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Technology Promotes Independent Living
By Roselle Cronan, MBA

New technology provides elder patients with the opportunity to age in place without compromising their independence. Innovations such as automated wellness calls, personal emergency response systems using mobile and GPS technology, and wireless motion-sensor in-home monitoring systems alert a family member, neighbor, or caregiver when there is an emergency.

More than nine out of 10 people over the age of 65 live in their own homes, with the majority content with their living arrangements, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study. However, as people age, they become more vulnerable to accidents and illnesses and often find themselves unable to summon help. Each year more than one third of adults over the age of 65 suffer a fall, which is the leading cause of injury-related death, according to the Administration on Aging.

Automated wellness call services, more commonly known as “are you OK?” phone check-in systems, allow family members and other caregivers to monitor elder patients without being intrusive. Check-in services such as FineThanx (www.finethanx.com) and Database Systems Corp’s CARE program (www.callingcare.com) place automated calls to older adults’ homes. Individuals can specify the number of calls as well as the times of day they’d like to receive them.

FineThanx makes phone calls twice daily to check on patients’ well-being. The automated system says, “If you are OK, press 1. If you need assistance, press 2.” If a patient requests assistance or doesn't answer the phone within 60 minutes after repeated calls, the service notifies a member of the patient’s care circle (a family member, care manager, medical professional, or independent-living facility). FineThanx also sends e-mails to keep care circle members informed of a patient’s status.

Neither service requires special equipment to activate the system—just a home phone. FineThanx, available across the country, offers a subscription-based service for a monthly fee, and older adults can sign up for the service online.

A 2006 study examining telephone surveillance of older adults living alone showed an overall decrease in health and public services costs, according to the journal Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. The study also cited a high satisfaction rate among the users of telephone contact services along with a decreased psychological burden on caregivers.

Automated wellness calls and other high-tech services complement personal emergency response systems that require patients to wear either a pendant or  bracelet with a panic button to summon help, such as Life Station (www.lifestation.com) and Philips Lifeline (www.lifelinesys.com).

In some cases, since they may not necessarily carry the device everywhere and at all times, older adults don’t necessarily have the alert pendant nearby during an emergency. A 2008 Consumer Reports blog post pointed out another disadvantage: The wearer must be conscious and able to push the button to activate the alert. A study of personal emergency reporting systems (PERS) presented at the 2010 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems showed nearly one third of such subscribers wear their PERS devices only some of the time, if at all. Some elders remove the devices to shower or while at the kitchen sink.

Others remove their PERS devices when they leave the house because they may not work outside the home.

MobileHelp (www.mobilehelpsys.com) uses mobile and GPS technologies to extend the reach of in-home systems. In an emergency, personnel can access an older adult’s personal information and location and can contact a family member or caregiver. Elders who reported not wearing the pendant/bracelet said they were worried about accidentally setting off the alarm or else forgot to put on the device.

Other technologies available to help healthcare providers, family members, and caregivers monitor older adults involve placing wireless and camera-free motion sensors in strategic locations in elders’ homes to detect regular movement. Motion sensors gather information about an elder’s daily routines and then alert caregivers or family members about changes in daily activities such as altered eating and sleeping patterns.

Health Sense’s eNeighbor and GE Healthcare’s Quiet Care systems use motion sensors to track elders’ movements. Both systems offer caregivers access to relevant daily-living information. Quiet Care sends the information to the caregiver; eNeighbor provides access through the secure Healthsense Web portal. Both systems are appropriate for private homes as well as community-based institutions such as nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. GrandCare Systems (www.grandcare.com) also uses Internet access through a central unit connected to either a computer screen or a television as a means of monitoring patients. The unit serves as a two-way communication channel. Caregivers and family members can send e-mails and images to older adults via the central unit.

Consumer Reports gave motion-monitoring services high marks for being unobtrusive. However, the magazine’s blog pointed out the possibility of triggering false alarms.

New technologies provide additional reassurance for older adults who want to maintain their independence by aging in place and for their families and caregivers who are looking out for their well-being. Healthcare providers should discuss options with older adults, caregivers, family members, and/or neighbors to determine what would work best for elders’ needs.

— Roselle Cronan, MBA, is a 10-year veteran reporter and editor of daily and weekly newspapers and magazines and was business editor of Florida’s Charlotte Sun.