In Home Care: Remote Caregiving

In Home Care: Remote Caregiving, written by Stan Lawson of Sequoia Senior Solutions

Even though times are hard there is hope on the doorstep. While it's true that more senior citizens don't have sufficient financial stability and families are often unable to care for their own needs let alone their parents, there are some new ideas and products available to help us take care of ourselves and each other. In fact some new technological advances have created a new form of caregiving--Remote Caregiving. This new system has been looks to be a new form of care that is an alternative between nursing homes and assisted living on one hand and family primary caregivers and on-site care providers on the other. It is the next generation from the call buttons worn around the neck or wrist. Remote Caregiving is so much more powerful.

Remote Caregiving, also known as Virtual Senior Villages, is a way for seniors to maintain their independence without having a caregiver in their home around the clock. The ability to stay home longer and avoid the necessity of moving into an institutional setting is a very high priority for seniors – according to an AARP survey nearly 80 percent of people ages 50 to 64 said they would prefer to stay in their homes as they age.

However, what if something goes wrong? “Dad’s managing ok-but he sometimes forgets to take his medicine” or “Mom’s taking care of herself fine-but what if she falls?” So, what will happen when mom falls or dad forgets to take his medication? That is when Remote Caregiving steps in and a trained professional will get involved with:

• A phone call
• A Skype visit
• A call to relatives
• A call to 911

Remote Caregiving System

Sequoia Senior Solutions’ Remote Caregiving System monitors your parents’ health and safety around the clock. At a much lower cost than on-site care providers, you have the peace of mind of knowing that if Dad doesn’t get out of bed at his usual time, or Mom’s blood glucose level changes, we will know about it and take action.

Is Dad forgetting to take his medication? A friendly reminder from our care providers via Skype may be all he needs. Is Mom leaving pots on the stove till they burn? When our monitor sense smoke in the home, it will immediately alert the caregiver to take action.

Is it time to get ready for a doctor’s appointment? Our remote caregiving system will interrupt the TV show they’re watching to remind your parents of the appointment.

How does Remote Caregiving work?

A large screen, high definition TV with Skype (provided by Sequoia Senior Solutions) is hooked up to health and home safety sensors. One of our remote caregivers is monitoring the remote caregiving system at all times. As  soon as this person – a live, trained, professional caregiver – perceives that there has been a change that requires attention, she will take action.

Remote Caregiving Health Sensors:

• Body Temperature
• Blood Pressure
• Weight
• Blood Oxygen
• Blood Glucose
• Medication Reminder
• Emergency Response System

Remote Caregiving Safety Sensors:

• Motion
• Door open/close
• Panic button
• Pressure pad
• Room temperature
• Smoke
• Carbon Monoxide

Remote Caregiving Wellness Calls:

• Scheduled and random calls from professional caregivers
• Weekly, daily, or periodic calls
• Professional caregivers are available for in person visit when client safety or health is deemed at risk

Remote Caregiver:

• Monitors sensor readings
• Reports “alerts” to family, physician, case manager, or 911 as per pre-established protocol and the severity of the situation
• Video chats with client for companionship and to determine level of intervention required

Why Remote Caregiving?

The growing number of older Americans in the United States - often referred to as the "silver tsunami" - is expected to truly challenge our country's resources. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau has estimated the population of people older than 65 will grow by 33 percent from 2005 to 2020. Sensing the need and the challenge to invest in alternative methods of in-home caregiving, Sequoia Senior Solutions has embraced remote caregiving as a service to give our senior clients and their families peace of mind through the utilization of cutting edge technology.

To learn more about this new service, please call (707) 763.6600.

Image: http://homecaremag.com/top-10-technology-devices-seniors?page=2