Safety and security tools (p1):
Tools to enhance safety such as PERS systems. Or to enhance security such as home alarms or home activity monitoring.
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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.
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.
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 smartwatches, 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.
Best Medical Alert App: Bake-off
We set out to find the best medical alert app for our Longevity Explorers who wanted to use their smartphone as a medical alert system. We focused on monitored medical alerts, found only three that looked promising enough to test, and did extensive, hands-on, comparison testing. One App emerged as far superior to the others.
Mobile Alert Systems: Comparison Testing
After weeks of testing multiple different "mobile alert systems" (personal emergency response systems), here are the results. We looked at appearance, ease of use, speed to respond when we pressed the "help" button, how well the "location capability" worked in various different locations, battery life, sound quality, price, and more. While none of the products was "perfect", several worked rather well. But some fell short.
Technology & the Future of Aging
This is a live recording (slides and audio) of a talk given by Richard Caro entitled "The Future of Aging, & the Intersection of Aging & Technology".
This talk was given in October, 2018, as part of a course, organized by architect Susi Stadler. The course was entitled "Life at Home and Aging in Community".
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
Access Your Medical Records in a Flash
Explorer Jan tells the group that her Book Group at SRC is promoting the idea of residents having their complete medical records on a USB 'flash' drive formatted for that purpose. .........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
Driving at Night, SRC discussion
Older adults experience various challenges with driving at night. This discussion focuses on vision related issues, and includes glare from oncoming headlights on glasses, and the difficulty of avoiding bright LED headlights which can cause adaption problems. .........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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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.
Yepzon Freedom Tracker
Yepzon Freedom Advanced Tracker and Personal Alarm System is a GPS wearable device intended to work with a smartphone app on 3G cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
SOS Watch
The SOS Watch is a wearable medic alert communication device designed for use in Australia by the elderly or persons with dementia.
GPS Smartsole
GPS Smartsole is intended to be passive wearable tracking technology in a shoe insert to keep track of someone who may wander.
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.
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Better Aging Library
Get the latest insights on what works, what doesn't work, and for whom.