Protecting Seniors at Home

Technology Solutions that Keep Seniors Safe at Home in the Bay Area

The working age sector in America is growing much slower than its 65+ population.* A smaller number of caregivers in comparison to the number of people needing care is the potential result.

SafetyChoice^® by Comfort Keepers^®, in combination with other technology solutions, is showing its value by helping to fill this gap. SafetyChoice^® lengthens the reach of caregivers, and allows seniors who are between visits by professional caregivers or family to remain independent and safe at home.

The protection that safety technology solutions give, such as emergency response systems, greatly benefit the growing number of seniors who decide to age from the comfort of their home. The knowledge that their loved one is still being watched over even when they cannot be around, puts families at ease.

Even family members from distant areas have the opportunity to be involved in keeping their loved one safe by the use of video monitoring, among other technology solutions. An estimated 5.1 to 7 million Americans care for a senior family member from a distance, says the Family Caregiver Alliance.

Also, in-home care technology:

• Monitors the movements of people who wander because of conditions that are dementia-related, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Seniors become lost in about 127,000 wandering incidents each year (reports the Alzheimer’s Association). These wandering incidents endanger senior safety as well as health. Almost fifty percent of wandering seniors lost for over 24 hours die or become seriously injured.
• Gives seniors from Walnut Creek through Fremont a faster way to get assistance in case of emergencies such as falling when they are alone. Quick response lowers long-term effects as well as the illness or injury’s extent. Over one third of American adults 65 and older fall each year, reports the Centers for Disease Control. This is very dangerous, because the leading cause of death by injury for seniors is falling.
• Reminds seniors to take medicine, which improves senior health. Thirty percent of hospital admissions among people over age 65 is caused by the seniors failing to follow their prescription, while forty percent of seniors entering nursing homes cannot manage their medications at home

*The 65+ population raised eleven fold in the 20th century, in comparison to threefold for the entire population (according to the U.S. Census Bureau). Between 2010 and 2030, the ratio of working age adults to senior care recipients is expected to drop 40 percent.