Search our directory of senior housing and other services.
Looking for home care, a vet who makes housecalls, a pharmacy that delivers, or senior housing? Find these and dozens of other services for Minnesota seniors in the GrayTimes Directory.
Whether it's a seminar on how to stay healthy, a lecture on planning for retirement, or a grand opening of a senior retirement community, find out what's happening around Minnesota that's of interest to seniors.
We've searched the Web to find the most helpful information and resources for seniors. Whether you're looking for government programs, information on health, safety, or prescription drug side effects, or how to stop those irritating telemarketing calls, these links will bring you a wealth of information.
New remote monitoring technology
can help seniors "age in place"
BY STAFF WRITER —
New technology can help distant caregivers keep tabs on their loved ones, enabling more seniors to stay in their homes longer. The trade off between aging in place and privacy is one seniors say they are willing to make.
Using a series of sensors that communicate to a main base such as a computer, these new systems electronically monitor movement and behavior and send out alerts if help is needed.
The inventors of these monitorintg systems are often children of aging parents. Having grown up with technology, they are looking for technological innovations to help them care for their parents or even themselves in their advancing years.
An example is the founder of Wisconsin-based GrandCare Systems, Charles Hillman. Hillman was motivated by experiences with his grandmother and also by a desire to allow his parents to remain in their home as they age. He said he was concerned not just about the physical safety of seniors but also about preventing isolation and loneliness that can come from living alone.
While some might find these systems intrusive, studies by AARP Foundation and the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging both show a willingness of seniors to use such equipment if it means they can stay safely in their homes.
But cost remains a barrier. The AARP study reported that 75% of caretakers and 80% of those 65-plus willing to pay $50 or less per month for the service, which is a little less than many systems cost. However, monthly fees are just one element of overall cost. There is usually an upfront payment for installation and some require purchase of the equipment. Ease of installation was also a concern expressed in the study.
While these monitoring systems in varying configurations have been used in long-term care and assisted-living communities, their move into private residences is more recent. Some home health agencies are offering them as part of their service. With nine in 10 older Americans, according to AARP, saying they want to stay in their own homes and are willing to use technology to be able to do so, the availability is bound to grow.
These new systems go way beyond the simple push-button “I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up” alerts to monitor movements, change in behaviors, and even health status such as blood pressure and weight.
Systems vary in cost, monthly fees, and technical assistance. Some you rent, others you buy outright. If you are in an apartment or considering a move in the near future, portability may be an issue to consider as well.
Here’s a recap of what’s currently available in the Minnesota market:
QuietCare Home Security System
QuietCare uses a series of wireless sensors to monitor such activities as meal preparation, sleep and bathroom habits, wake-up time, medication usage, and household temperatures. The sensors are placed around the home and transfer information over a toll-free phone line to QuietCare computers.
The computers compare a person’s usual behavior to what the sensors are telling them. If there is a significant change in habits of daily living, such as when a person gets out of bed or how much time he or she spends in the kitchen or bathroom, the system sends out an alarm to caregivers.
For example, you are usually up by 8 a.m. and the system has noted no movement in your bedroom by 10 a.m. Caregivers are alerted to a potential problem by call center personal by phone, email, text message, or pager. Caregivers can also log into a Web site to view activities which are color coded for current status — green for normal, yellow for “keep an eye on this,” and red for alert. A red alert triggers an emergency response operator to call the senior to determine if he or she is all right. If there is no answer, an operator calls a number that the caregiver or senior has designated.
Cost: $199 for a basic package, plus $99.95 a month for monitoring (may be higher depending on area).
GrandCare Systems also uses wireless sensors to monitor wellness, but it goes one step beyond monitoring to allow communication by family members to a senior.
A small computer, which is similar in size to a VCR, is connected to a television and communicates wirelessly with the sensors. You need a high speed dial up or cable Internet connection.
Like QuietCare, these sensors are placed strategically to record motion in key rooms. They can be placed in a medicine cabinet, for example, to help caregivers see if medicine has been accessed. Other sensors can monitor incoming phone calls to provide a Caller ID Log, monitor temperatures in the home to alert for air conditioning or heating problems, or indicate if an appliance has been on too long. Emergency call buttons and tele-wellness sensors (blood pressure cuff, weight scale, glucose meter, etc.) can also be added to the system.
The information from the sensors is accessed by family members or caregivers on a password protected GrandCare Web page. Notification alerts can be set so a predetermined person is notified if something appears out of the ordinary.
Family members can also use the system to communicate with the senior. Since the system uses the Internet to connect to the television, family can send photos, personnel messages, and set up a calendar for appointment reminders to a private customized channel on the senior’s TV. GrandCare also offers features such as a weather forecast, headline news, famous quotes, word definitions, and spiritual offerings that can be shown as well. The senior only has to turn on his or her TV to access this information. (The television does not have to be on for the sensors to work).
Cost: GrandCare can cost between $1,295 to $2,395, with monthly charges varying from $12 to $40 depending on the number of sensors and types of services.
AttentiveCare also uses a computer as its communication device. This system is more of a communication tool than a monitoring system. There is an “unattended” mode for those who do not have any computer skills or an “interactive” mode for those with basic skills. A webcamera allows video conferencing, so caregivers can see the senior if she or she is in front of the computer.
Caregivers can create reminders as a text message or as an optional audio alert, which may be either a voice recording or a default sound. Reminders can display on the computer screen at any desired time and duration (for example, every Monday and Wednesday at 9 a.m.). AttentiveCare supports two different types of reminders: standard reminders that simply appear on the care receiver’s screen, and “to-do” reminders that require the senior to interactively respond to the system.
Cost: For custom turn-key solutions, the one-time cost is typically between $800-$1,000, which includes a complete care receiver system for the senior as well as any additional equipment that the caregiver may require. Not including broadband Internet service, there is a recurring monthly cost of approximately $60 for the primary caregiver. This covers subscription services for both users (receiver and caregiver) to receive care network account maintenance and technical support.
Simply Home does not allow you to interact with the senior but has several advantages. Since it is wireless, it is easily portable, has a simple set up, and is relatively inexpensive. The system can be placed anywhere in the residence, on a table or mounted on the wall.
Simply Home also uses wireless sensors — motion detector, door/window contacts, and panic pendant — which communicate with a main unit. This unit uses a wireless network to send data about the residence’s sensor activity to the Network Operating Center, where the data are processed and made available to caregivers in real-time via the Web or text messages.
The caregiver or senior determines which activity triggers an alert, such as a door opening at the wrong time, and who gets an email or text message about it.
Cost: The base system starts at $249, the expanded (more sensors) unit $449. Monthly charge is $54.
Based in Mendota Heights, HealthSense offers a variety of monitoring systems called eNeighbor. There are three levels — a basic system that is an emergency call button; the next level includes continual monitoring; and the highest level includes a secure Web portal that can be accessed by caregivers to monitor daily activities of the senior.
Small, wireless electronic sensors are placed in strategic areas of a residence. These sensors monitor typical daily living activities, like the other monitoring systems do. The sensors communicate with a base station and if they detect abnormal activity, or a lack of activity, the system is programmed to send alerts via telephone (first to the senior) and email to a list of local responders who are designated by the senior or their care providers. Healthsense also staffs a 24-hour call center to respond to alerts.
There are a series of optional sensors to monitor things like appliance usage, when the senior gets out of bed, toilet flushing, when a senior leaves or returns home, etc.
Cost: The base cost is about $700 for a system that uses 10 sensors plus a $60 monthly fee.
Xanboo has a variety of residential monitoring products and systems, including one for Alzheimer’s/Dementia.
The system uses a combination of wireless sensors, video cameras, and power controllers. Caregivers are automatically notified on their mobile phone or personal computer if their loved one is wandering outside, using dangerous appliances, climbing stairs, leaving water running, or otherwise putting themselves in harms way.
The system also a motion sensor to know if there is motion where there shouldn’t be, a bed sensor so you know when a senior gets up, and an audible alarm for knowing instantly if a door is opened, or sensor triggered.
Cost: The complete system, including fixed position IP Camera, sensors, controllers, cables, etc., is $794 plus $49.95 monthly service plan.
Print
QuietCare uses a series of wireless sensors to monitor such activities as meal preparation, sleep and bathroom habits, wake-up time, medication usage, and household temperatures. The sensors are placed around the home and transfer information over a toll-free phone line to QuietCare computers.
GrandCare Systems also uses wireless sensors to monitor wellness, but it goes one step beyond monitoring to allow communication by family members to a senior.
Simply Home does not allow you to interact with the senior but has several advantages. Since it is wireless, it is easily portable, has a simple set up, and is relatively inexpensive. The system can be placed anywhere in the residence, on a table or mounted on the wall.
Based in Mendota Heights, HealthSense offers a variety of monitoring systems called eNeighbor. There are three levels — a basic system that is an emergency call button; the next level includes continual monitoring; and the highest level includes a secure Web portal that can be accessed by caregivers to monitor daily activities of the senior.
Xanboo has a variety of residential monitoring products and systems, including one for Alzheimer’s/Dementia.
-