Safety (p1):
Personal safety is key. Includes household safety, falls avoidance, alarms, and products like personal emergency response systems & pendants (PERS).
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Analysis & Exploration | Explorer Discussions | Resources and Products shared by our Explorers.
Featured Guides & Reports: Safety
The "Useful Apps Club"
Unlock the potential of your smartphone or tablet to improve your life.
The Useful Apps Club is for older adults and Boomers who have a smartphone or tablet (or are thinking of getting one) and need help to turn it into a useful tool. We are focused on finding Apps that can change your life, and teaching you how to use them.
Medical Alert Systems: Help!
We kept getting asked "which medical alert system is best?"; and "how do I choose the right medical alert system for me?". This independent, objective, hands-on research tries to answer those questions. If you are looking for a medical alert system, either for yourself or for an older adult such as a parent, this piece of research is for you.
Caring from Afar: Guide to Home Sensor Systems
Read our report on this new category of products, designed to help seniors stay at home longer, and to help their families worry about them less. There are important lessons to be learned about which ones work, and for which types of circumstance they are optimal.
Quickly Getting Help for a Friend in Need
"Hi, this is Lisa. I'm not sure I can take care of myself right now. Can you bring me some food?" I found that scary sounding message on my voicemail one Saturday morning. It started me on a journey to coordinate care for a close friend. I learned several things that I'll share with you. I hope that if you are ever faced with a similar situation, my experience will help you.
Sensors, Dementia, Safety: Real World Experiences
Using a handful of simple, non-intrusive sensors, retired engineer Bob Glicksman has been able to learn all sorts of important things about the daily routine of an elderly person, who has cognitive impairment, and for whom he cares. He has been able to make multiple successful interventions to stave off what might have otherwise been serious adverse events. In fact, this simple sensor setup has worked better than he expected, and he shares his experiences, as an example of a real world use case in which a small addition of technology can accomplish a lot.
Fall proofing ME: What Can I Do?
The media is awash with stories about older adults falling and hurting themselves, and these reports usually mention that one in three of those over 65 will fall each year. This article is about what you can do to make falls less likely.
Fall proofing your house: a checklist
For the older adult worried about falls, one of the most important tasks is to "fall-proof" your house. There are numerous services you can retain to help with this. But how do you know they have done the right things? And, if you are the friend or family of an older adult, how can you do a "check" to make sure the house of the person you care for is relatively well "fall-proofed"? Here is a useful checklist developed by the Executive Director of Marin Villages.
Medical Alerts: Just Tell Me What To Buy!
"I don't want to become an expert on medical alerts. Just tell me what to buy." is something we often hear. We've found the answer depends enormously on the specific lifestyle of the person enquiring.
Most people fit within one of a handful of broad "personas". Choose which persona best matches your lifestyle, then see which medical alert devices we recommend for that persona.
Smartwatch as Medical Alert?
For years we have been hearing older adults complain about how ugly and stigmatizing medical alerts are. As one lady told us: "My medical alert button makes me look like I escaped from the Intensive Care Unit. So I hardly ever wear it".
In 2018 a handful of products came to market that look like smart watches, and in some cases have some or all of the functionality of stylish smartwatches, but also work as medical alerts. We wanted to see how well they worked, and set out to test them — hoping they might change this dynamic. Here are the results.
I Want to Do My Own Driving Evaluation
Explorer Ron frames the question: "How does one decide whether or not to continue driving?" Should it be one's self, or someone else? .........Read more
Explorer Recommends Lock Box to Save Your Door
Explorer Geri shares the idea that people who have some type of emergency alert should have a lock box with a house entry door key, so first responders can gain entry in an emergency without kicking in the door. .........Read more
Brainstorming: Emergency Alert Pendants
Circle members participate in a lively discussion of 'what works and what doesn't' about their emergency call pendants. Numerous design flaws were identified, including: too large, not comfortable to wear, no voice communication channel, some 'dead zones' - even on campus. Seemingly, more would... .........Read more
CallToU Replaces Shouting for Help at Home
Explorer Don describes an in home call pendant system that sounds remotely when activated, saving the user from having to shout loudly in an effort to alert a helper. .........Read more
Daily Check-Ins: These Explorers Unenthusiastic
There has been discussion by staff on our campus to implement or offer a daily check-in for residents. We discussed a few that anyone can purchase and use, including: Snug Safety App, I am fine, care checkers and check on granny. Following an in-depth conversation, the group decided unanimously... .........Read more
SRC Explorers Assess a New Medical Alert Device
The group is introduced to a MobileHelp medical alert device designed as a wristwatch. .........Read more
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CallToU Caregiver Call Button
CallToU is a wireless call system intended for indoor use to alert the intended helper that assistance is needed by the user.
FallCall Lite
FallCall Lite is an iOS software based system including the Apple Watch, iPhone and Homepod intended to serve as a monitoring system with voice activation capability.
MyNotifi
MyNotifi is a wearable device paired with a smartphone app and is intended to alert designated others to a fall or emergency.
TRiLOC SafeTracks GPS Watch
This wrist worn device detects wandering and notifies of falls.
Vivint Smart Home
Vivint offers a Vivint app designed to coordinate an array of off the shelf home monitoring and security devices compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant and controlled via the Vivint app.
SensoGram Technologies
SensoGram Technologies offers a suite of wearable monitoring devices designed to report vital signs in real time.
VitalBand
VitalBand is designed to detect falls, monitor vital signs, and send reminders, while in the form of a wristwatch.
SayOK365
SayOK365 is an email subscription system intended to allow potentially isolated persons to 'check in' regularly or to send a distress message if help is needed.
TruSense
TruSense is intended to provide a customizable network of sensor and interactive devices to monitor and report personal and environmental conditions inside and outside of the home.
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