Now, the technology consulting company Accenture is developing a system called "The Virtual Family Dinner" that would allow families to get together -- virtually -- as often as they'd like.
The concept is simple. An elderly woman in, say, California, makes herself dinner. When she gets ready to sit down and eat, the system detects it and alerts her son in Chicago. The son then goes to his kitchen, where a small camera and microphone capture what he is doing. Speakers and a screen -- as big as a television or as small as a picture frame -- allow him to hear and see his mother, who has a similar setup.
It seems that the long-talked about "picture phone" rears its head in this broadband-rich world with increasing frequency.The article continues--
"I feel very limited by only being able to talk on the phone most of the time," said Cai Glushak, one of an estimated 34 million Americans caring for a person age 50 or older.
The array of technology tools and packaged services aimed at the "Sandwich Generation"-- people like Cai Glushak-- is broader and deeper by the month, and will radically improve care of the elderly and disabled.
