Tag Archive for: telehealth

Grandcare to be showcased at Florida Homecare Conference

GrandCare Systems will be exhibiting at the biggest trade show in the Florida home health industry. The Home Care Association of Florida is celebrating its 25th anniversary and GrandCare will be there. Visit us to see how our industry-leading technology can rocket your business forward and blow away your competition.

HCAF Vector Logo

The HCAF Annual Conference & Trade Show will feature numerous for-credit continuing education sessions presented by leading experts in home health from across the nation. Home health care has changed a lot over the last 25 years, but that’s nothing compared to the changes that will be coming our way. Organizations and professionals will have to adapt during this period in order to thrive.

This year’s conference is about transforming the industry with the important steps home health must take as we move into a new phase of healthcare in America. Learn from industry experts what it takes to hit your own “silver anniversaries” and beyond as we continue providing the best care possible to patients in their preferred setting: their own home.

Booth 417

Stop by our GrandCare booth and receive a free gift card from Starbucks. Even better, set up a short meeting with us to enter a drawing for a free Kindle. Contact info@grandcare.com to set up your meeting. Space is limited!

When: July 23-24, 2014

Where: Buena Vista Palace and Spa   Φ   Orlando, FL 

To reserve a room for the Home Care Association of Florida Conference click here.

 

What is GrandCare?

System Comp 2

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.

 

To read more about GrandCare Systems and get access to the store CLICK HERE.

 

GrandCare Systems is featured in the New York Times and Yahoo News!

NY TIMES: Smartphones, Smartwatches and, Now, Smart Toothbrushes

By Eric A. Taub | May 7, 2014 | New York Times

IN the last few years, sensors have become small and inexpensive enough to make the monitoring of practically everything possible.

“Sensors also are helping caregivers see and respond to what is happening while patients are on their own. GrandCare Systems and other companies make devices to monitor a person’s home. If the patient, say, walks out the front door at 2 a.m. or opens the refrigerator 15 times an hour, the caregiver will get a phone call or a text message.”

Read the full Article

System Comp 2

Yahoo! We have the technology to reinvent aging, so why aren’t we using it?  

By Jeneen Interlandi | May 7, 2014 | Yahoo News

[..] The key to that, he [Charlie Hilman, Founder and CTO, GrandCare Systems] says, is to keep the interfaces simple and to integrate health and safety features with ones that facilitate connectivity. “We put a lot of stuff into Facebook feeds and Skype,” he says. “And the tablet era has really helped a lot because seniors love tablets: big, bright, backlit screen; no keyboard; no buttons.” In fact, tablets have become so popular among seniors that Hillman credits the devices with transforming the way they view sensor technology. “It took a while for them to get over the Big Brother aspect,” he says. “But now it’s, ‘Well, I don’t want to move to assisted living, and I don’t want somebody I don’t know coming into my home every day to deliver care.’ So this becomes a best option.”

Read the full article

Digital Health Summit 2014: Point-of-Care Everywhere features GrandCare

Point-of-Care Everywhere

Recorded LIVE at CES January 8th, 2014

Designing for the on-the-go individual is no easy feat. From telehealth systems to seamless experiences between devices, focusing on meeting patients and consumers exactly where they are is becoming increasingly critical for success. Join us as we dive deep into the devices and software solutions powering diagnostics, disease management and ongoing monitoring.

Watch GrandCare’s Laura Mitchell and a highly knowledgable panel discuss why healthcare on the go is important, barriers and what the future of healthcare may look like…

Moderator:

Joseph Kvedar, Founder and Director, Center for Connected Health

Panelists:

Walter De Brouwer, CEO, Scanadu Inc
Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems
Nersi Nazari, Chairman and CEO, Vital Connect
Yasmine Winkler, Chief Marketing, Product & Innovation Officer, Employer & Indivdual, UnitedHealthcare

GRANDCARE SYSTEMS UNVEILS AT CES 2014 NEW ECOMMERCE WEB STORE

WEST BEND, Wisc. — January 6th, 2014 —

HomeBaseGrandCare Systems announced today at CES 2014 LVCC South Hall 2 Booth 25724 its new online web store at www.GrandCare.com, offering socialization, medication and telehealth packages. This debut launch of the GrandCare.com store showcases the company’s new direct-to-consumer model: a plug-and-play system that eliminates the need for professional installation.

“GrandCare is one of the earliest players in the aging and technology industry, which has given the company time to build out the most comprehensive and flexible platform on the market,” said GrandCare Chief Executive Officer, Dan Maynard.  “Seven years ago, the technology wasn’t there and we required professional installation through a network of dealers, but times have changed and now almost anyone can set up the GrandCare System, using our intuitive instructions and online help guides.”

The GrandCare HomeBase System is an easy-to-use and affordable consumer solution that offers a wide variety of sensor and feature choices in one comprehensive and expandable platform. It easily grows with changing needs.  Activity or digital health sensors can be added at any time.  The GrandCare HomeBase is the perfect solution for individuals that wish to remain independent, healthy and connected.

Family and friends keep in touch through photos, letters and one-button video chat.  Reminders and medication prompts can be enabled on the large and easy to read touchscreen.  GrandCare also enables family and professional caregivers through an online care portal. There they can set up alert parameters (e.g. being notified if someone fails to take blood pressure reading or doesn’t acknowledge medications were taken) as well as share care coordination notes.

The GrandCare HomeBase System can be utilized alone for socialization, reminders and prompts.  Digital Health Sensors and Medication Management features can easily be added right from the online store. More sophisticated packages including activity sensors and smart home devices can be purchased by contacting GrandCare directly.

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

For more information: www.grandcare.com or call 262-338-6147.

GrandCare is exhibiting at CES 2014, LVCC South Hall 2 Booth 25724.

PR Contact:
Laura Mitchell
Media@grandcare.com
262-338-6147

Telecare Aware: A change of guard at GrandCare Systems

November 14, 2013 | By: Donna Cusano

This Editor has often referred to her former competitor GrandCare Systems as one of the ‘grizzled pioneers’ on the Conestoga Wagons of Telecare–even more grizzled than QuietCare (circa 2003-4) since their ur-system dates back to 1995-6, when it kept track of founder and CEO Charlie Hillman’s mother Clara. In the years since, the closely-held company has broadened its original telecare and activity monitoring tech into telehealth, socialization and home automation/monitoring into the most fully featured system in telecare/telehealth for older adults. Without making huge splashes, being beholden to VCs or moving from bucolic West Bend, Wisconsin, the company has grown through multiple alliances, the most unusual being home automation association CEDIA. GrandCare has a residential base of customers but has also developed a solid footing in senior communities both in assisted and independent living. Earlier this year, they reached into UK to partner with Saga and received the CE Mark for approval of its telehealth features for EU distribution.

The news is that they have a new CEO–Daniel Maynard, who is joining from the same position at Connecture, a software provider for health insurance comparison/enrollment (and exchange subcontractor in Minnesota, Maryland and Washington, DC.) Mr. Hillman will be moving to Chief Technical Officer, which may leave him more time for his work as a LeadingAge/CAST commissioner. Mr. Maynard understands early stage company growth, technology and healthcare well, since he has founded and developed several companies, including a predecessor to Connecture. 2014 may be an interesting year for news out of West Bend!

– See more at: http://telecareaware.com/a-change-of-guard-at-grandcare-systems/#sthash.JOO60inL.dpuf

GrandCare featured in LeadingAge’s Telehealth Case Studies and Selection Tool Resources

LeadingAge’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) recently released 2 new resources designed to help long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) organizations identify and select telehealth products:

These 2 resources released complete CAST’s new telehealth portfolio, which also includes:

“Telehealth is an important enabler of innovative future-ready business models,” said Larry Minnix, president and CEO of LeadingAge. “The case studies and the online selection tool will be invaluable to providers who are considering embarking on telehealth to reduce hospital readmissions or other health reform related initiatives.

CAST is planning to update this portfolio in 2014 and is currently seeking additional vendors to participate in next year’s edition of the Selection Matrix, online Selection Tool, and case studies.

About the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies:

The LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) (http://www.LeadingAge.org/CAST) is focused on accelerating the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that will transform the aging experience. As an international coalition of more than 400 technology companies, aging-services organizations, businesses, research universities and government representatives, CAST works under the auspices of LeadingAge, an association of 6,000 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging.

Contact: Emily Wilson, ewilson@leadingage.org, 202-508-9492

Lutheran of Jamestown Smartments equipped with GrandCare receives positive evaluation from Leading Age

Kudos to GrandCare partners, Lutheran of Jamestown, for receiving positive evaluations on their usage of the GrandCare System for monitoring activities/wellness and socialization and family connecting, as well as various complementary technologies, throughout their Apartment “Smartments” community.

Sharon Hamilton, vice president of senior housing for Lutheran, an early and visionary adopter of remote monitoring and enabling technologies recently caught the attention of Leading Age for her usage of the GrandCare remote monitoring and socialization technology, as well as complementary technologies of other enabling and crisis management systems (think “help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”)

She was met with a very positive and encouraging evaluation by third party, vendor agnostic Leading Age of Washington, DC (formerly known as the American Association of Aging). Leading Age is an association of not-for-profit organizations dedicated to making America a better place to grow old.

Hamilton was smart to reach out to the organization and gauge an industry expert, who could take a non-partisan look at the usage of these technologies, in order to scale to a broader community base.

Dusten Rader from the Post Journal of Jamestown, NY wrote an interesting story titled, “Smartments Receive Positive Evaluation” on whether Leading Age found these Smartments to be effective and efficient. While conducting the assessment, the most cutting-edge of the technology solutions, including the GrandCare System were under a lot of pressure to prove their worth. GrandCare is a comprehensive digital health, activity monitoring, medication mgmt, socialization, video chat and infotainment technology to support individuals as they remain more independent, proactive, connected and self aware. The results were clear!

HomeBase

Leading Age’s senior VP, Robyn Stone was quoted in the Post Journal,
“I commend them on recognizing an opportunity,” Stone said. “And, also the notion that this isn’t something that was going to be done once and it’s over, rather that it’s going to be an interactive process. It’s hard for an organization to be a guinea pig, so to me that’s one of the assets of many of members – that they’re willing to think about the investment to really make this work. That is what I call continuous quality improvement.”

To read the full article click here: http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/627641/Leading-Age.html?nav=5057

The Smartments: 737 Falconer St. in Jamestown. For more information, call 665-8197 or visit www.lutheran-jamestown.org

GrandCare Systems to Offer GreatCall’s 5Star Urgent Response to its Clients

WEST BEND, WIS. AND SAN DIEGO (July 16, 2013) Care in WI

GrandCare Systems LLC and GreatCall, Inc., announced today that GrandCare will be adding 5Star Urgent Response®, the leading mobile personal emergency response solution (mPERS), to its comprehensive caregiving technology platform.

GrandCare’s simple, touch platform enables an at-home senior 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 unusual occurs. GrandCare’s technology is used today domestically and internationally by residents of senior living communities and assisted living facilities, seniors living independently, and by recipients of in-home senior care.

5Star extends the GrandCare platform by enabling seniors with immediate access to help in an urgent situation, while they are in their home or away.  Seniors carry or wear the compact 5Star device and press the button to connect to a 24/7 professional emergency response agent when they feel vulnerable or uncertain, or are experiencing a health or safety issue. The highly trained, NAED-certified 5Star agents have immediate access to the senior’s personal profile and location, evaluate the situation, determine the right course of action and coordinate the help needed, remaining on the line until the situation is resolved.  5Star also includes access to a URAC Accredited Health Call Center, registered nurses, and physicians when appropriate.

Designated caregivers can log into the GrandCare website to send communications to the loved one, view activity & digital health sensor information, and customize the automatic caregiver alerts. A caregiver may choose to receive a call, email or text message if specified conditions occur. With the addition of 5Star, caregivers can use an on-line locator service to find a loved one who is missing or hasn’t responded to a call, and can be designated as a contact in the case of an urgent incident.

“We have always known GreatCall as a capable and visionary leader in the mPERS industry,” said GrandCare Systems founder and CEO Charlie Hillman. “Adding their mPERS solution to our existing caregiving technology platform is a natural fit”.

“5Star Urgent Response offers a crucial safety net for senior care recipients and peace of mind for their caregivers.  GrandCare serves a market segment that is important to us, and we are pleased to add them as a distribution partner.”  said GreatCall CEO David Inns.

About GrandCare Systems LLC

GrandCare Systems, on the market since 2006, uses a series of wireless activity & telehealth sensors in a loved one’s home to alert family members if anything seems amiss. Family members can Skype and send pictures, messages, videos, etc., to their loved one using a simple touchscreen interface. GrandCare combines a digital health assessment, biometric readings, activity of daily living sensing, medication management, smart home automation, video chat, and virtual touch-based communications into the most comprehensive and fully-featured caregiving technology in the private home market.  GrandCare has received  world-wide attention from the BBC World News, Italian and French news networks, and U.S. media platforms such as:  The Today Show, the Discovery Channel, CNN, CBS News, etc. To learn more about GrandCare Systems, please visit:  www.grandcare.com.

About GreatCall, Inc.

GreatCall provides easy-to-use wireless health and safety products for aging consumers and their families, allowing them to enjoy a worry-free independent lifestyle. The company stands apart from other wireless services providers through its simplified, personalized and humanized approach, as well as its commitment to providing a high quality customer service experience. The company has been widely praised for its ability to deliver the benefits of innovation and technology in a meaningful and easy-to-use format. GreatCall has received prominent national media accolades from the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, Washington Post and major TV broadcast networks.

GreatCall’s products and services, including The 5Star™ and the Jitterbug® are sold nationwide at leading retailers such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Sears, Radio Shack Dealer Franchise, Fry’s Electronics and ShopKo, as well as direct to consumers at 1-800-918-8543 and online at GreatCall.com. Service coverage includes the U.S. and Canada. GreatCall is located in San Diego, CA.

To learn more about all available GreatCall products and services, please visit: http://www.greatcall.com. This GreatCall news release and other announcements are available at http://www.greatcall.com/buzz. Or follow our news on Twitter @GreatCallInc and on Facebook facebook.com/greatcall. For access to company logos and high-resolution images and screen shots, please visit: www.greatcall.com/assets

GrandCare Systems awarded CDBG loan from EDWC

WEST BEND, Wis., (July 8, 2013) – GrandCare Systems®, a Washington County-based organization, is rapidly ramping up deployments of their touch-based digital health monitoring and socialization technology both domestically and internationally. This expansion is in part due to funding provided through the award of a CDBG loan for $200,000 from Economic Development Washington County (EDWC).

“It’s an exciting time for GrandCare and the ‘aging in place’ technology industry”, says GrandCare founder, Charles Hillman. “The vision that the EDWC has shown will not only help build up our team to support our large contracts, but also will showcase that Washington County is a pioneer in the Health Information Technology space.”

The GrandCare System starts with a large, user-friendly touchscreen placed into a loved one’s home. This touchscreen displays weather, news, calendar events, medication prompts, reminders, family photos, videos and allows for one-button Skype with designated family and friends. Various activity, smart home sensors & telehealth devices are placed around the home to give authorized caregivers and family “peace of mind” that all is normal and safe at home. Caregivers can choose to receive email, text or phone alerts if specified conditions occur (e.g. medication noncompliance, unusual night activity, failure to access the kitchen during mealtime, etc.)

GrandCare also enables the loved one with their own large sized “smart device” giving them easy access to family photos, videos, web-based content and one-touch Skype calls with children and grandchildren. These features are critical to help overcome the very real and damaging effects of social isolation.

“Home healthcare is a growing segment of the global economy”, states Christian Tscheschlok, Executive Director of Economic Development Washington County, “We are excited to support the growth of a local company that offers significant potential to elevate our economy through its noteworthy leadership in that expanding market.”

GrandCare is available today for retail purchase throughout the United States, Bermuda, New Zealand, Australia, and soon in the UK. For more information, visit www.grandcare.com or call 262-338-6147

About GrandCare Systems

GrandCare Systems, on the market since 2006, uses a series of wireless activity & telehealth sensors in a loved one’s home to alert family members if anything seems amiss. Family can Skype and send pictures, messages, videos, etc, to the loved one using a simple touchscreen interface. GrandCare combines digital health assessment, biometric readings, activity of daily living sensing, medication management, smart home automation, video chat, and virtual touch-based communications into the most comprehensive and fully-featured technology in the private home market.
For more information, visit: www.grandcare.com

About Economic Development Washington County

Economic Development Washington County (EDWC) is an independent economic development organization fueling growth businesses and industries for the creation of quality jobs and wealth in Washington County. EDWC accomplishes this through a focus on existing business development consulting; engaging in driver-industry business attraction; supporting qualified start-up enterprises and serving as a central voice on economic development issues.

About CDBG RLF Funds

Economic Development Washington County (EDWC), on behalf of Washington County, administers a pool of funds that can make loans to businesses wishing to expand or locate in the county. These loans are customized to a project but have typically been smaller in size ($20,000-$100,000) and are made at a low interest rate. Principal and interest repaid by those businesses with loans are reinvested back into the fund to be lent out again, making it a “revolving loan fund,” or RLF.

GrandCare Systems Partners with mySmartCTI to Bring Aging in Place Technology to Australia

mySmartCare delivers touch-based digital health monitoring technology

mySmartCTI Logo

GrandCare Systems® appoints mySmartCTITM as Australian distributor

GrandCare Systems of the USA has today appointed mySmartCTI as the Australian distributor of its touch-based digital health monitoring and socialization technology solution.

mySmartCare powered by GrandCare’s technology will be available throughout Australia and includes telehealth functionality, socialization and family coordination features as well as activity of daily living monitoring.  For the residents, it means social connection, games, weather and news reports and one button video chat calls with children and grandchildren.

mySmartCare is also designed to provide family & caregivers with “peace of mind” by looking after activities of daily living (e.g. medication access, fridge access, sleeping patterns and door monitoring) as well as automatic monitoring and recording of vitals.  If a specified check point is not met, the system can alert a designated caregiver by email, text or phone call.

Says Peter Garrett, Managing Director of mySmartCTI, “As a leading technology integrator in Australia we are proud to be able to deliver a solution that assists the 90% of older Australians who wish to stay living in their homes whilst delivering peace of mind for them and their loved ones.”

“We are looking forward to entering the Australian market through mySmartCTI and utilizing their credibility and expertise”, said GrandCare founder Charlie Hillman, “the GrandCare technology takes away distance as a barrier to connectivity and care, reconnecting the aging population with their family, friends and social networks”.

About the partners

mySmartCTI is an Australian company that prides itself on making a positive difference for its customers, their employees and the environment. mySmartCTI helps to create the most energy and resource-efficient environments possible. Using the latest technologies with highly trained consultants and technicians, mySmartCTI is able to optimize buildings and outdoor environments so they more comfortable, and use less energy and resources with a resulting reduction in ongoing operational costs. mySmartCTI is Australia’s largest commercial building systems integrator with over 50 staff and offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth.

GrandCare Systems on the market since 2006, uses a series of wireless activity & tele-health sensors in a loved one’s home to alert family members if anything seems amiss. Family can Skype and send pictures, messages, videos, etc., to the loved one using a simple touchscreen interface. GrandCare combines digital health assessment, biometric readings, activity of daily living sensing, medication management, smart home automation, video chat, and virtual touch-based communications into the most comprehensive and fully-featured technology in the private home market. If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call Alistair Grice, Marketing Manager at mySmartCTI on 02 9887 1000 or email Alistair.Grice@mysmartcti.com.au

Contact: Alistair Grice​
Tel: 02 9887 1000
Mob: 0405 111 122
Email: Alistair.Grice@mysmartcti.com.au