Extracted from the publication of Lisa Montgomery on Electronic House website July 30th 2010
Talk to just about anybody, and they’ll have a story to share about an aging loved one. Often, those stories are punctuated with feelings of worry, guilt and uncertainty over how to best care for their elderly parent or friend. Recently, a number of up-and-coming electronics manufacturers have developed a variety of technologies aimed squarely at this growing market of concerned caregivers. The solutions, they hope, will afford seniors the means to lead an independent life at home while giving their family members the assurance that all is well.
According to AARP Policy Institute, the population of people 65 or older is projected to grow by 89 percent between 2007 and 2030, more than four times faster than the population overall. The aging population will skyrocket by another 118 percent between the years 2030 and 2050.
Factor in the astronomical costs of long-term care, and it’s easy to see why some healthcare analysts believe the digital home healthcare industry will grow from a $2 billion business to a $20 billion industry by 2020.
Like any emerging industry, the digital home healthcare market today consists mainly of small start-up companies in limited synergy with big names like GE, Intel and Philips.“Products that should probably be sold together as a package are being sold separately, and pricing is all over the board.” Still, the technologies available are innovative, affordable and—most importantly—cater to the needs of both stay-at-home seniors and the people who care for them. To gain a clearer sense of some of the solutions gaining steam, Orlov divides digital home healthcare products and systems into four main categories: safety and security, communication and engagement, health and wellness, and learning and contribution. Although technologies that help seniors stay mentally sharp are important, the systems and products that fall under the first three categories are expected to have the biggest impact on the aging-at-home lifestyle.
The home safety and security market is driven largely by companies with systems designed to monitor the activities of an individual and report those findings to a preselected group of people. Personal emergency response system (PERS) devices, which typically alert caregivers of a critical situation after it has occurred, are one example of this type of product. However, today’s breed of alert systems focus on more on preventing and mitigating problems than sending out an S.O.S. Referred to as ADL (activities of daily living) monitoring systems, they employ a combination of small, unobtrusive wireless environmental sensors, a networking base unit, specially configured software, and the Internet to communicate to caregivers the daily routines of their elderly stay-at-home parents. The sensors, similar to those of home security systems, can be used in a variety of ways. Planted underneath the carpet by the bed, they can monitor a user’s sleep patterns. Attached to the refrigerator door, they can track when the user has last eaten. By the stove, they can alert someone if the user has forgotten to turn off the burner. Placed in a hallway, they can monitor if a loved one is moving around and maintaining a regular schedule. The fact that the sensors are wireless means they can be repositioned and new units can be easily integrated into the system at any time. Another feature Jones and other CloseBy Network clients could easily add to the system is automation. The CloseBy software runs on a Control4 processor, which can automate lights, thermostats, audio/video gear and other equipment when programmed by a custom electronics installer. These features can afford seniors a simpler, more convenient means of managing their homes, and since the Control4 system can be accessed remotely, caregivers can monitor and control any device on the network from an iPhone or other mobile device.
As effective as ADL and telehealth systems are at helping seniors maintain their independence, they can’t cure the loneliness and isolation that many feel. Grand Care tackles this issue with the same TV interface used to display visual reminders of doctor’s appointments and medication schedules. For seniors uncomfortable with paperless forms of communication, Presto and Celery yeach have developed a standalone product—less than $100 plus a monthly subscription of around $15—that combines the speed and immediacy of the Internet with the physical attributes of snail mail. Friends and family members use Presto’s web portal to send letters, reminders, photos and documents via email. The senior retrieves them from a printer designed and configured by Presto to automatically adjust the items to a format that fits on a standard 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper. “The messages end up looking like Hallmark cards,” says Presto president and CEO Peter Radscliff. The web portal also lets caregivers track what’s been sent, how much ink is left in the printer and set up times for the system to deliver certain items automatically, like reminders of weekly doctor’s visits. Celery’s product delivers email to the senior’s home in a manner similar to the Presto unit. However, it also allows the senior to respond in the form of a handwritten note. Just as they would with a standard fax machine, the senior places his or her letter in the tray and hits send. The message is converted to an email, which pops up in the caregiver’s inbox.
Seniors may not be as comfortable with technology as their grandkids, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be just as significant to them. By equipping their homes with certain systems, they can continue to live independently as they age, without having to sacrifice their dignity or privacy. Friends and family benefit, too. They can postpone plans to move a loved one into an assisted healthcare facility, relieving them of the financial burden and emotional strain. Plus, they’ll have the peace of mind of knowing their age-in-place parent is happy, healthy and safe—and that’s priceless.
Read the complete entry from Lisa Montgomery on Electronic House website