Protect Your Loved Ones with Technology Solutions

By Leslie Knopp

Do you ever wish you could help your older loved ones when you’re not able to be with them? What relief you would feel if you could keep them safer at all times, in the comfort of their own home? How confident and secure they would feel knowing they are protected? Maybe you are concerned they will become disoriented and venture away from home when you are unavailable?

If so, you are part of a growing trend. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that more than two-thirds of older Americans who need daily assistance are choosing to stay in their home. This includes more than 70 percent of persons with Alzheimer’s. 

With the senior population growing at a much faster pace than that of working-age Americans, it’s becoming more challenging to provide around-the-clock care for seniors in their homes. Demographic studies show that the ratio of seniors to working-age Americans is expected to continue growing—30 percent from 2010 to 2020, and another 29 percent in the following decade.

Fortunately, technology products that respond to the increasing needs of seniors are available and affordable. These products include monitoring devices that can detect certain activities by persons with Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related illnesses, PERS (Personal Emergency Response System) Units, and portable PERS devices with GPS technology.   

Many seniors and their loved ones are discovering that technology solutions can effectively bridge the times when a caregiver can’t be present or when a senior may not yet need a caregiver in the home. Such technologies are monitored by professionals at central stations and provide phone notifications to first responders whether a professional caregiver, family member, neighbor or emergency personnel.

Safety Choice™ technology available through Comfort Keepers enables the monitoring of multiple alarm signals - from AC power loss to low battery warnings on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, to actual emergency calls, as well as signals sent out by accessory components of the system. These components include motion detectors, door and window sensors, and pressure-sensitive mats that alert caregivers to security and safety concerns involving persons who wander, such as those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia-related conditions. 

“These systems provide family members the peace of mind that their loved one can get help, even when a caregiver can’t be physically present,” says Janice Vipond, who works with families to coordinate client care needs and solutions in her role as Client Care Coordinator. 

Safety technology complements and extends the personal, human touch provided to seniors by professional caregivers and family members. It may also lead to improved health effects and quality of life, making it possible to continue living at home—where they most want to be—safely, confidently and independently.

Leslie Knopp is the owner of Comfort Keepers, serving all of Northwest Michigan. To learn more, contact 231.929.9044 or traversecitymi@comfortkeepers.com.