I am very blessed to still have my grandparents in my life. However, they are no longer spring chickens and they are often the source of worry for me (and my parents who live a few miles away from them). The fact is, whether you live in the same house as your elderly loved ones or thousands of miles away (like I do), their health and well being is likely a major concern.
Which is why I instantly fell in love with a new product that allows you to monitor mom and dad or grandma and grandpa from your own home. It’s a home monitoring device that lets you track your loved one’s every move, including keeping an eye on their blood pressure.
If you have an elderly family member who you care for then you know how much he or she closely guards his or her independence. I know this from experience. My grandmother refuses to believe she can’t do the same things she did 50 years ago. After she broke several bones a few years ago none of us felt safe leaving her to be tended to by my ailing grandfather—-so we gathered up our family and took turns living with them.
If the same thing happened today we may have considered installing a home monitoring system. It’s working well for my sister-in-law’s father—-he suffered a stroke last year and now she and my brother monitor him via an electronic system that keeps tabs on his activities.
There are several home monitoring systems to choose from. They range from the simple to the sophisticated. The more basic ones (for instance a service called I-Care) have users type in daily health information from blood glucose to blood pressure readings into a handheld device. The machine then sends the information to a system of nurses who then provide information back to the family caregiver.
A more intricate and elaborate system called Elitecare was once used exclusively in nursing homes. Now, advances in technology allow it to be installed in traditional homes where it can track a person’s movement with badges.
Another system called Quietcare relies on sensors around the house to monitor family members who need extra attention. The system basically learns what’s normal for your loved one and when it senses a change in behavior or potential emergency, it notifies a central data center, which in turn alerts the proper authorities.
For example, if my brother’s father-in-law doesn’t get out of bed all day or he fails to open his refrigerator to eat (or open his medicine cabinet to take his medication) the sensors will go off and my brother and his wife will be alerted. The system also allows them to keep track of all his activity online.
Prior to installing a monitoring system in your loved one’s home you would obviously want to have a chat about privacy issues. Your grandmother may not want to know that someone is watching her 24/7… even if it is for her own good.
The home monitoring systems I listed above vary in price. You also have to consider you will be paying an installation fee (which can range from $50-$200), and keep in mind, most systems also charge a monthly fee.
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