Some seniors may not be accustomed to sending an e-mail, video chatting or texting a friend, but for most of the baby-boomer generation it’s habit. Now, boomers can use that technology to keep an around-the-clock connection with their parents without footing an enormous bill.
“A lot of seniors are afraid of losing their independence,” said Seira Salemon, chief operating officer of Astera Care, a home health-care management company. “Our product can maintain that while not making them feel like they’re under the watchful eye of camera.”
Astera Care will soon be launching a product that monitors movement with strategically placed sensors and manages appliances with smart phone technology.
“It’s an infrared sensor system that is installed in the home and designed to track the resident’s movement and behavior and provide an alert to caregivers if something is amiss,” said Chris Bridgers, an Astera Care technology consultant.
If the the client gets up to use the bathroom, they would first trigger the sensor on the bed, then one through the hallway and finally the bathroom sensor, Bridgers explained. But if those sensors aren’t triggered on their return to the bedroom in a reasonable amount of time, Astera Care’s staff is alerted, he said.
“If the main concern is the client falling when getting up at night, the client can tell Astera Care how long the client has to be out of bed before alerting family and possibly sending a nurse,” said Astera Care general manager Jessica Rhodes Sierra.
For families who aren’t near or would like the Montecito-based company to manage alerts, when notified Astera Care will send a care manager to the client’s home for a follow up, Rhodes Sierra said.
“You or your mom don’t have to learn how to use the technology,” Salemon said. “Astera Care takes care of all the management, installation and support explaining the ease of the program.”
The sensors would automatically relay data to a central monitoring station that displays patterns predicting how long a trip to the bathroom would take or how many times the client gets up during the night.
“The data monitoring managed locally by Astera Care would look at sensor data in correlation to one another, which would create confidence and reliability,” Bridgers said. “We try to make sense out of the realistic behavior patterns that predict potential problems.”
Additionally, triggered sensors could be added to illuminate dark pathways, home appliances could be managed remotely, and alerts could be set to remind clients when to take their medicine.
“It could also monitor the temperature in the house to make sure it’s in safe range,” Bridgers said. “For example, in winter time if someone turns the thermostat off, that can trigger an alert.
“We are basically using home automation and existing smart-phone technology to make it work for the aging population.”
The program would also allow video messages, picture sharing and other options to personalize the client’s experience and enable communication between family members and caregivers. Astera Care could include video capability to capture live interactions.
“It’s a social network for the family, where family members can upload photos that automatically display,” Bridgers said. “A family member can kind of drop by, they can leave notes on the client’s condition or write in an online journal to stay up to date with Astera’s caregiver’s notes.”
Rhodes emphasized the value of having a locally owned and managed business that personally screens each team member.
“When clients sign up with us, they are getting our caregivers and respected home-care management,” Salemon said. “That’s what sets us apart. We do not use a staffing agency to select or employ our caregivers.”
Clients can also schedule caregivers for certain tasks like grocery shopping or cooking a meal throughout the day. But ultimately, the technology will help provide quality home care that’s more affordable, Salemon said.
“We can use the technology to not only increase quality of care but also allow more potential clients to afford quality home care,” Bridgers said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.