Guest post contributed by http://www.homecareplus.ie/
Assistive Technology for the Elderly
As people reach their elder years, it is increasingly likely that they will be more susceptible to memory loss, injury and difficulty in communicating. Thankfully, there are many assistive technological devices which can allow elderly people to live more independently.
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Memory Aids
TabSafe Medication Manager
- TabSafe is a medication management system which dispenses medication based on an automated schedule and is kept stocked by pharmacists.
- It can be expanded to units of 4 to cater for different individual needs, with a single unit of 4 being able to dispense up to 13 medications.
- Medication is inserted into a cartridge in the device by pharmacists or caregivers and it can be configured to release a single or multiple cartridges at a time.
- A memory chip is connected to each cartridge so that pharmacists can keep the device stocked if and when a fresh supply of medication is needed.
Price: $10) a month
Click ‘n’ Dig Object Locator
- The product comes with 6 receivers that can be affixed to important objects such as keys, plus a transmitter which is used to help locate the items if an elderly person cannot remember where they left them.
- By pressing the corresponding button on the transmitter (all buttons are clearly color-coded), it emits a radio signal which beeps loudly when it reaches the lost item or items.
- The radio signal is incredibly strong, penetrating walls, furniture, doors, etc.
Price: $89.50
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Telecare Aids
Task Fall Detector
- The device, which can be worn on your wrist like a watch, comes with a help call button in addition to an automatic fall detector which triggers the impact of a fall.
- The fall detector will diagnose a fall and, before an alert is transmitted, a vibration pre-alarm will kick in. This can be cancelled by the person wearing the device waving his/her arm, so that a false alarm isn’t sent.
- If the person falls and he or she is unable to press the button on the detector, an alarm is sent so that a caregiver is alerted and can act accordingly.
Price: Obtain a quote from the manufacturer
Hypothermia Bracelet
- If the bracelet detects hypothermia in an older person for 5 minutes, it will sound a 60-second alarm every 5-15 minutes and an orange light will blink every 5 seconds so that the caregiver is alerted and can respond.
- Once the person has been sufficiently warmed, the bracelet will emit a blue blinking light every 30 seconds.
- If the elderly person is not wearing the bracelet, a white light will blink every 30 seconds and no alarm sound will be heard.
Price: $28-$35
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GPS Tracking Systems
Buddi
- A ‘safe zone’, namely an area that is trusted enough for an elderly person to travel within comfortably, can be established so that if the person travels outside this zone, caregivers are alerted.
- The user can also call for assistance if he or she gets into any difficulty, whether inside or outside the safe zone.
- Not only is the caregiver alerted of such situations, but the tracker is able to locate the user so that they can be found easily and quickly.
Price: $388 at time of purchase, plus $8-$16 service plan payable monthly
Canary
- This monitoring system enables caregivers to keep an eye on elderly people who are living elsewhere.
- It uses sensors on doors and walls to collect details about activity such as how often the elderly person goes to the bathroom or gets up at night.
- If any potential problems are detected, e.g. the person hasn’t moved for a long time in the morning, caregivers are alerted by an email or text message.
- It is ideal for use with elderly people who suffer from dementia or who are frail and have difficulty communicating how they are feeling.
Price: $350 at time of purchase plus $19.50 monitoring fee payable monthly. Alternatively, it costs $46.75 a month to rent.
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Assistive Phones
Picture Press Home Phone
- The phone allows the caller to dial 4 numbers on speed dial, using photos of the speed dial recipients for callers to easily dial the person they intend to call.
- It comes with large, high contrast buttons which are very easy to read, and it remembers the last number called for quick and easy redial.
- It has a loud receiver volume and ringer for the hard of hearing, but not so loud that it would damage the user’s hearing.
Price: $90
MP334i Man Down Cell Phone
- This phone provides a potential lifeline for elderly people with health issues such as epilepsy, diabetes and heart problems.
- It has 1-touch dial buttons and can store up to 5 contact numbers for instant dialing in case of emergency.
- The ‘man down’ alarm comes with 5 settings (horizontal, vertical, motionless, horizontal & motionless, vertical & motionless) which will alert the caregiver if an emergency is detected.
- Its in-built sensory intelligence means that emergency dialing can be cancelled if the alarm is activated but no emergency is detected, while its quick keypad locking prevents unintended dialing.
Price: $240
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Assistive Devices for Home Security
Brinno PHV MAC Front Door Camera
- This motion-activated camera is fixed to the location of the peephole on your front door and callers to your door are photographed with the date & time following detection by motion sensors.
- You can review the images on a 3-inch screen immediately if you’re at home or upon your return home if you’re out, and these images can be downloaded to a computer for easier viewing.
- As it’s a 1-way system, callers won’t know they’re being monitored, so the house occupant can comfortably refuse to answer the door if he or she does not trust the person outside.
Price: $162
Truecall Secure Phone System
- The phone system can block unwanted callers while granting connection to trusted callers such as family or caregivers.
- Callers who haven’t been approved will hear a personalized message directing them to a member of the elderly person’s family, who can then verify whether or not the call is genuine.
- Call logs with trusted and blocked numbers can be managed through the telephone handset or remotely via the Internet, so it is quick and easy to keep both lists updated.
Price: $155
This content was created by www.homecareplus.ie.
