C-3PO and R2-D2 can Help You Detect Tell Tale Signs.  No, we are not talking about home robots here, that may be practical someday – but right now we are just using the names of our favorite Star Wars droids as simple acronyms to remember what to look for.

Seriously, C-3PO is a memory jog about the inside of their house, while R2-D2 tells us about them.

C-3PO stands for Carpet, Piles, Pots and pans, Pantry, Odors

Carpet: Do you notice any fresh carpet stains?  This could be an indication that they have recently dropped something or slipped while carrying a cup of coffee.

Piles: Are there suddenly piles of bills or unopened mail on the dresser, table or kitchen counter?  This could indicate a sudden change in interest or confusion.

Pots and pans: Do you see burned marks on the bottoms of their pots and pans?  This could indicate that they forgot that they had something cooking on the stove, and maybe several times.

Pantry: Is the food pantry (and even the fridge) empty or just has a lot of very low cost items?  I like  Roma noodles, but 10 bags with little else might be an important clue that they are not eating well.

Odors: Do you notice a change in the way the home smells?  Beyond smells from spills, this may be an early indicator of incontinence.

R2-D2 stands for Reactive, Ruffled, Disregard, and Disoriented

Reactive: Does your parent suddenly seem more irritable, touchy, short-tempered, snappy or sensitive?

Ruffled: Has their normally neatly groomed appearance changed to more of a rumpled or disheveled look?  Have they missed the last two hair appointments?

Disregard: Do they seem to have a disregard or apathy for things that used to be important?  Do they appear listless or lethargic?

Disoriented: Do they appear disoriented, confused, perplexed, or unsettled or do they suddenly complain that they have misplaced items?

Obviously, these can be touchy topics and need to be handled delicately. These memory jogs are simply intended to clue you in on early tell tales signs that maybe your parent needs a see a professional.

What approaches have you found useful / helpful?

The post Tell Tale Signs That Something Has Changed with Your Aging Parent appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

At least, that’s what retirement used to mean.

What factors changed the goals of retirement?  

Now, the entirety of retirement is meant to be viewed differently.

* People nowadays choose to go back to school and start to study graduate courses thereby giving them more expertise yet less experience – since they start working at a later time.

* Also, people are smarter now: they make mini-retirement plans when they were still younger and stronger. This means that younger people chose to travel a lot because they know that when they get older, they won’t be able to enjoy traveling due to brittle bones and weak joints.

* In addition, aging baby boomers choose to be more active in personal development and societal enhancement so they want to be more active in nonprofit organizations and charities.

What are the real goals of retirement now?

Aging baby boomers now choose to retire simply because they want to live well within the comforts of their home, live comfortably with their loved ones and live actively within the community.

If these are the goals of an aging baby boomer in retiring, why, then, do they choose to retire at home?

1. Freedom of choice: All aging baby boomers have one desire in common: freedom. Because they feel that once they get older and the power of decision-making will be taken away from them, aging baby boomers are scared of feeling helpless and vulnerable. They want to still be able to dictate who they will live with and what activities they will perform. Aging at home gives senior baby boomers this power.

2. Security and safety: Every human being has a need for being secure and safe – aging baby boomers are not exempted from this need. Now, because of the advances in technology that can offer home modifications for installation of alarms and locks, aging baby boomers can meet this need. Also, a lot of home modification packages include a falls prevention system especially produced for aging baby boomers.

3. Customized health care: Because of the increase in the population of baby boomers advancing retirement, health institutions have become adapted to the needs that this trend has brought. Regular home visits are now conducted to aging baby boomers. This is a medical service that ensures customization of health care since more time and more privacy are allotted for the baby boomer to voice out his health needs.

4. Community engagement: Aging baby boomers will prefer to reside in a residential subdivision with fellow baby boomers. They can then build a harmonious community who aims to volunteer services for charity, give monetary aid to causes they support and act as positive role models and mentors for the future generations.

5. Increasing technological support: A lot of aging baby boomers are thankful for technology for allowing them to enjoy their retirement at home. Because of technology, aging baby boomers can prevent slips and falls; communicate with their loved ones through the computer; take their medicine on time; clean their house without straining their back; and generally live a more convenient life.

Naturally, now that these factors have come into play, an aging baby boomer should do well and make advanced planning while keeping these factors in mind. Retiring and aging at home is a worthwhile experience that baby boomers deserve to experience.

The post 5 Reasons Why Baby Boomers Choose to Retire at Home appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

• The Vital System – This is an advanced device used to monitor the health status of seniors or the disabled. This system monitors blood pressure, heart rate, and weight. What’s even better is it can detect and alert everyone in cases of accidental fall.

• Electronic Wheelchairs – For our grandparents who are too old to walk or are disabled are now using electronic wheelchairs. They use remote controls to operate the entire wheelchair and some are even built for rocky terrain. This way our grandparents can still do their daily routines without much assistance from their caregivers.

• Electronic Lifts – This is truly a helpful invention to our beloved grandparents. Since most seniors are having difficulties going up and down the stairs, some of them are now starting to use electronic lifts! This machine certainly makes their lives easy and comfortable plus it is surely fun to have a lift up and down!

• Smart Beds – This is one of the best inventions when it comes to health monitoring. Some elderly people are now starting to use this smart bed. This bed is built with sensors to monitor the overall health status of our grandparents, this way everyone can sleep soundly knowing that our loved ones are doing fine while sleeping.

• Door Knob Turner – This is a practical and useful gadget used by most elderly people. Since some are having difficulty turning door knobs, probably because of arthritis or low strength, this device makes turning door knobs possible. This was engineered to provide a stress free environment to our grandparents.

These are just few of the many advanced technologies our grandparents use. So you see? There are still seniors who get to enjoy their lives despite their age or disability. Some seniors are enjoying the latest technologies created for their safety and comfort. We also know that most of the best and hi-tech gadgets are intended for elderly people. These seniors who want to learn to use new, cool gadgets for fun and health reasons are truly admirable. Their way of living is not restricted and they are indeed our “modern grandparents”.

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CreateAbility’s solutions have been effective in helping seniors with Dementia by supplementing typical caregivers with an intelligent sensor network.  This network can watch over the individual 24/7, when caregivers can’t be physically present.  This is accomplished by detecting the status of the home and either reminding the senior of an event via a digital picture frame, or alerting the appropriate person via text or email.

A sample of the typical activities of daily living (ADLs) that CreateAbility systems can detect and then prompt or remind an individual:

• Changing clothes (based on weather prediction)
• Nutrition, or preparing food
• Moving around OK
• Medication compliance
• Vital sign or health monitoring
  • Glucose meter (blood sugar)
  • Blood Pressure
  • Weight
• Hydration (many seniors forget to keep hydrated)
• Hygiene (showering, brushing teeth, denture care, etc)

The most common safety-related situations that  CreateAbility’s systems can detect and prompt or alert:

• Stove or major appliance left on, unattended
• Falls
• Not moving around by specific time
• Change in toiletry visits
• Restlessness in bed
• Change in sleep times
• Movement (outside / inside)
• Escapes
• Water left on

From our extensive research, we have found that there are areas where sensors are actually better at detecting than human caregivers, such as sleep patterns and nighttime bathroom visits.

Below is a high level profile of a senior with Dementia that may be an excellent prospect for CreateAbility’s solutions.  The senior (is):

• Relies on others for transportation (no longer driving)
• No longer able to handle the responsibilities of a job
• No longer able to perform money management
• Possibly having problems with words in speaking or writing
• Their memory loss has disrupted their daily life
• Negatively affected their ability to plan and solve problems
• Possibly tendencies for wandering at night/Sundowner
• They may have difficulty remembering a favorite location
• Difficulty completing previously familiar tasks
• Confusion with time or place
• Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
• May frequently misplace things or lose their ability to retrace steps
• Decreased or poor judgment
• Withdrawal from previously important activities
• Changes in mood and personality

Typically, seniors that need CreateAbility’s solutions have already lost their interest and ability in performing more complex tasks such as working with numbers (keeping track of monthly bills, managing a budget, balancing a checkbook, etc).

A key aspect is that even with the above issues, the senior desires to stay in their own home, or maintain as much independence as possible (if in an assisted living center).  CreateAbility can give the senior this ability.

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As we age, we can’t deny the fact that we are sometimes left behind by young people when it comes to technical things. However, as human beings, we also have the tendency to cope up, adjust and familiarize ourselves with new inventions. So being a senior citizen or a grandparent doesn’t mean you can’t handle new devices or gadgets. It’s just a matter of time and practice, and eventually you will learn to use the same gadgets your grand kids enjoy! Using gadgets are not just intended for young people; these are also intended for seniors so they can remain independent and able to maximize their capabilities with less supervision. Being able to relate to these new technologies with your children or grandchildren does not only impose better means of bonding, they can also promote greater means of staying connected with them.

There are thousands of gadgets our grandparents can use in their day to day lives. Gadgets are invented with different purposes; some are for leisure and fun while others are meant to make our grandparents live more comfortably. Examples of the things that are intended for leisure that some seniors are also using today are:

•  Electronic Reading Devices – A popular example of this is the Kindle. Most of our grandparents love reading. So most young people tend to purchase electronic reading devices for their grandparents. It is simple to use, easy to download e-books and definitely provides great entertainment to most seniors. Being the parent or grandparent, you can help your children or grandchildren rediscover this. This is definitely a new way to make them feel how much you care for them. You can even ask your grandchild to read you a book from the e-reader or better yet, you can read it together. This will not only cultivate the reading culture in the family but will also promote a deeper connection.

• MP3 Players – Yes, our grandparents certainly know how to use simple to operate MP3 players. This is to provide them the music they love and this device helps dissolve the gap between younger generations and seniors. Everywhere you go you will find kids with MP3 players walking down the streets oblivious of anything that is happening around them. As a grandparent, you can help your child or grandchild choose the right kind music and try to listen to it together.  You can also discuss the kind of songs each of you like, you may even get surprised about how similar you were after all.

• Video Games – There are some video games intended to provide fun and at the same time to enhance the mental agility of our grandparents. Less than ten years ago, playing used to be on the field outdoors where children could engage in different sports together with their parents. The shared activities created a strong bond between parents and children. These days all the games have been restricted to indoors where video games are used to great extent.  For this reason grandparents can fell alienated since they haven’t integrated this concept.  This can change if they can get more involved especially in video games, the easiest way is to join their grandchildren when playing games and learn how to play. Any child enjoy showing off their skills especially to an older family member and it will be a great experience to bond and connect with the children.

There are so many hi-tech devices in the market that are intended for seniors. These seniors who are not afraid to try new things, use hi-tech gadgets to help them with their tasks are what we call our “Modern Grandparents”.

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This thought process is the one that prompted different technology providers into helping senior citizens be inspired again. After all, senior citizens are also human beings who deserve inspiration. Seniors have an innate desire of being motivated again.

Seniors need to be empowered.

How then, will technology be able to play a vital role in the empowerment of senior citizens?  Here are a multitude of approaches to this dilemma:

Technology helps seniors interact with their loved ones.

The number one reason for being secluded and isolated is due to poor health problems. Degenerative diseases which naturally become worse over time prevent the seniors from ever deciding to go outside and enjoy the day. Difficulty of mobility can arise due to common elderly problems like arthritis and pain in the lower extremities.

The answer to this problem is technology. Nowadays, teaching seniors how to use the computer is becoming a common occurrence. After all, more than half of senior citizens are already deemed to be skilled in online communication. Wonderful programs which link a senior citizen with his loved ones through a video camera and a screen are readily available. Because of this, seniors can feel connected to their loved ones even when they are within the confines of their own home. They need not leave their apartments. Their loving family and caring friends are but a click away.

Interaction with people who love and care for them gives a dose of self-confidence and increases a sense of self-worth for the seniors. This feeling that technology brings about is the first step to being empowered.

Technology offers customization in the reading and overall learning process.

Gone are the days when seniors needed thick lens in order to read something. Because of the innovative ways that technology recommends, senior citizens can now be able to modify their learning without much of a hassle.

Wide gadgets containing larger text fonts and bigger pictures can assist seniors in reading the latest newspapers or the informative books. Technology empowers seniors in this way because they feel that they are more capable of reading by themselves.

Technology makes seniors powerful and in-charge. 

The simple user interface that these gadgets have makes the seniors feel that these are “intuitive”. Some seniors have rejected computers because they always felt that they “messed them up” but smart phones are a different story.

Senior citizens love the user experience that these gadgets give them. This means that senior citizens find it convenient to have these gadgets around since they think these gadgets already know what they want to do and how they want it to be done.

With the modern technological advances around, it’s rather easier to help senior citizens feel empowered – all it takes is a simple swipe of a finger and they’re ready to go.

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You want your loved one to live as independently as possible – as long as they are safe. BEAM helps you ensure safety through the convenience of your smartphone. They have independence; you have peace of mind anywhere, anytime.

BEAM is easy to use and install with no cables to pull or fancy wiring required, no apps to install and no programming. The BEAM system consists of a set of wireless sensors that you can set up in your loved one’s home in about an hour. A remote basestation then collects data from those sensors and sends the status using the home’s broadband router. That data is monitored, and reports are available to you, 24/7.

The service includes unlimited monitoring and instant notifications when the unexpected occurs.

Typical activities that can be monitored:

–Dressing
–Preparing meals
–Hygiene
–Visits to the bathroom
–Night time restlessness
–Sundowners / wandering
–Safety (such as detecting if a hot stove is unattended too long)

With BEAM you are giving your loved one:

–More dignity
–Independence and more freedom
–Safety
–Less intrusion

And giving yourself less fear and anxiety, thanks to:

–Anytime, anywhere monoitoring
–Simple, easy to use technology
–Knowing your loved one is safe

Supporting your loved ones is as easy as connecting to our team.

BEAM is currently being piloted and will be available by December 2012.

The post New Product Pilot: BEAM – Basic, Everyday Activity Monitoring appeared first on CreateAbility Inc.

How do you make sure you take care of the people who have taken care of you your entire life – without busting their trust? How do you say, “Mom and Dad, let’s take some precautionary measures for your safety now while you’re still in great shape?”

This can be one of the most awkward conversations between a parent and child. However, the reality is that no one wants to find their parent in a “I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up” state.

Technology can be your bridge.

Baby Boomers have had technology in their lives and have watched how much technology has changed the quality of life more than any other generation in history. Adopting some of those new technologies is the way to get some monitoring into their home while maintaining a trusting relationship and providing you some piece of mind.

A tablet PC and a smart phone provide the opportunity to connect with the grandkids. They also are a great chance to offer fall monitoring, a glucometer and a wireless scale to help offer an insight into their daily health.

Skype offers the chance to catch up on the grandson’s soccer game, and also can be the bridge for knowing whether or not the stove was left on too long.

Small – non-invasive – technology changes give Mom and Dad the chance to stay in their home longer and safer while also staying more connected to family and friends.

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When people hear the word monitoring they often think of “watching,” “tracking” or even something more invasive like “bordering.”

The future of home health care should be focused on one word:

Dignity

The basic reason people want to age in place is to maintain independence, be around what they know and love and, at the very least, maintain their dignity.

Dignity is a powerful word and can be forgotten when discussing in health care. Health care has been contrary to dignity because historically medicine has looked at bedside manner as secondary in importance to the overall health of the patient. What technology can do today is offer the “and conversation” for providing a monitored environment and allowing people to maintain their dignity.

It’s about the environment getting smarter around the senior to help your loved ones keep their dignity.

The future of aging is bright and includes the future of living in the place you have come to know and love with dignity.

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One of the caregivers objected that the technology would make the “care” less caring, and I think he brought up a good point.

Technology is a tool, like a hammer or a wrench. Sometimes people like to package technology in a demonized way of killing the personal touch of health care, almost taking the care out of it. The point of a tool is to make a job easier. To make productivity more functional, a tool is an amplifier of the user.

The greatest opportunity in the home health care environment is to apply some very powerful tools to allow the “care” to be delivered more effectively. To allow the overworked and underappreciated do more of what got them into the industry in the first place. Technology is a tool that allows you to care for others in a more effective manner and to spend more doing what is really important.

The technology breakthroughs that happen every day are only as good as the people who use them. Technology can be a great “tool” for care, when it is designed that way.

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