Independent Living

New York Times

2008-05-27T08:37:00.005-05:00

The New York Times takes notice of the current independent living trend in the Sunday edition.

"First thing every morning, Lynn Pitet, of Cody, Wyo., checks her computer to see whether her mother, Helen Trost, has gotten out of bed, taken her medication and whether she is moving around inside her house hundreds of miles away in Minnesota."

The full article can be found here.

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SimplyHome Website

Aging in Place -- Hawai Style

2008-05-12T09:02:00.006-05:00

Just like their counterparts on the mainland, Hawaiians are striving for independence:

"'There is a definite movement,' said Wes Lum, of the University of Hawai'i's Center on Aging. 'People do want to remain in their homes to age in place. '"

Read the whole article here:

Boomers Embrace 'Forever Homes'

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SimplyHome website

Financial Planning and Aging in Place

2008-04-26T13:17:00.004-05:00

Informative article on financial planning and retirement.

There a several interesting sections:

"A recent PBS program asked people in the street what their greatest fear was about aging. A frequent answer was 'ending up in a nursing home.'"

"Currently, most seniors live in their own homes. Unfortunately those homes aren't designed to accommodate disabilities"

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SimplyHome website

Geriatrics and Aging Information

2008-04-07T16:13:00.003-05:00

U.S. News & World Report has an excellent "channel" for seniors.

SimplyHome website

Young Caregivers for Alzheimer's Patients

2008-03-27T08:13:00.003-05:00

Riveting CBS piece called "When Youth is Shadowed by Alzheimer's"--

It starts like this:

Every step of Lindsey Jordan's childhood has been overshadowed by her father's Alzheimer's disease, CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes reports.

She's 14 now, but was just 8 years old when her dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

"She's just everything to me right now, forever, forever," said her father, Charles Jordan.

Diagnosed at 51, Jordan was cared for at home by Lindsey and her mom, Darlene.

Here's the video:

SimplyHome website

From CNN: Great Web sites when aging parents need help

2008-03-20T12:26:00.002-05:00

March 20, 2008

Empowered Patient, a regular feature from CNN Medical News correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, helps put you in the driver's seat when it comes to health care.

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- There are a lot of Marys in Mary Jane McGill's extended family, so each one gets a special name. Mary who lives in Roslindale, Massachusetts, is "Mary Rozy." Mary from Everett, Massachusetts, is called "Mary Everett." And McGill? She's "Mary Google."

When Mary Nee, back second from left. needed an in-home caregiver, her daughter turned to the Internet.

"I use it for everything," McGill says of the search engine. "My family kids me about it."

One day last week, McGill used Google in a way even she never dreamed of: to find care for her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease and suddenly needed someone living at her house 24/7. Her search quickly turned up a number of the many resources that can help you connect with in-home help for a parent who's aging, ill or both. And this week, Empowered Patient will save you some searching time.

[rest of article]

SimplyHome website

NBC Nightly News clip on Caregiving for Parents with Alzheimer's

2008-03-13T10:51:00.002-05:00

"There was never any question in my mind whether I was going to do it," says a California woman who is taking care of her mother with Alzheimer's on "NBC Nightly News."

Watch the whole clip (4 minutes).

SimplyHome website

CARF-accredited

2008-03-10T13:45:00.001-05:00

We now have CARF-accreditation at CMI, behind our SimplyHome product line.

From their website at www.carf.org: Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, CARF International is an independent, nonprofit accreditor of human service providers in the areas of aging services, behavioral health, child and youth services, DMEPOS, employment and community services, medical rehabilitation, and opioid treatment programs. The CARF family of organizations currently accredits more than 5,000 providers at more than 18,000 locations in the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and South America. More than 6.5 million persons of all ages are served annually by CARF-accredited providers.

SimplyHome website

12 People Who Are Changing Your Retirement

2008-02-25T12:35:00.002-05:00

Good WSJ article on 12 People Who Are Changing Your Retirement ("These pioneers are shaping the way Americans will live, work and play later in life").

For example:

Charles Feeney
A Life of Purpose

If you find yourself, in your 60s and 70s, immersed in a new career and a new passion -- teaching children to read, for instance, or helping an environmental organization -- you may have Charles Feeney to thank.

Mr. Feeney, 76, is the founding chairman of Atlantic Philanthropies, an international foundation that is committed to disbursing its entire $4 billion endowment by 2020. A large chunk will go to help older adults "live healthier, independent lives with dignity, purpose and meaning," says Brian Hofland, director of Atlantic's international aging program.

SimplyHome website

Compu-KISS by Sandy Berger

2008-02-22T09:52:00.003-05:00

Here's a website we like, Compu-KISS, for helping seniors compute.

SimplyHome Website

WashPost Article: A Hidden Crime

2008-02-11T14:34:00.000-05:00

This Post article from last month is a good read. An excerpt:

Science has extended our lives dramatically: In 1900, Americans' average life expectancy was 47. By 2000, it was 77, and it's still rising. But our energy and resources have been disproportionately focused on living longer rather than living better -- a phenomenon called " the longevity paradox."

SimplyHome website

Comment on new DDRS Standards in Indiana

2008-01-31T09:55:00.000-05:00

We read the news item below from the State of Indiana with interest.

Our comment:

Indiana, while finally getting in the game, is missing the point … their version of Assistive Technology ("AT") does not allow for caregivers to be a part of solution, but rather is almost wholly based on non-family providers supplying support. This is bound to be more expensive, and not including family caregivers to be at least a portion of the supports plan seems wrongheaded, for obvious reasons.

Our view is thanks to the power of the web, email, cell phone text messaging, two-way voice and cameras, both personal AND professional caregivers can be profoundly tethered to the residents they serve with today's AT, such that the residents can live safely and with dignity, with a high degree of independence.

Indiana DDRS Issues Standards for Electronic Monitoring/ Surveillance Systems & On-Site Response Service

On January 3, 2008, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services (DDRS) issued standards relating to electronic monitoring or surveillance systems and on-site response services. The services provide individuals with virtual “real-time” overnight supervision through the use of computer vision in public areas of the residence and strategically placed sensors in private areas. The systems are combination of remote real-time monitoring with rapid local response to allow individuals with disabilities to live independently while still receiving high levels of supervision and support. The new standards clarify issues related to oversight, informed consent, documentation, staffing, training, record retention, and incident response.

The standards were published in a DDRS Quarterly Policy Bulletin for the Third Quarter, 2007. The new standards do not apply to Intermediate Care Facilities for people with mental retardation. The following standards started January 2, 2008:

* Oversight
After the initial installation of an electronic monitoring or surveillance system, case managers and the individual’s Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS) service coordinator will review the use of the system at seven days and again at 14 days. Continued appropriateness of the system services will be assessed every 90 days. The 90-day reviews must be documented in the consumer’s Individual Service Plan and filed with DDRS. Reimbursement for services is subject to oversight and approval from the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning.

* Informed consent
Adult consumers, guardians, and Individual Support Team members must sign an informed consent to acknowledge understanding of the benefits and risks of electronic monitoring and the operating parameters and limitations. A copy of the signed consent must be kept by the local BDDS office, the case manager, the guardian, and in the home file.

* System design
Monitoring systems must be designed and implemented to ensure the health and welfare of the consumer in his/her own home or apartment.

* Monitoring staff
Monitoring must be done by a staff person who has been trained and oriented to the specific needs of each consumer served, as outlined by each consumer’s Individual Support Plan. Base staff may not be located in a consumer living site, nor may base staff have duties other than oversight and support of consumers at the remote living sites. Video oversight must be done in real-time by an awake-staff member at a monitoring base using a telecommunications/broadband connection or better connection.

* Emergency drills
Emergency response drills must take place once per quarter per shift in each home equipped with and capable of utilizing the electronic monitoring service. Documentation of drills must be available for review.

* Incident response
Monitoring staff noticing an urgent situation shall call 911 first, and then a floating staff person employed by the residential habilitation provider. The floating staff person must arrive within 10 minutes. Incident reports and all data related to the incident must be kept for seven years; other monitoring data (computer vision, audio, sensor, and written information) must be kept for 365 days. Each time an emergency response is generated, an incident report must be submitted to FSSA.

SimplyHome website

The Technology of the Future Is Available Today with SimplyHome

2008-01-18T11:04:00.001-05:00

In the home of the future, innovation will abound, say forecasters. Highly energy-efficient houses, voice-activated sound systems and windows that darken on their own will be commonplace. If you are on medication, your medicine cabinet will identify you through face recognition and remind you to take your pills.

Want to check in on mom, who lives by herself? You’ll be able to see that she’s up and about, and your personal communicator will tell you whether she’s taken her heart medicine.

Sound unrealistic? The future is here with CMI’s SimplyHome system of care support. The traditional model for the care of aging or disabled family members is to move them into an institutional setting or in with a family member. If finances permit, there is the option of paying a caregiver for the necessary hours of in-home care.

SimplyHome offers another alternative. Following completion of a brief needs analysis, SimplyHome will customize a system that connects you with your loved one through state-of-the-art technology using your choice of sensors on doors, windows, medicine cabinets, even stoves and microwaves. No phone lines are needed, and everything can be installed with a screwdriver. Sensors send information and alerts to your choice of computer, cell phone and/or PDA.

If you want to learn more about how CMI’s SimplyHome system can work for you in today’s home, go here. Subscribers to The Kiplinger Letter may read more about the home of the future in the Dec. 28, 2007, letter by going here.

CMI and Mr. Handyman Partner to Help the Elderly and Disabled Remain at Home

2008-01-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

CMI’s SimplyHome system of powerful, yet easy-to-implement tools can be installed with ease in the homes of elderly or disabled individuals who desire to live independently. Because some clients prefer to hire a professional installer for the job, CMI has partnered with Mr. Handyman, a network of independently owned and operated franchises offering maintenance and repair services in 37 states.

Mr. Handyman's service technicians are insured, wear uniforms and drive clearly marked vans. In addition to installing SimplyHome support systems, they can install shower grab bars, wheelchair ramps, and other products designed to help the elderly and disabled live safely.

To learn more about CMI’s partnership with Mr. Handyman, please go here.

SimplyHome

Blind, Wheelchair-Bound Student Doesn't Fail to Inspire

2008-01-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

Take a look at the video below, and here is an article with this lead:

When I met 18-year old Patrick Henry Hughes, I knew he was musically talented. I had been told so, had read that he was very able for someone his age and who had been blind and crippled since birth.

SimplyHome website

CMI Highlighted in the Wall Street Journal

2007-12-24T10:52:00.000-05:00

Embrace Home Monitoring

The Wall Street Journal, 11/29/2007 (page D1)

When John Fowlkes's adult daughter suggested installing an electronic monitoring system in his apartment to oversee his well-being from afar, "I was very skeptical," he says. To Mr. Fowlkes, 86, who has an active social life including an 80-year-old girlfriend, the idea evoked thoughts of Big Brother.

Rest of article here. And here's the video that accompanied the article.

SimplyHome website

Many of the Nation’s Children Provide Care, Often Without Support—But Now They Have an Advocate

2007-12-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

Adults are not the only ones shouldering the responsibilities of caregiving in the United States. There are an estimated 1.4 million children between the ages of 8 and 18 actively involved in caring for a parent or other family member, according to a survey last year by the National Alliance for Caregiving and the United Hospital Fund.

One-third of the young caregivers help with medications, and nearly two-thirds help someone with the day-to-day activities of living, such as getting dressed, eating and going to the bathroom. There are just as many boys as girls providing assistance.

Support groups for these children—many of whom say their roles as caregivers both enrich and stress their lives—has been practically nonexistent. However, Nurse Connie Siskowski, director of a new advocacy group called the American Association of Caregiving Youth, wants to change that. In a report by National Public Radio, she discusses how, as a child, she cared for her grandfather, sometimes giving him medication. She says for many years she even felt partly responsible for his death. With this experience behind her, she says she understands firsthand the importance of providing support to young caregivers. To read more, please go here.

SimplyHome

Caregiver Concerns Are Solved with SimplyHome’s Assistive Technology

2007-12-07T10:06:00.000-05:00

There are an estimated 34 million Americans assisting in the care of an older family member or friend, and an additional 10.6 million helping someone between the ages of 18 and 49, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving. Many of these elderly and/or disabled individuals long to live independently in their own homes, but they are held back by problems of Connectivity, Capacity and Capital.

CMI's SimplyHome system of assistive technology addresses all of these issues. It CONNECTS caregivers to loved ones via web, email, text messaging and two-way voice. Because the technology makes possible connectivity to several caregivers at once, the CAPACITY problem is also resolved.

For an elderly parent, for example, you can share the responsibility of responding to SimplyHome “alerts” with one or more family members, professional caregiver(s), and/or SimplyHome’s 24/7 Central Station. Before responding in person to an indication of trouble, you can use an optional video cam to do a Live Look-In, or see a short video clip of when your care recipient was last active.

Professional caregivers find they can support twice as many residents with the SimplyHome system as without it.

Finally, CMI makes this equipment highly affordable (the CAPITAL issue) as a low-cost monthly rental. You can add or subtract components of the system at any time. If an elderly parent begins to wander due to dementia, you can easily add a small people-tracking device.

Everything CMI offers is easy to install (no holes to drill), and 24/7 technical support is provided. CMI also sells power tools for busy caregivers. For more information, call 828/684-8441, email info@simplyhome-cmi.com or go to www.simplyhome-cmi.com.

SimplyHome

Caregivers Spend More Than They Thought on Aging Family Members

2007-11-20T13:14:00.000-05:00

A new, in-depth study of the costs of caregiving reveals that Americans spend far more to care for aging parents and spouses than was previously thought, according to an article in the New York Times. The telephone survey of 1,000 individuals, conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving, was the first to take a detailed look at the many Americans who sacrifice savings, entertainment and even their own healthcare to care for aging family members.

"The out-of-pocket cost of caring for an aging parent or spouse averages about $5,500 a year, according to the nation’s first in-depth study of such expenses, a sum that is more than double previous estimates and more than the average American household spends annually on health care and entertainment combined.

Family members responsible for ailing loved ones provide not only “hands on” care but often reach into their own pockets to pay for many other expenses of care recipients, including groceries, household goods, drugs, medical co-payments and transportation. That nudges the average cost of providing long-distance care to $8,728 a year." To read more, please go here.

SimplyHome

Study Targets the Needs of America's Maturing Population

2007-11-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

A 2006 study on the maturing of America released by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging identified a number of “Best Practices” for communities to consider in addressing the needs of an aging population.

Among the study’s recommendations:

Preventive health care, such as health and “lifestyle” education, immunizations and screenings, to reduce injuries and the onset of chronic diseases, as well as a range of in-home health assistance to help people stay in their homes longer.
Nutrition education to promote healthy eating throughout a person’s lifespan, as well as nutritious community-sponsored programs such as home-delivered meals for those who have difficulty or are unable to prepare their own meals.
Transportation options for people who cannot or do not want to drive.
Home modification programs that make necessary adjustments for people with special needs. Zoning and subdivision plans that promote a variety of affordable, accessible housing located near medical, commercial and other desired services, as well as shared housing options for older adults and their caregivers.
Single point of entry for information and access to ALL aging information and services in the community, and the strategic expansion of necessary services to support the older adults to age with dignity and independence in their home and community.

The complete list of recommended practices can be viewed here.

Declining Health Drives Aging Retirees Back Home

2007-11-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

An article in USA Today describes a "boomerang" syndrome in which aging retirees find themselves moving back home. Not only do they seek closer contact with children and grandchildren, but they often need help in dealing with problems of failing health.

"Homer and Edna Walls raised nine children in Waukesha, Wis. He owned a trucking business. She was a homemaker. Soon after their youngest graduated from high school, they became typical snowbirds, flying to Arizona in winter and returning home in summer.

In the early 1990s, they sold their Wisconsin home and made what they imagined would be a permanent move to an active adult community in Green Valley, in the high desert south of Tucson. They were among the youngest when they arrived. Twelve years later, some friends had died or moved. 'Pretty soon, they were the old ones,' daughter Chris Kronsnoble says. 'There were some health issues.'" To read more, go here.

SimplyHome

Enurgi

2007-11-06T12:52:00.000-05:00

This TechCrunch article talks about Enurgi:

A new company called Enurgi has taken its cue from social networks by creating a service network that connects caregivers with patients and facilitates their business transactions online.

The site is premised on the notion that it is currently too difficult for the elderly and disabled to find professionals to care for them (or clinicians to find clients who can benefit from their particular skills). Since Enurgi serves as a tool for both patients and caregivers, it can be viewed from either of two ends.

SimplyHome

Home, Sweet Home

2007-10-26T12:30:00.000-05:00

This article in an Irish newspaper alludes to another compelling reason for the elderly to age-in-place, in their homes-- hospitals are often not the place to get well, and indeed a patient may come in with one illness only to be exposed to others:

The lives of elderly nursing home patients are being put at risk by the actions of acute hospitals, according to the Irish Nursing Homes Organisation.

This follows revelations that an 84-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with Clostridium Difficile, was sent to a nursing home by hospital staff, despite being gravely ill and a serious risk to other patients.

SimplyHome

Family Caregiving: The Facts

2007-08-16T16:47:00.000-05:00

Providing care to a family member or friend can take a great toll on an individual. In a July post we examined the effects it has in the workplace. The information provided on this website takes a closer look at providing care to family members and friends from the effects on caregiver health to the economic impact. The following is just one of the facts provided on the website:

"For some adults with heavy caregiving responsibilities, the impact on their ability to work is significant. According to a major study by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, some working caregivers reported having to take a leave of absence (17 percent), shift from full-time to part-time work (10 percent), quit work entirely (6 percent), lose job benefits (5 percent), turn down a promotion (4 percent), or choose early retirement (3 percent). (Source: National Alliance for Caregiving with AARP and MetLife, 2004)."

Many of the adverse effects caregiver's face can be reduced or eliminated with the introduction of assistive technology. Visit the SimplyHome website to find out more about what technologies are currently helping people balance the caregiver role and their other responsibilities.

SimplyHome

Home Safety Ideas

2007-08-09T10:28:00.000-05:00

Creating a safe environment is a key factor in supporting an independent living lifestyle for the elderly and developmentally disabled. Strength for Caring provides a great checklist here with information on what modifications may need to be made to make a home safer and more accessible for individuals with special needs.

Many of the items listed on the Strength for Caring checklist can be enhanced or watched over remotely using assistive technology. Visit the website below to find out how an assistive technology system can be adapted to meet your specific needs.

SimplyHome

Breaking Down Barriers

2007-08-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

Establishing independence in the community for developmentally disabled adults is long overdue. For many the process is just beginning and for many others the idea of independence is still little more than a distant dream. When an individual succeeds, no matter how long or difficult the process may be, it is worth it. A short conversation will easily reveal how gratifying independence and success are to the developmentally disabled. As funding cuts loom and threaten to cripple the industry providing supports for these individuals, establishing independence becomes ever more important. The San Fransico Chornicle exlpored the costs associated with supporting developmentally disabled individuals in their quest for independence in this article. In the article, the cost of the supports provided is compared with the savings generated when an individual is able to succeed professionally. Likewise, these same cost savings can be seen when an individual is able to live in his or her own home with greatly reduced direct care needs. The SimplyHome system has been helping developmentally disabled adults acheive that personal independence which at one time may have seemed unattainable. Follow the link below to the SimplyHome website to learn more about how this technology is helping establish independence for the developmentally disabled across the country.

SimplyHome

Babes Among Elders

2007-07-26T15:16:00.000-05:00

While living independently or with family members is the most satisfying way of life for many developmentally disabled individuals, it currently is not always a possibility. Strict Medicaid funding regulations prevent families and individuals from receiving the funding necessary to support these living situations, even if they are the more inexpensive solution. This article addresses the problematic issue of acquiring appropriate funding to support a more independent lifestyle as well as the extremely unsuited locations the developmentally disabled can end up in as a result of funding limitations.

Funding challenges when providing for the developmentally disabled continue to restrict the ability for this group of citizens to maximize their independence and quality of life. The SimplyHome system is an affordable technology option which can be combined with varying levels of direct care to provide optimal results for each individual. For more information on how this system works, visit the website below.

SimplyHome

Assistive Technology: A Positive Approach

2007-07-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

This Positive Appoaches article addresses assistive technology as a solution for meeting the varied needs of people with developmental disabilities. The strengths of assistive technology are outlined in the article as well as some of the key factors which prevent people from embracing this solution. The following is an excerpt from the article:

"When you help people help themselves, when you assist a person in finding tools or devices that aid her in being more self-reliant and less dependent upon others, you help create a situation where that person feels more in control and less helpless. What could be more positive?"

SimplyHome

10 Tips for Helping Aging Parents Remain Independent

2007-07-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

Watching parents age can be a difficult process. As parents strive to maintain their independence, children struggle with how to help in the process. This article talks about 10 things baby boomers need to consider as their parents begin to age. Thanks to assistive technology, like the systems provided at the SimplyHome website, these items are now much easier to manage for longer periods of time. As new technologies continue to be developed, it will become even easier for aging parents to remain at home.

SimplyHome

Ethical Considerations Of Home Monitoring Technology

2007-07-18T17:45:00.000-05:00

Development and implementation of monitoring technology has been on the rise as the populations requiring support continue to grow. This article, originally published in the Home Health Care Technology Report, addresses one of the major ethical considerations when choosing monitoring technology, the right to privacy. The author acknowledges the trade-off between safety and security and privacy and calls for developers of home monitoring technology to provide a means to not only collect information, but manage it as well.

SimplyHome

Parents Worry How Kids With Special Needs Will Survive

2007-07-17T21:57:00.000-05:00

The Lansing State Journal addressed some concerns of parents of children with special needs in this article. The article addresses the concern many parents of special needs children have: "who will care for their child when they are gone?" The article also offers solutions for easing those fears as parents and their children age.

"Young adults with disabilities are often able to live more independently than their parents might think possible.
'We have a lot of people who are living with roommates, and staff go in to make sure that there is food and the bills are paid and all that stuff," Knudtson said.'"

SimplyHome

CMI Customer Receives Local Recognition

2007-07-16T21:23:00.000-05:00

Innovative Services, Inc., a Wisconsin-based company, was recognized in this article for it's work crews comprised of developmentally disabled adults. The crews work in the community doing odd jobs for businesses and individuals, including but not limited to moving boxes, sweeping, mowing lawns and splitting wood. In addition to the work crews, Innovative Services operates two vocational programs and numerous adult family homes, supportive home care and community-based residential facilities in Wisconsin. SimplyHome technology is used in most Innovative Services programs to enhance the quality of life and services provided for clients and residents.

SimplyHome

Older Adults Are Willing To Sacrifice Some Privacy For Extended Independence

2007-07-13T19:25:00.000-05:00

Results of a 2004 Georgia Tech survey revealed that older adults are more willing to welcome new technologies into their homes if the technology will help them remain independent longer. The qualitative data gathered by Georgia Tech provided insight into how older adults perceive different assistive technologies in a home setting. Below is an excerpt from the article regarding the findings of the survey.

"Unlike younger adults, older people don't care if a technology is the latest thing or a status symbol. Instead, what sparked interest among study participants was the degree to which a particular technology could benefit them.

Another key factor was whether they viewed the technology as a luxury or necessity. "They were more willing to embrace a technology if they perceived a need and if they had some degree of control," Rogers said."

SimplyHome

Developmentally Disabled Have New Options for Higher Education

2007-07-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

This US Department of State article discusses a number of integration changes which provide developmentally disabled adults with more opportunities than ever for independent living. Mainstreaming initiatives in the elementary and secondary levels of the education process are allowing more developmentally disabled adults to reach their potential. This includes training on topics specific to independent living. Post-secondary education is getting in on the act as well, providing programs which combine training in academics and independent living. In addition to the new and improved education and independent living trainings available to developmentally disabled adults, new and exciting technologies are being developed and becoming readily available to assist in and improve the independent living process. To learn more about some of the technology available to in this area, check out the SimplyHome website below.

SimplyHome

It Takes a Family....with Cell Phones et al

2007-07-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

The Guide to Retirement Living, one of our favorite periodicals on senior living options, highlighted this article this week:

WASHINGTON, July 9 (UPI) — As the percentage of Americans over 65 steadily grows, so does the demand for long-term care — a burden that falls largely on the shoulders of family members, experts said Monday.

Unpaid caregivers, usually friends and family members, provide the majority of support for disabled individuals in the United States, grossing the equivalent of $350 billion in free labor last year — more than the total Medicaid or Medicare expenditures in 2005 — according to AARP, a non-profit membership association for those ages 50 and up.

A key benefit of our SimplyHome system is it enables caregivers of seniors and disabled people seeking to live independently to PROVIDE that help efficiently. If, as a caregiver, you have a cell phone, email and web access (who doesn't these days?), then SimplyHome can tether you into the resident's home such that when there's trouble, or the appearance of trouble, you're notified INSTANTLY and can react/respond-- whether you're around the corner or in another state.

And yet, the resident will not find such oversight and monitoring to be onerous or invasive. Our wireless sensors just quietly send data all the time, and alerts when necessary....

SimplyHome website

Why Employers Should Care About Elder Care

2007-07-10T18:25:00.000-05:00

This Managed Healthcare Executive article provides insight into the growing challenge employees face to balance their professional responsiblities and the task of caring for family members. Also discussed is a holistic approach to employee benefits to help ease the balancing act for employees. The following are statistics from the article:

One in four workers has responsibility for caring for an aging parent, according to the 2002 Benefit Survey of the Society of Human Resource Management.
U.S. companies lose $11 billion a year due to absenteeism, turnover and lost productivity among employees who care for elderly people, the National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife calculated in 1997.
One-fifth of people who provide care for the elderly leave their jobs at least temporarily because of those responsibilities, the AARP found in its 2001 survey of baby boomers coping with family and aging issues.

SimplyHome Website

FDA approves first skin patch for Alzheimer's

2007-07-09T15:39:00.000-05:00

This MSNBC piece has exciting news for seniors relating to Alzheimer's:

The drug in the patch, called Exelon or rivastigmine, is the same as that now available in capsule form but provides a regular and continuous dose throughout the day, according to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. Since the drug enters the bloodstream directly, the patch also eliminates some of the gastrointestinal side effects associated with the drug when swallowed.

SimplyHome website

Firms Help Workers Care for Parents

2007-07-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

ABC News had this well-written article on how corporations are helping employees to care for their elderly parents with everything from "Support Groups at Toyota America to the Option at McGraw Hill to Add a Parent to Employee Health Care."

Excerpt:

"I consider elder care the new child care," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. "When you look at what's happening to people my age, they're struggling to take care of their own kids. And at the same time, they want to make sure that their own parents are taken care of, too. What we saw in the '70s with child care, we're seeing in this decade with elder care."

SimplyHome website

Two Books by the "Lifestyle Gerontologist"

2007-07-03T08:55:00.000-05:00

Alexis Abramson, Ph.D., has written two compelling books, and she also has a highly informative blog.

Here's her bio:

Alexis Abramson is the "Lifestyle Gerontologist" for Retirement Living. Often cited as America's leading, impassioned champion for the dignity and independence of those over 60, Alexis Abramson is an inspiring speaker, corporate consultant, successful author and award-winning entrepreneur. Her message of respect for elders, and solutions for barrier-free and independent living in later years, have been featured in many national publications including TIME, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and People magazines.

In addition to the Caregivers Survival Handbook, Abramson is also the author of Home Safety for Seniors, a room-by-room reference and idea-book for making independent senior, and home-bound, living easier.

Abramson holds a Master's and a Doctorate degree in Gerontology which she received from the University of Southern California, the country's premier school of Gerontology.

SimplyHome website

Resource on the web for Elder Care

2007-07-02T08:58:00.000-05:00

This website has a panoply of useful resources on helping your aging parents.

As they describe it:

– A guide to caring for your elderly loved one –

Caring for an aging parent, elderly spouse, domestic partner or close friend presents tough challenges – especially when a crisis hits and the responsibilities of elder care descend upon you suddenly. Perhaps your aging mother has fallen, is hospitalized with a broken hip and needs to go to a rehab facility.

Caregiving can also begin as a result of a series of unsettling mishaps and warning signs that indicate a need for long term care. Perhaps your elderly spouse has wandered off and gotten lost several times. Or a long-time friend has lost a lot of weight and rarely leaves home.

You may be the only person to step in and become the caregiver, or you may be the linchpin of a large network of family members and friends willing to help. Whatever the situation, you are not sure of the next step, or even the first step.

SimplyHome website

Illuminating Speech by Google VP of Health, Adam Bosworth

2007-06-29T07:16:00.000-05:00

Read the whole transcript here, and an excerpt follows:

Now let me switch gears and talk about an area that isn't going as well, and where innovation is badly needed. There is no place individuals can go to get a comprehensive set of health and medical information about themselves. Access to this comprehensive information can be vital to proper and timely diagnosis of the patient, to the patient getting the best possible treatment, and, perhaps sometimes overlooked, to the patient getting the best possible ongoing care and support after the initial treatment, especially for chronic illnesses.

Mr. Bosworth's blog is here.

SimplyHome website

4,000 Children Nationwide Live in Nursing Homes

2007-06-28T07:41:00.000-05:00

In the Wall Street Journal today, an article entitled: "Babes Among Elders: Nursing-Home Kids" talks about how parents of disabled children seek lower-cost home care, but Medicaid pays only for institutionalization in some cases. From the article--

Thousands of other children are growing up in nursing homes across the country, many for the same reason as Ronnie. Federal disability insurance guarantees nursing-home care for the disabled. But in many states, its coverage isn't enough to let those people, children included, live at home -- even when the cost to taxpayers, and the strain on families, is often much lower.

We believe a sea-change is coming in reimbursement-- Assistive Technology not only can allow a disabled or elderly person to stay in their home at a far better quality of life than institutional care delivers, but at far lower cost.

SimplyHome website

SugarStats.com launches

2007-06-27T08:13:00.000-05:00

We've been watching SugarStats.com and they've gone live. We think it's the best site on the web for managing diabetes, Type I or Type II.

Their description:

SugarStats provides a simple, clean and intuitive interface to track, monitor and access your blood sugar levels and diabetic statistics to spot dangerous trends and better manage your diabetic lifestyle.

With SugarStats you will be able to:

Bring your readings online. Get rid of that pen & paper log!
Track & manage meds, foods* and activity*
Drill down into specific timeframes to get a clear picture
Visualize your progress with easy to read graphs and trends
Share your statistics with your family, friends or doctor
Access your info from any modern web browsers. Home, work, school or anywhere.
Have a clear and easy-to-use interface to view your stats.

SimplyHome website

Don't Depend Just on a Panic Pendant

2007-06-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

SimplyHome has a panic pendant (sometimes called a "PERS" for Personal Emergency Response System), but here is the problem with JUST relying on a panic pendant:

35% of all seniors fall in their homes every year.
50% that have a PERS pendant wear it.
Of those wearing the PERS pendant, only 50% will use it in an emergency (making it only 25% effective).

SimplyHome website

The Power of Motion Detectors

2007-06-25T08:37:00.001-05:00

Last week in USA Today this article spoke to new uses of motion detectors.

We too believe that the "unblinking eye" that is a motion detector as part of our SimplyHome system is a highly effective way to help the disabled and seniors live more independently, supported by caregivers.

We have an important feature called "Up & About." It works like this:

Using the web interface, set a simple rule saying, as an example, "if the motion detector in the kitchen at mom's home does not show activity each morning by 9 am, send me a cell phone text message, and my sister an email."

Thus the name-- see if the resident is indeed "up & about" in the morning. Panic pendants are good-- our system has one. But if a resident can't find it, get to it, or push it-- what use is it?

SimplyHome website

RL.tv show that we especially like

2007-06-22T06:17:00.001-05:00

There's a very informative show on RL.tv called: Focus on: Choices for Independence . Check it out here.

Description of the latest episode:

Featuring: Lt. Governor Andre Bauer and

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina Carbonell

Retirement Living TV host John Palmer (former anchor and White House correspondent for NBC) moderated a panel at South Carolina's Statewide "Call to Action" Leadership Summit on Aging at the Grand Strand Senior Center in Myrtle Beach, SC on April 27.

The panel included Lt. Governor Bauer and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Aging at the Department of Health and Human Services Josefina Carbonell. Bauer and Carbonell discussed how South Carolina and the Federal Government are responding to the growing needs of seniors in America.

RLTV recorded this important community event on April 27, 2007 for broadcast in June 2007.

SimplyHome website

Retirement Living TV

2007-06-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

We're excited about this TV network for the elderly, that also has an abundance of content on their website, in case you can't yet get it on your cable system: Retirement Living TV.

Here's how they describe themselves:

Retirement Living TV, a network dedicated to informing, involving, and inspiring people aged 55 and over, was launched in September 2006. Retirement Living TV is comprised of shows covering topics including health, lifestyle, finance, and politics. The Retirement Living TV network roots are in Erickson Retirement Communities, the National Institutes of Health, non-profit research foundations, the Erickson School of Aging Studies at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), and leading gerontologists across the country. RLTV is committed to changing the perception on aging, and strives to develop innovative and entertaining television for a mature viewing audience. Viewers can also enjoy Retirement Living TV programming by visiting www.rl.tv.

SimplyHome website

Tom DeBaggio's Alzheimer's Journey

2007-06-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

NPR has been staying touch with Tom DeBaggio of Virginia as he bravely makes his walk in later life with Alzheimer's disease. Click here, and there's also a very poignant podcast.

The story DeBaggio's battle with early-onset Alzheimer's disease was first told in a series of interviews on All Things Considered five years ago. Melissa Block visits DeBaggio's Herb Farm and Nursery in Chantilly, Va., for a conversation with DeBaggio and his wife Joyce.

SimplyHome website

Statistics

2007-06-19T09:24:00.000-05:00

How many disabled people are there in America-- that is, what is the scope of the problem Assistive Technology (AT) seeks to solve?

The Joni and Friends website has the stats, and here are a few we want to spotlight:

How many people in the United States are disabled?

* 54 million or 20.6% people in the United States live with some level of disability.
* 26 million Americans have a severe disability.

How many people have a need for personal assistance?
About 9 million people of all ages are disabled to the point of needing personal assistance for everyday activities.

How many wheelchair users are in the United States?
1.6 million people use wheelchairs.

How many Americans use assistive devices or technologies?
7.4 million persons use assistive technology devices for mobility impairments.

* 4.8 million use canes
* 1.8 million use walkers
* 1.6 million use wheelchairs
* 4.2 million use hearing aides
* 1.7 million use back braces

SimplyHome website

Best to you, Judy Heumann

2007-06-18T09:36:00.001-05:00

Per The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. has a new Director of Disability Services; we wish her well in what is an important and difficult job:

Few people understand the challenges faced by the District's disabled residents the way Judith E. Heumann does. She knows the impact of a broken elevator at a Metro station -- and the frustration of being told she cannot do something she wants to do.

Heumann, who appeared at a confirmation hearing this week before the D.C. Council, is slated to become director of the D.C. Department of Disability Services -- a new agency with a legacy of problems. If confirmed to the job July 10, she will bring the savvy and vision of a lifelong advocate who fiercely believes that people with disabilities should live and work as independently as possible.

SimplyHome website

It Takes a Family

2007-06-14T15:05:00.001-05:00

First line of defense: Nameless, faceless central station or a family of caregivers? This article seems to point to the latter. Here's the lead:

Some 500,000 Americans use the medical alert service called Lifeline. When you need help you press a button and it connects you with a Lifeline monitor who is supposed to get you the help you need.

But Christine Talley's family says that lifeline cost her her life.

SimplyHome website

Three-Part Series on Seniors and Where They Live (Part III)

2007-06-13T06:52:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a three part series on aging in May. The third is here , and this was the lead:

Few older houses were built to accommodate the inevitable physical changes that come with age. Ailing knees can make it painful to climb stairs. Arthritis can make it difficult to get in and out of a tub, flip on a light switch or turn a door knob. And what if you're in a wheelchair? How do you get close enough to the sink or stove to prepare a meal or do the dishes?

SimplyHome website

Three-Part Series on Seniors and Where They Live (Part II)

2007-06-12T07:18:00.001-05:00

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a three part series on aging in May. The second is here , and this was the lead:

When the time came for Alice and Robert Demmler to leave Maiden Bridge Apartments, they knew exactly where their next home would be.

His aunt and uncle and her mother and sister had all spent several years at Asbury Heights in Mt. Lebanon, a continuing care community operated by United Methodist Services for the Aging. Why take a chance on anyplace else?

Last year, the couple made the move into a two-bedroom apartment on the 27-acre campus. Avid travelers, they particularly enjoy the fact that they can pack up at anytime and go.

"And I have a huge kitchen," says Mrs. Demmler. "The biggest I've ever had."

Their eagerness to move makes the Demmlers somewhat atypical. According to 2000 AARP survey, an overwhelming majority of older Americans want to remain in their own homes for as long as possible.

But when they do move, they don't go far. Three-quarters of people age 55 and older who move each year stay in the same state, according to the 2000 Census. Half remain in the same county.

SimplyHome website

Three-Part Series on Seniors and Where They Live (Part I)

2007-06-11T09:08:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had a three part series on aging in May. The first is here, and this was the lead:

Hilda and Henry Sunderman had always loved the seven-room house in Fox Chapel where they had lived for 36 years.

So the decision last year to downsize to a two-bedroom apartment at a retirement community in Butler County was a very difficult one.

"That was home," says Mr. Sunderman, a retired business manager. "It was the longest we lived in any one place in 54 years of marriage."

Now in their late 70s, the couple had reached the point where mowing the lawn and washing the house's 29 windows was just too big a chore. Adding to their stress level was a health scare in 2004 that started them thinking about what might happen if one of them got sick.

SimplyHome website

Countdown to the SimplyHome eStore Launch

2007-06-08T07:16:00.001-05:00

3 days from today...

SimplyHome website

Countdown to the SimplyHome eStore Launch

2007-06-07T07:32:00.001-05:00

4 days from today...

SimplyHome website

Countdown to the SimplyHome eStore Launch

2007-06-06T09:14:00.001-05:00

5 days from today...

SimplyHome website

Countdown to the SimplyHome eStore Launch

2007-06-05T06:24:00.001-05:00

6 days from today...

SimplyHome website

Countdown to the SimplyHome eStore Launch

2007-06-04T07:14:00.000-05:00

7 days from today...

SimplyHome website

What does the standard SimplyHome system come with?

2007-06-01T10:10:00.000-05:00

A picture is worth a thousand words!

SimplyHome website

Guest Post from our Friend, Author Dan Taylor

2007-05-31T06:48:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
When a House is Not a Home (from ParentCareSolution)

I saw some statistics the other day that said that roughly 86% of Americans want to stay in their homes as long as they possibly can. Here’s the challenge with that desire: Nearly 99% of the homes are not designed to do that. The opportunity in all of this is to start thinking now about the adaptations that need to be made to allow you to age gracefully in front of the 60 inch liquid plasma TV with the Dolby sound system throbbing around you. The alternative to this planning is that if you want to stay in your home and decide not to plan, your dining room needs to be big enough to accommodate a hospital bed and the home theatre has to have a Porta-Potty in it. Here are some suggestions:

The hallways need to be wheelchair compatible and all the bathrooms need to be wheelchair accessible. That means that the big garden tub that you had installed to use when your children leave home is going to be the world’s largest indoor planter if you can’t access it. Showers have to be accessible via wheelchair. They also need to be big enough to accommodate sitting down if you have to.

If you have a two story house make sure you have some pictures of the second floor to remind you what it looks like. A stroke, Parkinson’s, arthritis, or any number of other debilitating illnesses can make the upstairs only a memory and completely inaccessible. Make sure that your downstairs can accommodate all the things you will want to do.

Consider dedicating a room for an at home caregiver. The mother in law suite of the 70’s and 80’s is going to give way to the Caregiver Suite for the 21^st Century. There is a real possibility that a caregiver will live longer in the house than your children and at the same time actually help you with things.

Get with Technology as quickly as you can. Allow a monitoring service to be installed so the people that care about you can tell when you don’t get out of bed for two weeks. Make sure something reminds you to take your medicines and gives you the right ones to take. Put a webcam on your computer so you can talk with your kids each morning. Put a microchip in your dog so when you let him out and forget to let him in someone can bring him back to you. Make sure there are sensors on your stove so that after you cook the green beans you make sure you don’t end up being cooked from a stove left on too long. Have automatic shutoffs on the water in the tub and washing machine so you don’t drown in your bathtub or need a kayak in your den. Use Technology to help people help you. View it as a pretty cheap caregiver and one that doesn’t show up late for work.

Hire a service to help you with your meals. Older folks forget to eat. A meal service can double as a health monitoring tool. If you aren’t eating you aren’t going to be doing much of anything else after a while. Besides, you deserve having Wolfgang Puck Oatmeal.

Talk to your family about what you would like. The reason people are left with no choices here is that they don’t tell anyone what choices they would like to have. To continue to operate autonomously and with great freedom you have to work in teamwork more with the people who care about you.

You can definitely age in place. The trick here is to have a place that's suitible for aging.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

Smart Flat

2007-05-30T06:13:00.000-05:00

Read here about a whole residence in the UK that is "smart"--

A "SMART" apartment that uses cutting-edge technology to assist vulnerable, elderly people opens its doors tomorrow.

The flat, at The Rowans sheltered scheme in Tyldesley, has built-in sensors that can detect and give an early warning of when tenants might be at risk. The sensors raise an alarm with a back-up team, allowing them to send help more quickly.

Conceptually, what's described in this article is what you get with our SimplyHome system. At a fraction of the price of this UK technology.

SimplyHome website

1,465,000 residents

2007-05-29T07:59:00.000-05:00

According to the 1997 National Nursing Home Survey, there were 1,465,000 residents age 65 and older in nursing homes (about 4.3% of the US population age 65 and older in 1997). Nearly three-fourths of these residents were women, and about one-half were age 85 and older.

In 1997, about 75% of all nursing home residents 65 and older required assistance in three or more activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, eating, transferring from bed to chair, and using the toilet. About 42% of nursing home residents were diagnosed with dementia, and 12% had other psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and mood disorders.

Utilization

Lengths of stay in nursing homes vary widely and can be measured in different ways. Many people enter for brief stays; in 1997, 67% of people who left nursing homes had stayed for three months or fewer. However, the same data show that, of all those currently living in a nursing home in 1997, only 18% had been there fewer than three months (see Figure 1).

We believe that SimplyHome can help some people who may ultimately need to move to a nursing home, stay in their OWN homes longer. They may be living independently, or semi-independently (i.e., with visits from home health workers).

SimplyHome website

Saving $69,423.60

2007-05-24T08:50:00.000-05:00

$194.00

That's the national average cost per day of private nursing home care in America, according to the AARP.

That's $70,810 per year.

Consider, then, how many cost-justify the SimplyHome system, which tethers caregivers electronically to a family member with "always on" data.

The system costs $799, and the monthly cost is $48.95. Implementation of the system means "aging in place," a fancy way of saying that the elderly or disabled person its helping does NOT need to move into an institution, but rather can stay at Home, Sweet Home.

Annual cost is thus $799 + (12 x $48.95) = $1,386.40, or 2% of the cost of a nursing home for a year.

In Year 2, of course, it is just 12 x $48.95 = $587.40, or <1% of the cost of a nursing home for a year.

SimplyHome uses its own two-way radio network, so all sensor data in the home is communicated all the time, in real-time. And one or more caregivers are alerted as needed, one or more ways (email, cell phone text messaging, automated voice).

As we like to say-- It Takes a Family.

SimplyHome website

Telemedicine Information Exchange

2007-05-23T07:21:00.001-05:00

We found this information-rich site called Telemedicine Information Exchange.

Here's an excerpt from one of the typically trenchant article posted there:

Home healthcare is at a unique crossroad. Providers face a multitude of pressures from every direction - patients, personnel, and government. They must deal with a shrinking pool of clinicians, an aging, more chronically ill population, tighter regulations, and declining reimbursement. How providers choose to meet these challenges and continue to provide outstanding health care will be the deciding factor in many organizations' future success or failure. This is not a topic for idle speculation; it is essential to begin formulating a plan to handle these challenges now. Home healthcare providers must consider a paradigm shift away from reactive care to a proactive care model (Technology Administration, 2004). In a proactive system, patients take greater part in their own disease management and clinicians can monitor patients more closely, which enables them to provide preventative intervention before situations become acute. Home healthcare providers can achieve these goals for themselves and their patients by using technology - specifically, interactive telehealth technology.

We would argue that the "tele" in telehealth is NOT the phone, because it's not a good way to continually send data in real-time-- our system uses the GSM network-- but the spirit of telehealth (increasingly called "Digital Home Health"), we think, is spot-on.

SimplyHome website

United States Senate Special Committee on Aging

2007-05-22T08:50:00.000-05:00

As a follow up to our post regarding our visit to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on the Aging, we want to highlight their website, and the fact that you can watch LIVE webcasts of their hearings.

The website is http://aging.senate.gov/, and check their website for hearings that you can watch as they happen. There was one last week, as an example:

May 16, 2007 -
Medicare Advantage Marketing & Sales: Who Has The Advantage?

Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) will chair a hearing titled "Medicare Advantage Marketing & Sales: Who Has The Advantage?" on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. in Dirksen 106.

SimplyHome website

We've Launched a Webinar Series

2007-05-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

CMI LAUNCHES A WEEKLY WEBINAR SERIES AIMED AT CARE ORGANIZATIONS

Every Tuesday at 11:30 am EST, CMI Will Offer a Free Webinar on the SimplyHome Product Line, Breakthrough Assistive Technology for Public Caregivers

Community Management Initiative, Inc. (CMI), a company dedicated to helping caregivers support independent living for the elderly and disabled, now offers a free webinar every Tuesday at 11:30 am EST aimed at exposing the SimplyHome(TM) Assistive Technology system to managers at organizations that care for the disabled and elderly across the USA.

For more info click here.

SimplyHome website

Our visit to the U.S. Senate

2007-05-18T08:18:00.001-05:00

See the photo above? That's where we were yesterday, the Dirksen Building which houses the nation's 100 senators in Washington, D.C. We talked to the folks at the United States Special Committee on Aging, and made three key points about Assistive Technology (AT) such as SimplyHome, which can help the elderly and disabled stay in their homes, supported by friends and family in a highly connected way:

While about 50% of Americans have broadband in their home...another 50% do not. Any solution that requires a broadband connection only serves half the nation. Systems like ours use a nationwide two-way radio network to send data-- we cover virtually everyone.
It's often the case that caregivers (friends, family) may not live right nearby the disabled or elderly person they seek to help. Even if they do, they may be working, traveling, etc. How to tether the resident needing help to caregivers? Email and cell phone text messaging, based on exception data. EXAMPLE: If Mom is not "Up and About" in the morning based on the motion detector seeing an absence of activity, her son and neighbor can get a message wherever they are, near or far.
Systems that make use of expensive or hard-to-install hardware also help only a few. Systems like ours leverage low-cost, wireless sensors, and the base unit is easy to set up and sits on a tabletop or can be wall-mounted, in 20 minutes. The sensors themselves have batteries that last five years, and when the batteries start to go low, the system alerts you via email/cell phone text messaging.

It's a rare bi-partisan issue-- using "AT" to save many millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent to pull folks out of their homes, and place them in institutions.

SimplyHome website

Web Yes, Paper & Fax No

2007-05-16T19:12:00.000-05:00

This May 10, 2007 article indicates a potential tipping point in web-based health records:

Verizon Communications Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ivan Seidenberg said on Wednesday that the company has implemented an electronic personal health-record system for its more than 900,000 active employees, retirees and their families. Called Verizon HealthZone PHR, the system works in conjunction with WebMD to allow individuals to store personalized health information on a password-protected Web site, he said.

"We think this kind of a simple connection creates enormous consumer power to drive change across the system," Seidenberg said.

In Washington yesterday for a panel discussion that featured government and private-sector leaders, Seidenberg said Verizon's healthcare tab was about $3.5 billion last year, and, overall, about 90% of those transactions happen hand-to-hand via phone or by fax.

Similarly, the SimplyHome system from CMI is a web-dashboard into a residence where an elderly or disabled person is seeking to stay at home, whereby friends & family help ensure safety, security and well-being by connecting to the system via email and cell phone messaging.

It appears that the web-- that has knit into so many aspects of human life-- is making yet a bigger move into health care.

SimplyHome website

Telemonitoring Example: Blood Pressure

2007-05-15T05:52:00.000-05:00

A 3/5/2007 article in FierceHealthIT News said this:

Boston healthcare giant Partners HealthCare has kicked off a new experiment under which it will monitor employee health by tracking high blood pressure online. Partners is rolling out the pilot with Boston-area IT management firm EMC, which has agreed to find 400 employees with high blood pressure to participate. The study will involve having half of these employees measure their blood pressure twice a week, using wired cuffs which transmit the readings wirelessly to researchers. (The other 200 employees will serve as a control group.) Researchers will call employees whose blood pressure is particularly high; otherwise, employees will be offered automated advice each week via a secure website. The effort comes as part of Partners' investment in telemedicine; the health system has budgeted $6 million over four years to establish telemedicine programs to manage diabetes, emphysema, depression and high blood pressure.

Telemedicine offers great promise regarding improving the quality and timeliness of care-- and at far lower costs than doctor or home visits require.

SimplyHome website

Telemonitoring Works

2007-05-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

A 5/10/2007 article in HealthcareIT News said this:

Home-based telemonitoring of patients with chronic diseases has a great deal of potential, according to a new study published this month in a high-profile health IT journal. To conduct the research, which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, Canadian researchers reviewed more than 65 studies published in the

U.S.

and Europe. The studies looked at home-based management of chronic pulmonary conditions, cardiac diseases, diabetes and hypertension using remote monitoring technology. While it wasn't clear how large the effect was, home telemonitoring did seem to cut ED visits, hospital admissions and average length of hospital stays, authors said. Telemonitoring seemed to have more impact on pulmonary and cardiac cases than diabetes and hypertension.

The three key drivers of telemonitoring are in evidence in the SimplyHome system by CMI:

Highly connected caregivers-- they have email and cell phones-- sometimes together in the form of a PDA.
The ability of intelligent home-based systems to send real-time alerts and notifications when there's abnormal activity-- or the absence of activity.
No reliance on a phone line or broadband connector in the home-- as an example, the SimplyHome system sends all its data via a two-way nationwide data network.

SimplyHome website

So, what will we buy in the Mall?

2007-05-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week and last week, author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Wednesday, May 09, 2007
So, what will we buy in the Mall?

I was walking through the mall the other day in Charlotte and it struck me for the first time how so many of the mall shops are devoted to merchandise for people 1/3 my age. It’s not that I would ever vary too much from the khaki’s and Polo I wear most every day anyway, but it would be interesting to have something interesting to consider that would give me the ability to not look like a Justin Timberlake groupie.

It struck me as odd that as a member of a consumer group that allegedly holds 70% of the liquid wealth in the country, purchases 40% of the second homes, makes up 60% of the tithing of most denominations and keeps 90% of the United Way and Red Cross organizations functioning that the only thing that really acknowledges that I’m valuable is that the Cheesecake Factory is really delighted when I come in. They are always happy in the Charlotte store because I think the Turtle Cheesecake qualifies at some level as nutrition (milk, eggs, nuts,). It follows the same logic that lets me believe ketchup is a vegetable.

Here’s what’s really going on: From the mall to housing to medicine to restaurants there is still not a commercial acknowledgement that we are changing as a society. It’s not that aging makes everything over, it just makes it different. My sense is that the great fortunes of the world are going to be made in the businesses that get this and capitalize on it. I don’t think we have to make age the focus…we just have to make it a consideration.

The first consideration as Boomers we can make is to consider how our Parents would like to be talked to and treated as a generation. Take a look at YouTube and its clip by The Zimmers “My Generation”. In addition to being entertaining it’s how your parents look now and how we’ll all look in about 20 or so years. National Parent Care Day (www.parentcaresolution.com) is another way to honor them. Just talking with them would be a start.

The real focus here is to not allow our parents or us as we age to be turned into some sort of objects in the room that are talked about in the third person even though we are there.. Part of the mall experience that I described above is a subtle step toward that type of marginalization. The message is that you become less and less significant as you age except for the money you can supply. In fact, it’s not even important that you spend it…just let your children be the agents for dispensation.

The mall would love it if you just sent the money. They wouldn’t have to have so many benches for people to rest on.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

Words that don't work with Boomers

2007-05-10T10:23:00.000-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week and last week, author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Words that don't work with Boomers

I love Dr. Frank Luntz new book, Words that Work (Hyperion Books 2007). In his book, Dr. Luntz talks about the way words are used to influence and motivate and the way they are used to connect thought and emotion. He talks about how to use the right words for the situation and how to choose the right words for the effect that one wants to create. If only Dr. Luntz had been in my grade school I think I could’ve skipped a lot of the “See Spot Run” stuff and gotten directly to telling Spot to stop creating spots on the floor for me to clean up.

As I read through the book I couldn’t help but think how the entire vocabulary of talking to people as they age has the collective aroma of formaldehyde and death. “Care Center, Assisted Living, Senior Care, Nursing Home, Special Care", are all terms that have negative connotations to them and even deeper negative connections. The language of Care is language about a useless past and a dismal future. It’s no wonder our parents don’t want to talk about aging with terms like these.

I think we should strike Geriatric from the dictionary. First of all, it sounds like some sort of insect that lives in the jungle or minimally, makes food rot when it gets near it. As much as I love the people who call themselves Geriatric Case Workers and Gerontologists I certainly don’t want to meet one or even have them over for dinner. I just can’t imagine being enthused as an older person by knowing that a Geriatric Case Worker is coming over this afternoon so a Gerontologist can assess what Special Care Center I would work best in.

Here’s the problem with this language: the language turns the older person into an object to be studied, evaluated, classified, catalogued and eventually filed away in a home somewhere. We wouldn’t even attempt this type of strategy with a young person graduating from college, an early 30’s professional, or a mature mid-level executive. All of the language used to describe those folks is really about their future. All of the language used to describe older folks is about their future as well…except the language just makes the future feel dismal and depressing. Language creates culture and the language we use for aging creates a fatalistic culture.

Why don’t we come up with some new words? As Boomers we could practice on our parents and embrace them fully as we age.

I’d rather have my Second Stage Life Strategist over for dinner than my Gerontologist anyway.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

What if they won't talk about this?

2007-05-09T08:37:00.001-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week and last week, author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Tuesday, April 24, 2007
What if they won't talk about this?

As I talk with folks around the country about their parents and how to help them as they age, one of the most common laments is that whenever they attempt to bring the subject of aging and care up, the parents either shut down completely or create a diversion. To tell the truth, I can't blame the parents for doing either. Most of the conversations begin with either assumptions or intrusions. Questions like "Have you considered a nursing home?" or the ever popular "Let's talk about selling this house before it gets to be too much." are really violations of the autonomy and freedom your parents are trying to hold on to.

Instead of trying to get your parents to agree to a DEFAULT position that you've created based on what YOU think is best for them why don't you let them DESIGN a situation that's best for THEM? It would make for a much less stressful situation and certainly one that's more interesting. But how, exactly, do you go about doing this?

Understand that some parents will never talk about this subject. Maybe those folks are your folks. If that is the case, get your name off everything that will make you legally accountable or responsible for them when they can't take care of themselves. If you don't you will have the mess of a lifetime to contend with. If they will talk about it, use the approach that we have created in The Parent Care Solution...The Six Conversations using the acronym C.A.R.E. The C is for Challenges, the A is for Alternatives, the R is for resources and the E. is for experience. Using this structure throughout the Six Conversations allows your parents to have complete control over the way their aging future looks. Your biggest job is to just listen and then see if you can help them implement it.

Here's why C.A.R.E works. Americans as a whole are stimulated by Challenges. Challenges bring out the best in us as a people. Parents are no exceptions. We always want to know what our Alternatives or options are for any challnge we face. As a people, we like options and are used to them. We have virtually unlimited Resources to face almost any situation and if we don't have them, we know someone who does. Finally, we want to completely design the Experience we have around most everything. Our long term care is no exception.

Try the C.A.R.E. approach if what you are doing isn't working. This just might do the trick.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

What Do You Get When You Combine......

2007-05-08T08:08:00.000-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week and last week, author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Monday, April 16, 2007
What Do You Get When You Combine......

What do you get when you combine Health Savings Accounts, the Privatization of Social Security, the decline of the traditional retirement plan and Arnold in California?

A National Health Care Program...that's what. Here's what Arnold knows as the president of the world's 7th largest econonomy: When you have 30% of the population who cannot access basic health care and housing for a long period of time what you get is cities that start to burn...slowly at first but more rapidly. Check out Buenos Aires, Santiago, Los Angeles, etc. for past reference.

Here's how I think it works down the road. It will more than likely be a payroll tax or a consumption tax that starts out small and gradually gets bigger as more exceptions are made to the program. Boomers and their children, at least the affluent ones probably get indexed out on an income or asset basis over time. The early sales pitch will be that everyone will now have access to healthcare shared by everyone's contribution. What you really end up with is a really bad version of Canada's much heralded National Health Care Program. It's not that Canada has a bad program. It has a good one if you have poor vision, a broken leg, or a sinus headache. It's not so great if you have cancer, liver failure, or need a heart transplant. In fact, at last count there were more MRI machines in Atlanta than in all of Canada. But....to the point: It's not that Canada tells you 'NO'. It just never tells you 'When'.

What this means is not greater opportunities for you and your parents. What it means is longer waiting lines, different doctors each time, lowest common denominator diagnostics, and a feeling that you just stepped into the back of some bus forever. Here's the real opportunity: New and different forms of individualized health delivery and wellness strategies on a fee for service basis. Think of this new system doing to health care what the internet did for the Post Office: Making it embarassed about raising its rates for doing less and less.

Call Arnold. Tell him not to come back with this idea.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

A Parent Care Community: Old might not be so bad if....

2007-05-07T08:02:00.000-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week and last week, author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Friday, April 06, 2007
A Parent Care Community: Old might not be so bad if....

I was reading the other day in one of those magazines about the best places to live and retire. You can't read one of those without Austin, Texas being listed as one of the top three. There are lots of reasons for that. Austin is young. It's cool. It's got great barbecue and music. It's hot in the summer and temperate in the winter. Besides having Lance Armstrong it's got one of the greatest hotels in the country...The Four Seasons Austin...great environment, service and hospitality. Izzy Sharpe should be proud.

It occurred to me that Boomers should have a place like that where they and their parents could live and hang out together without getting in each other's hair. A place where we could care ABOUT each other but not have to worry about caring FOR each other. A place where we could do extreme sports or extreme most anything. A place where technology allowed us to stay in touch with our children and grandchildren and a world of people who are looking for connection. A place where the smell of things in the fields overode the smell of things in the bedpan. A place where the brightness of the flowers could be seen by the dimmest of eyesight.

It could be a place where our future was something different than just remembering our past. A place where we could meet people who wanted to do things and talk about things and consider anything but the fact that we were getting older. It could be a place where the majority of our friends were under 40 because we have more energy than their 20 something friends. It could be a place where our dogs and cats and fish and horses stayed with us or near us for as long as they could. And if they couldn't or when they died, they would still be near.

It could have an artist in residence. Or even a wellness physician and perhaps a small clinic or hospital. A pharmacy and a place to get ice cream. We could continue to learn there either by professors who stopped by or their lectures on the web that became the new reason for town meetings. It could have someone who helped us understand why bad things happen to good people and in Emerson's words how "we sit in the lap of an Immense Intelligence." It could be a place where we talk more about the new friends we've met than the old ones who have died. it could be a place where truly our future was bigger than our past. It could be a place that does anything but encourage us to wait for Death to come calling. It could be a place where the architectural standards encouraged the accomodations of aging and made it possible for us to stay as long as we were here.

It could be a lot like I feel when I'm in Austin........

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

The Parent Care Movement- Something We Need To Begin

2007-05-04T06:31:00.000-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Wednesday, April 04, 2007
The Parent Care Movement- Something We Need To Begin

What do you get when you combine the War In Iraq, The Gonzales Controversy, a 67,000 Page Internal Revenue Code, and Global Warming?

A Congress that is totally focused on everything but the single largest issue facing the future of the country...how to take care of the parents of 80 million Boomers who are going to live longer, spend more on health care and have less options of where to spend their final days than any other group in history. I am not at all convinced that if every nation on earth adopted the Kyoto Treaty that the one degree decline in temperature over 50 years would affect anything but the fattest furriest polar bear. I am convinced however, that if we don't start thinking about our parents we will be stepping over them in the streets and Depends will become the new growth stock. After all, the election year is only 18 months away and well...we do have sort of 20 years before all the parent stuff becomes sort of sticky.

Let's do this...let's just take control of this issue and resolve it for our parents and for ourselves. Let's start a Parent Care Movement that begins today and ends when the big issues like healthcare, places to live, medical records access, tax incentives, and every other issue facing us as we age are resolved.. Let's just write our Congress people on a state and federal level and tell them if they don't get moving on this we will just not let them have their jobs back. Get your employer, your pastor, your Kiwanis club, your e-mail network all working on this and get them doing it now.

We need care delivery systems that are transparent, efficient, and cost effective. We need more trained caregivers. We need corporations that add caregiving support as a benefit. We need courses on how to let us change our houses to stay in them as we age. We need places for our seniors to connect and communicate. We need aging facilities that look more like places we'd like to live instead of places we're afraid to die in. We need to get churches to hire nurses and caregivers and to build residences for their members to age in. We need technology to connect our shut ins to the world and alarm systems that let them reach out to us when they need us. We need CAREPETS(tm) to be companions to older people whose family and friends have forgotten about them. We need to bring every creative idea, impulse, innovation, and urge that would create a better future for our parents and us....and we need to start NOW!

We need to do anything and everything but wait on Washington to wake up......

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

New Ideas for Aging in Place

2007-05-03T09:25:00.001-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Tuesday, April 03, 2007
New Ideas for Aging in Place

My feeling is that the Boomers are going to resist institutionalization as they age much like they did the Vietnam War....with protests and gunfire. This is true in part because there are simply not enough existing institutions for them even if they wanted to go, which they don't. What the Boomers will do is completely reinvent the notion of senior housing to not include the word "senior" in the same phrase as 'housing'. Let me give you an example.

Charlotte Roberts, the co-author with Peter Senge of the best seller, The Fifth Discipline, in the 90's has created a unique structure for single professional women as they age to live together in a common dwelling place, share communal meals, and both look after their lives and create community where they may not have one. The criteria is that they have to be able to take care of themselves, live independently, and do most of the daily things that aging, but healthy people do. The project is called Baldwin House and it is located in Statesville, NC. Charlotte and her sister Frankie, restored an old Southern home to create this environment. It has a full kitchen, meals provided, exercise capability, high tech components, and an environment for building relationships. While not for everyone, Baldwin House is just one of the models for independent-but-connected living that Boomers will be looking for as they age. My sense is that it will be a vibrant place for both relationship, community, and great conversation.

Charlotte Roberts is redefining the notion of what it is to age by redesigning the structures in which we consider aging. As Boomers, we will refuse to think of aging the way our parents did as well as choosing the housing options that they did. We want to custom design our later years much like we custom designed our lives. I don't know about you, but I think she's on to something.......

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

The Care Giver Shortage.....About a Million

2007-05-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Monday, April 02, 2007
The Care Giver Shortage.....about a Million

Here's an interesting idea: What if the next 150K a year job in the 21st Century was a registered nurse? What if the next 75K a year job was a high end companion and caregiver? What if there were a waiting list for both of them and no one told you about it?

By some estimates we are short about 80,000 nurses over the next decade. Professional caregivers are even more in demand...almost 700,000 just to take take of the first wave of Boomers and their parents Just when you need the care...guess what....there may be no one there to provide it.

Here's the answer to this dilemma for you: Take a look at the health situation of your parents over the next few weeks and anticipate, all things being equal, if they wanted to stay at home while they "age in place", what kind of care would they need? Companionship, skilled nursing, non-medical assitance with daily living requirements? What about food service and transportation?

Get to know the caregiving businesses in your area like Senior's Choice, HomeInstead, Visiting Angels, or a Parent Care Specialist. Find out what their staffing is like and how soon someone could be available for your needs now or in the future? Find a medical practice that has a gerontology expert or at least someone that is focused on senior health issues. See if they are taking new patients.

One of the dangers in the next 25 years is we won't be able to access the care when we need it either at home or in a facility. The people you may have lover looked in the past few years on your way to somewhere important may be the very ones who will be able to allow you to stay in your home and that IS important.

One of the opportunties is to start putting together a business that employs just nurses, caregivers, and physican's assistants. Sounds like the prescription for the Full Employment Act for someone.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

Churches as Elder Care "First Responders"

2007-05-01T06:54:00.001-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Thursday, March 29, 2007
Churches as Elder Care "First Responders"

Churches have and should play a dominant influencing role in community services for Boomers and their Parents. Whether it's a synagogue, parish, congregation, or Mormon Temple, faith based organizations cannot only protect their older members as they age but can actually shape policy on how communities deal with them. Churches have many reasons to do this, primarily that their tithing base tends to be made up of older, financially secure individuals, for whom the church is a source of connection, community, and inspiration. As these folks age and either age in place or transition to care facilities the possibility of tithe monies being diverted for the additonal at home care or paid to care facilities becomes more forseeable. The effect on the financial structure of the church could be potentially devastating. I think churches can respond in the following ways:

1. Create a Parent Care Counselor position inside the church either on a lay basis or a as paid staff member. The Parent Care Counselor as well as The Parent Care Solution have created ithe capability as one that is responsible for coordinating resources and being a refernce for church members for senior services both inside the church and the community. A Parent Care Counselor is trained in the Parent Care Conversations to be able to work with Boomers and their Parents inside the church.

2. Create Housing Opportunties. Churches have the ability to create assisted living, special care, transition housing, or adult day care opportunities for their members. My feeling is that churches should take this responsibilityand this opportunity on immediately. In additon to being an excellent investment for the church, the housing allows the church members to stay in community with each other. Politicians and Zoning officials will get on this bandwagon immediately. Who wants to be know as the person who vetoed Senior Housing for 5th Street Baptist.

3. Create a home health care agency inside the church. In the Parent Care Total Care Solution we advocate our professionals creating their own at home health care capability. This is necessary for a number of reasons including a current shortage of nurses, a projected shortage of nearly 700,000 healthcare workers, the looming retirement of nearly 40% of the Geriatric Physician community over the next ten years, and the fact that just when a congregation's members need health care, it may be difficult to access. A side benefit is that it is a wonderful source of revenue for the church and a way to connect with the children of the seniors.

There's a scriptural adage that not a sparrow falls that God doesn't know about. Maybe it's time to for the church to pay that kind of attention to its older sparrows.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome website

The Long Term Care Score: Genworth 12,134; Conseco -1

2007-04-30T20:33:00.000-05:00

From Dan Taylor's Parent Care Solution Blog
[this week author Dan Taylor is our guest blogger; these are some of his past writings]

Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Long Term Care Score: Genworth 12,134-------Conseco -1

If the article in yesterday's New York Times is true and Conseco's long term care claims paying strategy is as described by the writer, it looks like Genworth may have a whole new future. No matter what the outcome, it shows you what not doing what you're supposed to do creates. How much money would it take to have bought a front stage story in the New York Times for something your were doing right? Not 1,000,000th as much as what doing something wrong on the front page will cost . In any event, here's a warning shot across the bow for long term care policy owners and perspective purchasers: MAKE SURE THE COMPANY INTENDS TO PAY THE CLAIM!!!!!!

Hiding behind bureaucratic procedures and practices plus the usual organizational incompetencies will not get you mentioned in the Senior's Hall of Fame when it comes to long term care payment practices. My belief is that there should be legislation that would create the equivalent of the Felony Murder rule in long term care. It could be called the Felony Fraud Rule: if an older person suffers a death or disabling injury or extention of an existing infirmity during the time the company is dawdling over claims payment unnecessarily, then the company would be charged criminally with negligence or manslaughter. The employees perpetuating the delay on the part of their superiors and executives would be charged as accessories to Felony Fraud. That way everyone gets their day in court.

Delay, obfuscation, tactics intended to intimidate, confuse, and frustrate the owners of these policies in their attempted settlement should be dealt with the harshest of penalties both civil and criminal. Write your state and federal legislators today. Tell them you're mad as hell and you're not going to take it any more. Tell them I told you to write. Tell them also that Genworth is doing just the opposite of what it appears Conseco is doing: Honoring their obligations and satisfying their customers. What a novel business concept.

Hats off to you Genworth. Shame on you Conseco.

Posted by Dan Taylor

SimplyHome Website

Spotlight on SimplyHome sensors: Supports up to 23

2007-04-27T06:41:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we will shine our spotlight on one of the wireless sensor types for the SimplyHome system.

The SimplyHome system comes with six (6) sensors, as shown below in the picture, and you can add up to a total of seventeen (17) more.

All the sensors are wireless.

Click on the "Buy Now" button at our website to see all the available sensors in our eStore.

SimplyHome website

Spotlight on SimplyHome sensors: Panic Pendant ("PERS")

2007-04-26T10:25:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we will shine our spotlight on one of the wireless sensor types for the SimplyHome system.

Panic Pendant ("PERS")
$49.95

Note one (1) of these come with the SimplyHome Base Kit. Like all the sensors, it is wireless.

Designed to go just about anywhere, this sensor allows you to activate a 24-hour emergency alarm whether your at home, in the yard, or in the shower. With SimplyHome, you can have the pressing of the panic pendant call (automated voice), email and/or send a cell phone text message to one or more caregivers, instantly.

The Panic Pendant also is called a "PERS"-- a Personal Emergency Response System.

Features:

Water and shock resistant.
Recessed panic button prevents false alarms.
Can be worn around neck.
Built-in belt clip allows sensor to be attached to belt or purse.
Can be supervised.
Wall mounting option.

Specifications:

Necklace cord and belt clip included
Color: White
Dimensions: 1.75" wide, 2.25" high, 0.75" deep
Batteries: 3.5 VDC 1/2 AA Lithium Battery
Battery life: 5-8 years

SimplyHome website

Spotlight on SimplyHome sensors: Indoor Motion Sensor (pet immune)

2007-04-25T06:37:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we will shine our spotlight on one of the wireless sensor types for the SimplyHome system.

Indoor Motion Sensor (Pet Immune)
$79.95

Note one (1) of these come with the SimplyHome Base Kit. Like all the sensors, it is wireless.

The Pet-Immune Indoor Motion Sensor detects movement inside an enclosed structure.

When your SimplyHome system is armed in "Away" mode (the mode that should be used when no one is at the location), motion sensors will trip alarms when they detect movement within their coverage area. Pets that are less than 40 pounds will not trip the motion sensor if installed correctly. If your system is armed in Away mode and you're entering the location through a door that has a door sensor on it, then your motion sensors will wait 30 seconds for you to disarm the system before an alarm is tripped. This is called an "entry delay" and helps to prevent false alarms.

When your SimplyHome system is disarmed, or when it is armed in "Stay" mode (the mode that should be used when someone is at the home), motion sensors will report activity but will not sound the siren or trip an alarm. This unique feature is called "Normal Activity Monitoring."

You can use Normal Activity monitoring to see when there is activity in certain areas of the home, like bedrooms, hallways, basements, bathrooms, kitchens and living rooms.

With Normal Activity monitoring, you can keep track of what's happening when you're not there, 24 hours a day, even if you never arm your system.

Better, you can utilize the "Up & About" feature-- set a rule in the web dashboard saying that (as an example) "If the motion sensor in the kitchen does not detect activity in the morning by 9 am, send me and my brother an email and a cell phone text message, each." This way you can see if your elderly parent or disabled sibling has arisen in the morning to begin their day.

Features:

Passive infrared detection.
Detects movement inside an enclosed structure.
Use in large rooms, narrow corridors, and stairwells.
35 feet by 40 feet coverage area
3-minute motion lockout to conserve battery life.
Two sensitivity settings.
Small and unobtrusive.
Pet immunity up to 40 pounds.

Specifications:

Battery: Two 1.5 VDC AA Alkaline
Battery Life: 3-4 years
Operating Temp: 32º - 120ºF
Tamper Switch
Supervisory report every 64 minutes
Dimensions: 2.5"W x 3"H x 2"D

Note: Motion sensors should not be installed directly facing windows or heat sources.

SimplyHome website

Spotlight on SimplyHome sensors: Door/Window (micro size)

2007-04-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we will shine our spotlight on one of the wireless sensor types for the SimplyHome system.

Door/Window Sensor
Micro Size
$39.95

Note two (2) of these come with the SimplyHome Base Kit. They can attach with the strong two-sided tape that ships with the sensor, or can be screwed in.

The wireless Micro Door/Window Sensor is a supervised, wireless sensor that detects the opening and closing of doors, windows, cabinets, drawers, or just about anything that opens and closes.

The sensor's small size and low profile makes it less conspicuous and makes for a cleaner-looking installation.

The sensor is powered by a 3-volt, lithium coin-cell battery with an estimated life of 5 years (actual battery life depends on how often the sensor is activated), which can be replaced by an end user.

When your SimplyHome system is disarmed, door/window sensors will report all open/close activity but will not sound the siren or trip an alarm. This unique feature is called "Normal Activity Monitoring." You can use Normal Activity monitoring to see when specific doors, windows, cabinets, closets and safes are opened and closed. With Normal Activity monitoring, you can keep track of what's happening when you're not there, 24 hours a day, even if you never arm your system. Better, you can set rules so you can get exception data-- for example, send you and your sister an email if your elderly mother's front door is open say after 8 pm and before 6 am, seven days per week.

Features:

Small size, low profile is inconspicuous and fits many different applications
A user-replaceable lithium, coin-cell battery
Advanced technology that helps extend battery life
Supervisory reports of battery and transmitter condition
All activity is reported, not just alarms.

Specifications

3.0 volt, lithium coin-cell (CR2032)
Typical Battery Life: ~5 years
Operating Temp: 10º - 120ºF
Supervisory report every 64 minutes
Dimensions: 1.75"L x .80"W x .50"H

SimplyHome website

Spotlight on SimplyHome sensors: Door/Window (regular size)

2007-04-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we will shine our spotlight on one of the wireless sensor types for the SimplyHome system.

Regular Door/Window Contact Sensor
Regular Size
$36.95

Note two (2) of these come with the SimplyHome Base Kit. They can attach with the strong two-sided tape that ships with the sensor, or can be screwed in.

The SimplyHome system supports up to twenty-three (23) wireless sensors.

Use door/window sensors to protect anything that opens and closes, such as doors, windows, closets and cabinets. The sensor detects an opening with a magnet and reed-switch mechanism that can signal an audible alarm, or send an alert to a caregiver, or both.

Whether your SimplyHome system is in an armed state or not, door/window sensors continuously report all open and close activity, in real time. This unique feature is called "Normal Activity Monitoring." And you can apply rules to cause exception data to send alerts and notifications to one or more caregivers via email and/or cell phone text messages-- for example, if a back door at the residence is open ever, or a front door is open after 7 pm and before 7 am.

Door/Window Contact Features:

* Installs on anything that opens or closes.
* For low and average traffic areas.

Specifications:

* Magnet included
* Dimensions: 1.13" wide, 4.25" high, .88" deep
* Batteries: 2 AAA alkaline
* Battery life: 4-6 years.

SimplyHome website

This Week: Q & A on SimplyHome (part 5 of 5)

2007-04-20T08:23:00.001-05:00

This week, each day, we answer a common question about SimplyHome.

Q: How "mobile" is the SimplyHome system-- that is, if my elderly mother moves, can it easily be relocated?

A: The sensors are all wireless, and the base unit itself sits on a table or is mounted to the wall, so it is very easy to move all parts of SimplyHome.

Further, we're a rare company in the Independent Living space that does NOT require long-term contracts from customers, relating to the recurring monthly charge. It is a month-to-month obligation only. So if your elderly mother, as an example, goes to live for three months at your sister's house and you don't need the SimplyHome system during this time-- thus you can save the cost of the recurring monthly charge during that period.

Alternatively, perhaps during that period you want to try the system at the home of your in-laws, to help them "age in place." In that case, you simply move the system to the new location, and continue on, re-setting the right elements with a few mouseclicks in the web dashboard.

SimplyHome website

This Week: Q & A on SimplyHome (part 4 of 5)

2007-04-19T08:46:00.001-05:00

This week, each day, we answer a common question about SimplyHome.

Q: How does the "rule setting" work with SimplyHome?

A: We know that caregivers need "exception data"-- that is, alerts and notifications when something appears awry-- and they need this data INSTANTLY.

Here's how it works: The Lead Caregiver logs-in to the SimplyHome web dashboard with a valid login ID and password. Under the NOTIFICATIONS tab, it is then a simple three step process to set-up a notification.

Say, as an example, that the resident should not be leaving (opening the front or back door) after 6 pm and before 5 am. If either door is open after 6 pm or before 5 am any day of the week, an alert is sent. In the web dashboard it is easy to select these two sensors (a wireless contact sensor that is affixed to each door), indicate the time period where if opened, an alert is sent, and then to whom the alert is sent, and how.

As an example, the Lead Caregiver might choose to receive this alert via email and cell phone text message himself, and via say just email to say two other caregivers.

And say that one week the Lead Caregiver is on travel-- he can go into the web dashboard and add another caregiver to back him, inputting say both email and cell phone text message addresses for this temporary replacement, and deleting them upon his return.

SimplyHome website

This Week: Q & A on SimplyHome (part 3 of 5)

2007-04-18T08:42:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we answer a common question about SimplyHome.

Q: Other Independent Living systems seem to need a phone line, or a broadband connection at the residence-- how about SimplyHome?

A: SimplyHome needs neither. It makes use of a 2-way radio network. Each SimplyHome unit has an antenna (see picture below), that at all times is sending data about the residence's sensor activity through the sky to the Network Operating Center, where the data is processed and made available to Caregivers in real-time via the web and via PDA, and alerts & notifications are sent based on rules that have been set by the Lead Caregiver.

The system can be placed virtually anywhere in the residence, on a table or mounted on the wall. The antenna does NOT need a line-of-sight to the sky.

SimplyHome website

This week: Q & A on SimplyHome (part 2 of 5)

2007-04-17T09:03:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we answer a common question about SimplyHome.

Q: We have looked at systems that include a Central Station-- what is that, and how is SimplyHome different?

A: We believe "It Takes a Family." SimplyHome allows you a high degree of connectedness between what's happening at the residence, and one or more caregivers.

In the SimplyHome web dashboard, with a few mouseclicks you set up rules-- such as if the resident presses the panic pendant button, a call/email/cell phone text message (one, two or all three) instantly goes out to you, your sister, the neighbor (one or more).

Similarly, if the resident is not "Up & About," again-- messaging is sent in real-time to key contact-- people who know the resident, and can decide what to do. Often the reaction is to call the resident, go over to the residence-- or in rare cases, vector in Emergency Medical help.

The fact is that no one knows your mother or your sister, as an example, better than the child or the sibling. Rather than a remote call center (aka "Central Station") staffed by service representatives who know virtually nothing about the resident, we believe the powerful connectivity of SimplyHome should loop in family and friends, first and foremost.

SimplyHome website

This week: Q & A on SimplyHome (part 1 of 5)

2007-04-16T09:38:00.000-05:00

This week, each day, we answer a common question about SimplyHome.

Q: Does the system in include a Panic Pendant ("PERS")?

A: Yes-- but don't over-rate this device. The fact is, folks don't always have them handy, and in a case where say your elderly mother or handicapped brother can press the Panic Pendant button, on some level she or he is OK. The SimplyHome system is far more watchful-- you place one or more of our motion detectors (the system ships with one) around the residence.

Then using the SimplyHome web dashboard, you set a simple rule-- if mom or brother is not "Up & About" in the morning (as an example) say by 9 am, you and your wife get an email...and a cell phone text message.

This feature-- "Up & About"-- is one of many that makes SimplyHome far different-- we would say far better-- than traditional systems. The unblinking eye(s) of the motion detectors connected to you and your fellow caregivers vie email and cell phone text messaging helps deliver a high-confidence level of care, beyond that given by the resident pushing the panic pendant button-- if she or he can find it...and indeed is able to push it.

SimplyHome website

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist

2007-04-12T10:59:00.000-05:00

This recent article from The Fairfield County Business Journal (Connecticut) talks about a new certification from the august NAHB, and it spotlights a forward-thinking careerist named Mary Jo Peterson:

McLoughlin went on to become a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, a certification from the National Association of Homebuilders that Peterson helped create, just part of the legacy she had built over the past 15 or so years.

More on the NAHB program is here, described as:

The Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) designation program teaches the technical, business management, and customer service skills essential to competing in the fastest growing segment of the residential remodeling industry: home modifications for the aging-in-place.

It's easy to believe that a Tipping Point has been reached in helping the elderly and disabled live independently or semi-independently at home when homebuilders are recognizing design issues.

SimplyHome website

Gerontology [Part 4 of 4]

2007-04-11T06:27:00.000-05:00

There are many universities that have Gerontology programs, and USC is among the best-known:

Gerontology is the study of aging in the context of the entire life span. The USC Davis Schoolthe USC Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, are improving the quality of life for older persons through research and education. and its research and services component,

As the oldest and largest school of gerontology in the world, the Davis School has a long tradition of forging new pathways in the field of aging. A multidisciplinary institution from its inception in 1975, the Davis School was built on the bedrock of excellence in aging research. Research in molecular biology, neuroscience, demography, psychology, sociology and public policy is conducted under the auspices of the Andrus Gerontology Center, founded in 1964.

Expect continued growth from the academic side of Gerontology, as our society requires a large number of smart, committed professionals relating to aging.

SimplyHome website

Gerontology [Part 3 of 4]

2007-04-10T10:04:00.001-05:00

The beauty of growth in the field of Gerontology is discoveries like this, reported in The Cincinnati Enquirer:

The Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University studied the cost of long-term care for older Ohioans and reached a familiar conclusion: The state spends too many Medicaid dollars on nursing homes and too few on in-home and community-based care.

Ohio ranks 47th in the percentage of its long-term-care budget spent on helping seniors remain in their own homes. This hurts the state, because national studies show that states with their spending weighed in favor of in-home care spend less per capita than others.

If seniors who are healthy enough for in-home care or assisted living are forced to choose a nursing home because no funds are available for the less-intensive care, they are gravely ill-served by the state.

Thanks in no small part to continued expansion in the army of smart Gerontologists across that nation, reimbursement rules are under review in every statehouse-- significant savings can be garnered, and major improvements in quality of life can be achieved, by enabling seniors and the disabled to stay at home using modern, assistive technology.

SimplyHome website

Gerontology [Part 2 of 4]

2007-04-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

The fast-growing Gerontological Society of America has an informative website, and is an important participant in understanding aging issues:

The Gerontological Society of America is a non-profit professional organization with more than 5,000 members in the field of aging. GSA provides researchers, educators, practitioners, and policy makers with opportunities to understand, advance, integrate, and use basic and applied research on aging to improve the quality of life as one ages.

And this DC-based organization is in its 50th year:

The evolution of the Society began in 1939 when a group of 24 scientists and physicians, some of them participants at a 1937 Woods Hole conference, formed the Club for Research on Ageing.

On May 18, 1945, with World War II coming to a close, Earl T. Engle, Lawrence K. Frank, Jean Oliver, Oscar Riddle and Henry S. Simms met in New York City to sign the certificate to incorporate the Gerontological Society, to "promote the scientific study of aging."

Their mission is as follows:

to promote the conduct of multi- and interdisciplinary research in aging by expanding the quantity of and improving the quality of gerontological research, and by increasing its funding resources; and
to disseminate gerontological research knowledge to researchers, to practitioners, and to decision and opinion makers.

Reflecting their academic bent, the "GSA" also publishes journals.

[continued tomorrow, this is Part 2 of a four-part series on Gerontology]

SimplyHome website

What is Gerontology? [Part 1 of 4]

2007-04-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

Today we start a four-part series on a nascent field: Gerontology. Wikipedia defines it like this:

Gerontology is the study of aging. It is to be distinguished from geriatrics, which is the study of the diseases of the aging (medical studies).

Gerontology covers the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging.

Gerontology includes these and other endeavors:

studying physical, mental, and social changes in people as they age.
investigating the effects of our aging population on society.
applying this knowledge to policies and programs.

Per Wikipedia:

A gerontological education can be lucrative. Many industries already recognize that the nearly 80 million boomers, born between 1946 and 1965, are the dominant market force. The 50+ population currently commands $2 trillion in consumer spending. Referred to as "silver industries," many business communities are targeting their brands to older consumers. Now in middle age and in their prime earning years, baby boomers' wealth and influence is at a high, and the group continues to change the paradigms followed by earlier generations.

More to come tomorrow and next Monday and Tuesday....

SimplyHome website

Aging in Place

2007-04-04T09:02:00.000-05:00

In all corners of the USA-- including Alaska-- the interest in helping the elderly live independently or semi-independently at home longer. This article in the Homer News says it this way:

“Aging in place is a very national phenomenon and I’m committed to having people remain in their homes,” Horazdovsky said.

Pam Horazdovsky is a geriatric care manager, and she assesses clients’ needs and abilities and makes recommendations for care that will maximize their independence in the least restrictive manner.

The entire field of gerontology is blooming, and if you tune back in to our blog tomorrow we'll be talking about the growing army of certified workers in this discipline and how they're helping keep folks in their home, sweet homes.

SimplyHome website

Elderly Woman Denied Insurance

2007-04-03T10:17:00.000-05:00

The august NY Times is covering the challenges the elderly face better than any periodical in the USA. In this article they explore how an insurance firm denied long-term-care payments for Mary Derks, who has early-stage dementia, hypertension and diabetes. She bought the policy to avoid burdening her family, but it was forced to sell part of its farm-equipment dealership to pay for her care.

Mary Rose Derks was a 65-year-old widow in 1990, when she began preparing for the day she could no longer care for herself. Every month, out of her grocery fund, she scrimped together about $100 for an insurance policy that promised to pay eventually for a room in an assisted living home.

On a May afternoon in 2002, after bouts of hypertension and diabetes had hospitalized her dozens of times, Mrs. Derks reluctantly agreed that it was time. She shed a few tears, watched her family pack her favorite blankets and rode to Beehive Homes, five blocks from her daughter’s farm equipment dealership.

At least, Mrs. Derks said at the time, she would not be a financial burden on her family.

But when she filed a claim with her insurer, Conseco, it said she had waited too long. Then it said Beehive Homes was not an approved facility, despite its state license. Eventually, Conseco argued that Mrs. Derks was not sufficiently infirm, despite her early-stage dementia and the 37 pills she takes each day.

Hopefully, Mrs. Derks and others like her can be helped by the emerging array of Assistive Technology products....and with the help of family, stay at home.

IBM AT Offering

2007-04-02T08:41:00.000-05:00

Even IBM is working in the world of AT, per this recent posting, which starts like this:

Caring for patients with chronic illnesses is costly—nearly $1.27 trillion today and predicted to grow much larger. To address this trend, we have designed and built a platform, called Personal Care Connect (PCC), to facilitate the remote monitoring of patients. By providing caregivers with timely access to a patient's health status, they can provide patients with appropriate preventive interventions, helping to avoid hospitalization and to improve the patient's quality of care and quality of life.

Here's the datasheet on Personal Care Connect, and their approach:

This solution was developed to improve a patient’s quality of life by helping to:

• Limit a patient's health risk
• Increase their comfort level
• Reduce the number of primary care visits as well as reducing emergency care and hospital admissions.

In the burgeoning AT business, having big brands like IBM dive in with one or both feet is a market accelerator.

5,000,000 Alzheimer's Patients in the US Today

2007-03-30T06:53:00.000-05:00

This NY Times article is rich with information:

Five million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study last week by the Alzheimer’s Association. About half, 2.5 million, are at the early stages of the disease, other studies have found, struggling to pass for normal.

There's been a significant increase in better treatment methods for Alzheimer's. Probably one of the biggest areas of research and productization is relating to small devices that the patient can wear such that he/she can be tracked at all times-- including an alert being sent to caregivers if the patient moves out of a "geo-fence" (a "virtual" circle on a map).