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Caregiver and Patient

What Are Caregiver-Focused Home Health Technologies?

A caregiver-focused home health technology is simply a tool or resource that can support people who work to help others with their daily living activities. For many in the Tampa Bay community and across the globe caregivers are heroes. Caregivers often come into our lives when we’re most in need. They volunteer their energy to make someone else’s day better and more manageable. And, their duties are by no measure, simple or small in number. Caregiving can include helping to manage medications, communicating with physicians, helping to prepare someone for the day (e.g. bathing, dressing, etc.), meal preparation, household chores, and all the many activities required to care for an individual who may need assistance due to age, disability, mental disorder, or impairment.

Many caregivers are sons and daughters who have stepped into the role in order to care for their own parents. This means that they may have to combine their caregiving duties with the demands that they had beforehand, such as those pertaining to family, child care, work, etc. For caregivers that need a little extra help with their roles, having access to a helpful home Health Technology can be hugely advantageous. They help save time and offer peace of mind.

Home health technology can help to support the increasing number of these home based caregivers and ultimately benefit both family members and patients.

What Technologies Can Help Caregivers?

“Many caregivers are now taking advantage of modern technology as a way to drastically improve their caregiving knowledge and abilities,” (LotsAHelpingHands.com). So, what are these tech tools and how can caregivers use them to go through some of their daily duties quicker, simpler, and with a bit more peace of mind? Take a look at the top four, we’ve listed below.

Some examples of caregiver-focused home health technologies, include:

1. Smart Rugs

“A University of Missouri professor has developed a ‘smart carpet’ that monitors the movements of elderly persons and can detect the potential for a dangerous fall. The purpose of the flooring system is to help patients remain both independent and safe unobtrusively,” (Tech News World). While the smart carpet isn’t quite market-ready for caregivers and patients, there are some similarly smart solutions available. One of them is the smart rug for caregivers and patients.

• Smart Rugs: To alert caregivers when patients get out of bed at anytime. This means that caregivers can actually relax or even sleep, knowing that they’ll be alerted if their patient gets up. This is helpful for patients that have physical impairments that hinder their ability use their legs, such as osteoporosis and arthritis. One example of is the simple Cordless Floor Mat from Smart Caregiver.

2. Wander-Alert Tech

“Six in ten people with dementia will wander. A person with Alzheimer’s may not remember his or her name or address, and can become disoriented, even in familiar places. It can happen, even if you are the most diligent of caregivers. Wandering among people with dementia is dangerous, but there are strategies and services to help prevent it. Use devices that signal when a door or window is opened. This can be as simple as a bell placed above a door or as sophisticated as an electronic home alarm,” (Alzheimer’s Association).

• Wander-Alert Tools: These tools are a combination of motion detectors and alarms designed to alert caregivers when a patient begins to move on their own beyond set safe zones within the home, yard, etc. This is especially relevant for patients that suffer from either mental disorders or diseases that impact memory, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. One product that handles this is the Wander Alarm with Motion Detector.

3. Medical Necklaces & Bracelets

“Surveys consistently show that 80 to 90 percent of seniors want to stay in their own home as they age. A number of technological solutions can make doing so safer for them. Any senior that lives alone should have a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS),” (CaregiverStress.com).

• Medical Necklaces & Bracelets: Also, known as Personal Emergency Response Systems or PERS, these popular devices are worn by patients and used to alert others of emergencies and accidents, such as a fall, so that medical attention may be delivered quickly. Typically, it’s as simple as pressing a button on the device. One PERS option caregivers have considered is the Lifeline Standard Medical Alert / Help Button.

4. Digital Medication Dispensers

“Medication management can be a big hassle for anybody. The confusion gets worse for caregivers who keep track of multiple loved ones’ as well as personal prescriptions. Sometimes the most difficult step, is remembering to actually take the medications! And, here is where technology can be a lifesaver,” (LotsAHelpingHands.com).

• Digital Medication Dispensers: These tools can be used to remind caregivers and patients to take the right pills and tablets at the right time. This prevents both potential errors and missed doses. It may be most valuable for caregivers that have to manage multiple medications for their patients. There a great number of solutions that meets this need from which caregivers have begun to see benefits. There are several available on Amazon, already.

In a letter that was recently prepared for the Journal of the American Medical Association it was noted that, “From 1998 to 2012 the percentage of home-dwelling, functionally disabled older adults in the United States receiving caregiving assistance increased to more than 50%,” (Personal Connected Health Alliance). That’s a significant percentage of our population. So, if you or someone you know might benefit from a little digital assistance, remember to share your knowledge. It really may help to make a difference in those lives. And anyone including caregivers, patients, physicians, and students can learn more about the latest technology trends, tools, and techniques that add value to and make life better. Just stay tuned to our tech blog, which is available at anytime.

Happy Computing!

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