The article went on to say:
Of course, not everyone wants someone looking over their shoulder. “There are privacy and ethical issues,” Ms. Stone said. “Where’s the line between motion sensors and Big Brother?”
She emphasized the need for aging parents to consent to the sharing of their information. She also pointed out that home health monitoring systems are in the very early stages, and that sometimes a friendly neighbor who notices, for example, that your mother has not retrieved her morning newspaper can be as effective as a motion detector. “Technology can be a complement to human resources, but many of these do not obviate the need for humans,” she said.
Unfortunately, many adult children live too far from their parents to fill that need at times. But finding help may be becoming easier, thanks to geriatric care managers, who can take on some of the higher-level care duties that home health aides do not cover, like attending doctors’ appointments or evaluating nursing homes.
To date, however, the geriatric care industry is largely unregulated-- care managers require no accreditation. Only a few states require care managers to be licensed, although care managers who are also nurses or social workers may have state licenses.Starting in 2010, the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers (GCM) will require all its members to hold one of four specific certifications in care management or social work.
Geriatric care managers typically charge $80-$200 an hour, depending on the services provided.
The GCM provides referrals to members at www.findacaremanger.org.
