of the Oregon Center for Aging and Technology. The Portland-based Oregon Health and Science University studies aging and other health issues.

Here is a new technology to help keep a loved one independent and safe:

If Mom lives alone, you want to know whether she’s waking up and going to sleep on time, eating properly, showering and taking medicine. New systems allow adult children to monitor the everyday habits of their ailing parents.

Monitoring services will install wireless sensors in areas of the home that a senior uses most often, including the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen. The sensors will track certain kinds of movement, such as when a refrigerator, medicine cabinet or front door opens. During setup, the service will study the senior’s normal pattern of daily activities.

System Comp 2Sensors installed by West Bend, Wis.-based GrandCare Systems (www.grandcare.com) issue a minute-by-minute report to a designated caregiver, who can view the information on a Web page. The sensors will note any changes in normal patterns. For instance, if there’s an unusual amount of movement in the middle of the night, or if the medicine cabinet doesn’t open at the regular times, GrandCare will send an automated message via phone, e-mail or text message to the caregiver.

The cost for a system is about $500 for installation and $100 in monthly fees for a one-bedroom apartment, says Laura Mitchell, vice-president of marketing. GrandCare doesn’t use cameras.

The service’s social component may be just as important to seniors who live alone. A touch-screen computer provides the senior easy access to popular online tools, such as Skype for two-way video chats, family photos on Facebook and family videos on YouTube. If the touch-screen user is a grandfather, for example, “he presses a button that says ‘Suzy’s dance recital’ and watches the video,” Mitchell says.

Michelle Spettel has been using GrandCare to monitor her mother, Esther, who lives alone a half hour away.

“She’s getting older and doesn’t remember things as well,” says Spettel, who lives in West Bend. Spettel goes to a Web page to track her mom’s daily activities.

“I know when she comes home, but it’s not intrusive. I don’t have to call her and say, ‘Mom, did you make it home safe?'” she says.

 

Information from: jewishworldreview.com

To read the full article CLICK HERE

GrandCare showcased on Lakes Area News

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

Digital health is growing rapidly

While there are a number of growing markets in digital health, there are two that seem to be picking up speed with consumers and care providers: aging and wearables. With this growth comes more investor dollars and more 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 wearables market projected to cross $8 billion by 2018, companies are taking notice.

Gain invaluable insight into the digital health market when a silicon valley VC leads an enlightening discussion with the consumer electronics industry’s authority on market research and the chief marketing officer of the leading caregiving technology company.

Digital health

Moderator:

Anne DeGheest, Founder & Managing Director, Healthtech Capital

Speakers:

Laura Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer, GrandCare Systems
Kevin Tillmann, Senior Research Analyst, CEA

Tune into this 25 minute segment

System Comp 2This panel took place at the 2014 Digital Health Summer Summit. 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

 

To learn more about GrandCare Systems please visit: www.grandcare.com

To watch a short testimonial video click here.

 


   

GrandCare interviews on Empowered Patient Radio

 

daily_tasks gcsKaren Jagoda of Empowered Patient Radio interviewed GrandCare’s Laura Mitchell on the technology expectations of caregivers and patients. Karen inquired about the importance of socialization, asked what the challenges in implementation and why doesn’t everyone have one of these systems? Listen to a detailed explanation of how in-home providers are strategically differentiating their organizations, while ensuring a return on investment.

Laura Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer, GrandCare.com speaks on the appeal of technology for care receivers as well as home care providers and medical professionals. – See more at: http://radioactivebroadcasting.net/directory-page/itemlist/category/184-the-empowered-patient#sthash.In7nd1MG.dpuf

Radioactive Broadcasting specializes in creative content, media partnerships, marketing and brand expansion.  They help strategic partners grow their reach and increase their sales through internet radio and television shows, integrated content and social media. – See more at: http://radioactivebroadcasting.net/about-us#sthash.NAxbQxoN.dpuf

 

PLAY NOW

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems

Laura 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.

 

What is GrandCare?

System Comp HR11-13

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 that is designed to keep individuals safe, healthy, happy, and independent at home. Using a series of wireless sensors that monitor activity (door, temperature, motion, bed, etc.) and telewellness (blood pressure, weight), a care partner can automatically be notified if anything is amiss. Family can connect via 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.

 

For more information please visit our website at www.grandcare.com

Going DIGITAL: all your homecare organization needs to know

Esther Taking BP and Skype

Last week GrandCare Systems presented a 35-minute webinar with real case studies and examples proving that you can save money, reduce staff burdens, and secure new revenue streams.

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.

 

LISTEN TO THE WEBINAR

 

What was covered in the webinar?

  • 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

Featured Presenter:

Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems

Laura 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.

 

Interested in reading more about GrandCare?

Visit GrandCare Systems or watch a short Testimonial Video