Question: I am always concerned about my dad's safety, but can't afford to have a caregiver with him all the time. Any suggestions? Beth Venice, FL
Answer: New safety technology devices may be valid options for seniors and baby boomers, who have grown up and gone through adulthood with an evolving array of electronic devices and have developed a fairly high level of comfort with and respect for technology.
For example, at Comfort Keepers also offer a line of in-home care technology solutions that help seniors age safely and confidently at home. These technologies can be used on their own or as a supplement to care provided by family, or professional caregivers. These products are monitored around the clock by professionals at a central monitoring station and are designed to help seniors maintain independence, prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and improve quality of life.
In the event of a fall, illness or other emergency at home, the Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) enables seniors to summon help quickly. A push of a waterproof button on a wrist band or pendant sends out an immediate call to the central monitoring station, enabling them to get help when time is of the essence. For added safety and security, the PERS system can monitor additional safety devices. These include motion detectors, pressure-sensitive floor mats, and door and window contacts that can provide home security or monitor people who wander, such as those with Alzheimer's or other dementia-related conditions. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors also can be added to the system.
Our systems offer medication reminders, but in many situations you want the medications locked away so they can't be gotten into or so the client can't confuse which meds to take. We have a number of different types of medication dispensers depending on the needs of the client. Have a consultant help review and design a medication management plan. This should help seniors and their caregivers simplify the sometimes complicated process of organizing and dispensing prescriptions and over the counter medications-and can help reduce the risk of hospital and nursing home admissions that often result from improper use of medicine.
There are a number of different types of PERS device's with GPS technology, which provides peace of mind that a person can be quickly located via state-of-the-art global tracking technology. When a senior becomes lost, he pushes a button on the device, sending out a signal that indicates his location to the Comfort Keepers monitoring station. In addition, family members or friends can pinpoint their loved one's location in real time over the Internet or by calling the monitoring station.
Another system through the Alzheimer's Association in conjunction with the police department has your loved one can wearing a watch like GPS device, which will enable the police to locate them quickly if they wander.Quietcare has a wireless monitoring system that learns a client's patterns and reports anything out of the ordinary. Tele-health is currently available to send weight, blood pressure, pulse, oxygen and blood glucose results by wire to your home care agency or MD. Companies like Intel along with major universities are also looking for opportunities to develop technology that better serves older adults while reducing health care costs. Intel hopes to accomplish this goal by emphasizing prevention over treatment, shifting focus from expensive clinical settings to the home and transferring some responsibility for care from formal providers to individuals and their families and friends. These efforts affirm seniors' desire to age in place and maintain greater indepe ndence, as well as the proven benefits of current technologies that complement in-home caregiving.
Michael Jones
Certified Senior Advisor
Comfort Keepers
941-921-4747
Sarasota - Bradenton - Venice
/comfort_keepers_sarasota
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