New technologies for aging in place

Question:

Do you know of any products that can make aging at home easier and safer?

Answer:

Technology is going gray and that's a good thing. Technology can enable you to live at home even when you're unwell. It can detect a fall and dispatch help even when you're unconscious, help restore your balance to actually prevent you from falling, keep your brain in tip-top shape, dispense your medications on time each and every day, and allow you to receive email from the grandkids without using a computer or the Internet. It won't be long before you can subscribe to a service that places sensors throughout your home to flag a problem before it even happens.

Here are some high-tech products that can make senior living and at home senior care a bit easier, safer and a whole lot more fun for all involved.

Staying in Touch

Presto Computerless Email Service

Family, friends, and other contacts (especially grandkids of all ages) can send email, photos, reminders and other documents to seniors or someone who doesn't have a computer or Internet service. Simply plug in the HP "Printing Mailbox" to a power outlet and an existing analog phone line and "Presto!" the user can receive email via phone. "Presto" incorporates photos into the text of the email, and email is received instantly printed in full color. There's nothing to open or download and no button to push to receive the message. The printer is $99 and the mail service fee is as low as $12.50 per month with no contract required. Go to presto.com or call 1.866.435.4829.
Medication Dispensing

Philips Medication Dispensing Service

One out of 10 hospital readmissions of older adults is caused by a medication error. This product is for those individuals who take quite a few medications and is especially helpful for those who live alone. A caregiver fills the electronic dispenser that can cover up to 40 days of medications. An audible reminder will tell the individual that it's time to take the prescribed pills and dispenses the accurate amount. If the patient hasn't taken the pills, a sensor triggers a phone or text message that is sent to a family member or designated caregiver who can follow up to see what's happened. It's the only product with a human interface when medications aren't taken. The activation cost is $85, which includes an installer coming to the home to fill up the device and set the dispensing schedule. The $75 per month service fee includes 24-hour tech support, rental of the device and the supply of cups and lids for the medications. You can watch a video to see how an audible medication dispenser works at managemypills.com. To order call 1.888.632.3261.

Med-E-Lert Automatic Pill Dispenser

This electronic pill dispenser offers 28 medication compartments that can be used for pills taken up to four times daily, covering a full week. Three different alarm tones and a blinking light alert the individual when it is time to take the medication. The alarm won't turn off until the dispenser is tilted on its side to dispense the pills. If a dose is missed, the compartment will automatically move on to make room for the next dose when it is due, preventing double-dosing of medication. Med-E-Lert Automatic Pill Dispenser sells at about $69.95 and runs on batteries. You can buy it at amazon.com or call the Insulin Case Company at 1.855.868.6024.
Personal Emergency Response Systems

Philips Lifeline "Auto Alert" and "Standard Alert"

A number of companies sell Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) that are worn as either wristbands or pendants and feature a button to push in an emergency. The PERS sends a signal to a call center, alerting them that assistance is needed. A responder calls the user's phone and, through a speaker, asks if the person needs help and, if so, who should be called. If there's no answer, they dispatch 911. This device gives the user (and family members) peace of mind knowing that even if the user can't get to a phone, help will be sent. The Philips Lifeline Standard Alert system costs about $41 per month.

One new, especially promising product is Philips Lifeline Auto-Alert service. It is reassuring for anyone who is at risk of a stroke or worried about being unable to push the button for help (e.g., if in an unconscious state). This product has a sensor built into the wristband or pendant that detects the trajectory of a fall and will automatically transmit a signal to the call center to activate the system without the user doing anything. This system costs about $54 per month. Call 1.800.380.3111 or go to lifelinesys.com.
Sensors for Stove Safety

Kitchen fires occur every 8 minutes in North America and older adults are the most likely group to cause them. Usually it's because they become distracted and forget that the stove is on. The Safe-T-element is an electronically controlled solid cover plate for stove safety that is installed on top of an existing stovetop burner. A unit inside the stove controls the temperature of the plate, allowing it to reach a maximum of 662 degrees Fahrenheit. It will maintain that temperature, preventing grease, food or clothing from igniting. These plates are being installed in senior housing units and university dorms nationwide. You can purchase a four-burner unit for $180 and arrange for an installer to hook it up for about $60 by calling Pioneering Tech at 1.800.433.6026. To view a brochure, go to pioneeringtech.com.
Brain and Physical Fitness

Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit

Grandkids know what Wii (pronounced wee) is all about, and the senior market for the product is continuing to grow. Senior centers, nursing homes and adult day centers now have their participants bowling, playing tennis and exercising (including yoga) to strengthen muscles and gain better balance to prevent falls. The Wii is made by Nintendo and it connects to your television, displaying video games that you interact with using handheld remote controls. The Wii Fit employs a weight-sensitive balance board that looks like a bathroom scale. It requires shifting your balance or jogging to record your movements and progress, and it gives you immediate feedback. The Wii base unit costs about $199 and most games are about $20. The Wii Fit balance board costs about $75. You can buy the Wii system and games at Best Buy, Walmart, amazon.com and other stores that sell electronics.

If you want to keep your brain fit, check out Nintendo's Big Brain Academy games, designed for the Wii. Or, if you don't want to invest in a Wii, you can purchase a Nintendo DS handheld game system to play Brain Age. This device features a touch screen that allows users to write answers with a Stylus pen as if they were writing on paper. It also features voice-recognition technology that identifies words you'll speak during certain activities. The DS Lite system is priced at $149 and games are $15 or more. The system might be too small for someone with a visual impairment.

If you have a computer or cell phone with the capacity for brain games, go to happy-neuron.com to download software brain games designed for older users. Some of the games are free.
Alzheimer's Wandering Safety

If you are worried that someone with early or mid-stage Alzheimer's may wander off, "Comfort Zone" will give you great peace of mind. The device uses GPS and cellular technologies with online mapping. Authorized caregivers can log into a secure website and they can proactively establish safety zones. If the person with Alzheimer's travels beyond the pre-set zones, the caregivers receive an alert, via text or email, within 15 or 30 minutes and they can determine the user's location within two minutes. Comfort Zone service packages vary, beginning at $42.99 a month with a $45 activation fee. For more information or to purchase Comfort Zone, visit the Alzheimer's Association website here or call 1.877.ALZ.4850.

The Alzheimer's Association has also paired up with the MedicAlert "Safe Return" program. Purchase a bracelet for your family member or friend, and if the individual becomes lost, call an 800 number to activate a search via a community support network that includes law enforcement agencies. If someone encounters a person who has wandered, they'll find the words "Memory Impaired" on the bracelet along with an 800 number directed to the MedicAlert Safe Return Program. Enrollment costs $49.95.