Have you ever spent an hour (or two or three) on the phone functioning as your parents (or grandparents, or fill-in-the-blank) IT department? And you all feel like screaming – some cases actually screaming -- out of frustration? You, because you know it’s only a couple of clicks and problem solved. Them, because “you said it was easy – only a couple of clicks and problems solved! What do I need this computer for anyway?”
“…with the rising tide of tech-savvy baby boomers on the verge of cresting into retirement, broadband is poised to be one of a handful of critical tools necessary for aging seniors in the 21st-century.”
Successful aging is not an oxymoron. First the textbook definition (from "The Realities of Aging, Kinsey/Kart): "aging in which external factors either have a neutral role or counteract the effects of internal aging processes, resulting in little or no decrements in functioning." Whew. What does that mean?
House calls are a crucial resource when the goal is to keep frail older folks in their own homes - and home-based care can help save significant dollars that are currently being spent unnecessarily.
Motion sensors are the latest attempt to meet the demand that seniors make again and again — to stay at home, or at least out of the nursing home, for as long as possible. It's an innovation with roots in Minnesota, which is home to one leading sensor company and an early testing ground for another.
You've heard how a personal medical alert system can help you in a time of need but what is it like to actually live with it? …
By Dr. Charles P. Bentley for the Wilkes Journal Patriot (Wilkesboro, North Carolina)
David Church, who is a purchaser for the Wilkes Regional Medical Center (WRMC), and who works part time for the Auxiliary installing and servicing the 400- plus Lifelines throughout Wilkes County, has a compelling testimony about how a Lifeline can save a life-his own, in fact!
Around 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 14, Church was mowing his yard at his home in the Rock Creek community, on Rock Creek Church Road, when he was stung just above his ear by a wasp. His head and face immediately began to swell, and his breathing became quite difficult. He attempted to call a neighbor, but no one was at home.
Church knew he needed immediate medical attention, but he thought he could drive himself to the hospital. However, the swelling rapidly increased and his vision began to blur, and he realized he could not make it. He pulled into the driveway of the home of Ola Brewer on Rock Creek Road. He knew that she had a Lifeline alert system since he had installed one at her home five years ago. Also, Mrs. Brewer was his great-aunt.
Church was able to get to her front door and ring her door bell. When she came to the door, all he could say was “Push your Lifeline.” He then passed out, and did not remember anything until he was in the ambulance.
MIT Graduate student Erez Lieberman is working on an "iShoe" which uses technology developed by NASA to create an insole that could help elderly people keep their balance and prevent falls
