Tag Archive for: VRI

Two hi-touch technology providers, GrandCare & VRI, join forces and link their services to keep Seniors in their own homes

Two hi-touch technology providers, GrandCare & VRI, join forces and link their services to keep Seniors in their own homes

Dayton, OH, West Bend, WI – VRI, a medical alert, medication adherence and telehealth monitoring company, and GrandCare Systems, a provider of in home socialization, entertainment and wellness sensor technologies, announced today that they have developed a partnership to deliver an integrated portfolio of services. Now, GrandCare System care partners will be notified on GrandCare’s easy to use online interface when their loved one has activated their personal response system. In addition, VRI and GrandCare will be able to cross sell their integrated solution into their respective distribution channels.

“This was a natural partnership”, commented Andy Schoonover, President of VRI, “Both organizations are committed to safety and wellness, while giving the family members an unmatched ‘peace of mind’.

Laura Mitchell from GrandCare Systems added, “We know how difficult this whole process can be. We just hope we can help to make the family’s lifestyle easier, happier and more affordable”.

“It’s through partnerships such as these that innovation for elder-focused technologies will be accelerated”, said Peter Radsliff, chairman of the Aging Technology Alliance, an industry association developed to foster awareness of products and services geared toward the aging population. “Stimulating cooperation is why AgeTek was formed from the outset.”

“Blending our services can add a strong measure of comfort, convenience and control to those that desire to age in place but have conditions that may limit their ability to move freely, communicate effectively or otherwise navigate their environment”, said Steve Abate of VRI. “Partnering will ensure and encourage Seniors the opportunity to remain at home with safety and peace of mind.”

VRI is a healthcare services company with over 20 years of experience and is one of the largest providers of medical alert and monitored medication dispensing systems in the country. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, VRI’s services enable seniors and those with disabilities to maintain their independence and avoid long term care facilities and hospitalization. The company’s service portfolio includes Medical Alert Systems, Monitored Medication Dispensers, Telehealth services and other specialty solutions to provide safety and independence for their clients. For more information, or to see the range of VRI’s products please visit www.monitoringcare.com.

GrandCare Systems offers a new WINDOW into the online world using a simple-to-use virtually programmed TouchScreen. The Loved One simply enjoys and interacts with the incoming pictures, messages, 2-way web chat, family videos, games, reminders, calendar appts, news headlines, etc. – all maintained remotely by care-partners through a user-friendly online interface. But that’s just the “tip of the iceberg”. Smart “activity of daily living” and Tele-wellness sensors quietly talk to the Trillium TouchScreen and generate text, email or phone alerts to designated care-partners.

Tomorrow Aging & Technology Industry Conference Call

Aging & Technology Enthusiasts!

Join us tomorrow – Thursday May 27th at 2pm EDT
(11a PDT) – for our weekly aging & technology
conference call. This call is provided and
brought to you by GrandCare Systems. This
industry call is sponsored by the brand new AgeTek
Alliance. The AgeTek alliance spurred the idea for
a brand new organization called the AgeTek
Alliance.

Where: http://my.dimdim.com/grandcare
Dial In: Listed on the top of the webinar
Topic: 5-27-10 Steve Abate, VRI, speaks on
Telehealth and home safety for seniors

ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS:
1. SEEKING SPEAKERS/TOPICS FOR AUGUST/SEPT.
Contact info@grandcare.com for more info

2. JOIN AgeTek by May 31st and get the ”Founding
Member” logo to display on your website! Fill out
your application and join today:
http://web.me.com/pr…iff/Aging_Techn …
n_Us!.html
PAYMENT PLANS ARE AVAILABLE!!!!

3. CEDIA. This show is designed for aging/tech
vendors to showcase their technologies in the
Aging & Tech Pavilion. Dealers/Installers are the
target audience for this conference. AgeTek
Members receive a $250 discount! Spots are VERY
LIMITED. We are also hosting a few AgeTek booths,
where AgeTek members companies can ”SHARE THE
SPACE” and pay less. Up to 3 companies per 10×10
booth! SAVE MONEY & Join us at CEDIA!
CEDIA EXPO 2010
September 22-26, 2010
(tradeshow floor open Sept. 23-26)
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, GA
http://www.cedia.net/expo/index2010.php

4. AARP. This show is geared towards the AARP
members. Now accepting exhibitors. AgeTek
members receive a SUBSTANTIAL 25% discount (ALMOST
$500 off)
Orlando@50+ National Event & Expo from Thursday,
Sept. 30, until Saturday, Oct. 2, in Orlando.
Contact Jackie Berdy to register:
jberdyAARP@showmgmt.com

5. EARLY BIRD SIGN UP FOR EHX 2011! Custom
Integrator/Dealer show. For Aging & Technology
vendors that distribute through dealers. Register
before July 1 and save $1000. (Exhibitor
investment: Only $2,995 – $1000 before July). To
register, contact Susan Celli, 800-375-8015 x312,
scelli@ehpub.com

Thanks!!

Laura Mitchell
Director
AgeTek Alliance
www.agetek.org

These industry calls were designed, created and
hosted by GrandCare Systems. A complete ADL
monitoring, Wellness assessment, socialization and
touch-communication tool to keep individuals
active, interactive, safe, healthy, happy and
CONNECTED wherever he/she wants to live. More
info: www.grandcare.com

What is CEDIA and why do you need to be there?

CEDIA Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (http://www.cedia.net/)

What is CEDIA EXPO?

CEDIA EXPO is the #1 tradeshow in the residential electronic systems industry. Attending CEDIA EXPO gives you an advantage over the competition by providing the latest technologies, FREE training on the latest products, and the industry’s best education with CEDIA University courses. CEDIA EXPO gives you the best strategies to profit in home entertainment, environmental control, energy management, green technology, home health, security, and more.  2009’s conference saw 20,000 dealers and over 350 exhibitors.

Who should attend?

1. Professionals in home entertainment, security, lighting control, environmental control, energy management, retrofit, home control, home health, home theater, audio systems, integration, or are someone looking to break into the residential electronic systems industry, you need to be at CEDIA EXPO.

2. Home health technology provider that are looking to sell your technology through Custom Integrators/Dealers- YOU NEED TO BE AT CEDIA EXPO!

AgeTek is putting together a home health tech pavilion (right next to the CEDIA Future Home Technology House).  This pavilion will be full of aging technologies and there will be great attention drawn to our pavilion.  We will be hosting educational sessions and panels RIGHT on the show floor.  We will be doing press releases to get the dealers there – although, this topic is so hot right now, the dealers already KNOW that’s where they need to be!

GrandCare Systems will be exhibiting along with fellow agetek members: Presto!, ClearSounds Communications, VRI, Home Controls and more…

GrandCare will be hosting a special ON-SITE manufacturer-hosted dealer team training in the Convention Center before CEDIA Expo begins.  This is open too ALL Authorized GrandCare Dealers (old and new).  GrandCare will also be offering a brief refresher course open to current authorized dealers.

Look for GrandCare at their Manufacturer Training Course – open to all – during CEDIA on Saturday from 4 – 530p and during the Home Health Panel on Friday from 2 – 4p.

SPACE is very limited in this pavilion!  We are already over half booked and registration hasn’t even started yet (June 1)

Speaking and other opportunities are still available!!!

Please contact me ASAP to book your turnkey kiosk at CEDIA .  CEDIA is offering a wonderful discount to all pavilion members for an all-inclusive turnkey kiosk for well under $3,000.  AgeTek Members receive an additional $250 off the substantial discount.

INFO@grandcare.com to secure your place!

More info to come…

Live from the NAPGCM – Geriatric Care Manager Conference

Well here we are in New Mexico at the National Geriatric Care Manager Conference NAPGCM.  It’s been a great show for us so far.  Not too many attendees – around 250, but they are all definitely interested in using technology for their clients – which is a great shift that we are seeing and very encouraging.  We are pairing them together with our local dealers in their area (our dealers will take care of pricing, installation, tech support, etc).  They will help our dealers to determine the care plan assessment for the clients and in turn, our dealers will help them to set up rules, train the families on how to add communications, how to view the data and provide all customer and technical assistance.  It’s a match made in heaven!

It’s just so invigorating to be witnessing the shift to a genuine belief and acceptance and even excitement about the possibilities of this sort of technology.
The thing about the group of these people, they are genuinely passionate and care about what they do.  You hardly could not be.  Being a GCM, you have to love people, care about them and want to help!  It’s wonderful chatting with them, we were fortunate enough to go upstairs to a social event put on by Senior Bridge and got to socialize with many of them.  We discussed the potential opportunities for working together, things are looking great!

Tomorrow is the last day of the show, we have distributed close to 200 flyers, which means many of them took one.  I have collected a handful of business cards that want to be paired with dealers immediately.  Many more took my information to contact me about getting paired together!!

We have gotten a nice opportunity to meet some of the other vendors at the show – many are old friends!!  Home Instead is right next to us, our friends VRI,  CloseBy Network is also here, Phillips Lifeline, ElderCare Channel (very cool new concept – just launched), etc!!

Things are looking good and the weather (I hear) in New Mexico is great – – soon I’ll have to put work away and go outside to enjoy some of it 🙂