Smart Senior Care Technology, Finding Support in Next Generation Remote Monitoring

Demographically, our world is getting older and frailer. We know already that so many of us are trying to figure out the best ways to care for our elderly loved ones while working and simultaneously taking care of our own families. As we turn to technology to improve our lives in so many different ways, it only seems a logical consequence that “Smart Technology” will offer us the needed support to care for our loved ones.

Let’s take a quick look at numbers just to understand our aging world and the resulting problems that affect us all, either as caregivers or as future care recipients: By 2030, all 72 million baby boomers will be 65 and over. Where will all these baby boomers want to 1 live? According to AARP nearly 90% of older adults want to age in the comfort of their own homes. Consequently, older adults will rely on caregivers and families to take care of them. However, the caregiver ratio is projected to decline from 7 to just 4 potential caregivers per frail older person by 2030 and anything that can help alleviate the 2 caregiver’s burdens will become increasingly important.

There is no doubt that aging in place contributes positively to seniors quality of life and well-being and hence to a healthier and happier old age. However, aging at home safely is vital to staying healthy and independent and Smart Technology such as StackCare’s discreet remote monitoring system is a great way to facilitate the care of our loved ones and to give us peace of mind that they are ok when we are not with them while ensuring that they maintain their independence, privacy and dignity.

So how does StackCare’s technology work? StackCare uses infrared motion sensors (just like the ones that open supermarket doors) and Artificial Intelligence/Data Science to learn a person’s typical behavior patterns and routines. Once a behavior pattern is learned, any behavior or event out of the ordinary is then detected, identified and appropriately reported via push notifications to an app on the caregivers’ mobile devices. Wondering how motion sensors can detect falls? Bluntly, they can’t and there’s no foolproof way to do that but looking at a person’s typical motion patterns and using Data Science, StackCare analyzes real time motion data and detects when something doesn’t seem right, such as a lack of motion for an extended period of time in one of the monitored zones, or a failure to follow usual or expected patterns.

StackCare’s Nighttime Activity Monitor for instance will alert families when there is no motion in the bedroom during the night, at a time where the older adult is typically expected to be asleep in his/her bed. The “Nighttime Bathroom Usage” feature will send out an alert if the older person is in the bathroom for more than 15 minutes during the night as this indicates that he/she may have a problem. The Daytime Activity Monitor on the other hand will detect if there hasn’t been any motion in the house/apartment for an extended period of time during the daytime. Times and lengths of times are all customizable according to the older adult’s individual habits and routines.

Other than the risk of falls, there are many age related illnesses which creep up without being noticed by families/caregivers but which can turn into real emergencies. Sleep patterns, bathroom visits, activity levels, maintaining environmental conditions, all these are key indicators of health and, by detecting changes early on, StackCare helps families keep their elderly loved ones healthy and safe. Being able to detect patterns indicating potential UTIs, cognitive decline, nighttime wandering or malnutrition helps ensure that the senior gets the needed care at an early stage and avoid dire consequences. Early intervention is better than emergency response!

The real advantage of StackCare’s monitoring system is that it is truly passive and unobtrusive. There are no cameras or microphones, the senior doesn’t have to wear anything or need to push any buttons. Not having to wonder if mom/dad is actually wearing the pendant or pressing the button when needed makes the system much more reassuring than traditional alert systems. StackCare also offers help buttons for those seniors who want to be able to call for help instantly to members of their care circle. An unlimited number of family members, caregivers (even the older adult themselves) can have the app on their phones and be in the know if Mom or Dad is ok and receive alerts if she/he needs help.

The app user can at all times look at the app’s Activity Page to check where mom’s/dad’s motion was last detected (very reassuring!) as well as other information, but they don’t have to… StackCare is a passive tool and will automatically send notifications to the user’s mobile devices to let them know when something isn’t quite right. Being able to go about daily responsibilities and feeling reassurance that an alert will be sent out if there is an issue with mom or dad gives families and caregivers unmeasurable peace of mind. And every morning, StackCare sends out a Daily Update at 10:30 am to inform families that their loved ones are up and about and have been following their usual routine.

At some stage, it might become necessary to consider whether mom or dad needs to move into a long term care facility but being able to delay this decision (or maybe even avoid it) for as long as possible offers huge benefits, such as a better quality of life and considerable cost savings.

StackCare’s Passive Monitoring System may be the key to your loved one’s independence and to your peace of mind. Find out more at www.stack.care.

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StackCare is a trusted CI-Community partner offering a remote monitoring solution that gives you peace of mind as the app will notify you of any unusual activity. For May, StackCare is having a Mother's Day Special - sign up for any StackCare subscription from www.stack.care and get a free Help Button! Use the promotion code CAREINDEED when placing your order."

To learn more about how to become a CI-Community member and resources available, please visit our CI-Community page or contact us at intake@careindeed.com or (650) 352-4007.