Monitoring Seniors Living at Home
Your widowed mother lives in Toronto and you’re in Wichita. She lives an active life and won’t even consider moving. Not to a retirement home, not to an apartment near you. And you worry that she may not be as well or as secure as she tells you she is. Phoning and asking about her health and well being doesn’t really reassure you. Is she taking her medicines? Does she sleep well at night or does she wander around? Does she fall? Does she lock the doors at night? Does she forget to turn off the oven? Yes, she’s independent, but is she safe? Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable knowing that you would get an automatic alert in the event of a sudden change in her health?
And how about getting this peace of mind (yours) at a price that you can afford? Admit it: Even if she agreed to move to a retirement home now, it would take a bite out of your already tight resources. Your dad used to say that if they sold the house they could easily afford a comfortable retirement. That was then. Not any more! So, can you and she enjoy the confidence that all is well, at an affordable price?
Activity and health monitoring
With a Magen home system to monitor her health and activities, you could see on your own home computer, your mother’s blood pressure, her weight, if and when she took her pills, when she opened the refrigerator, how long she was in bed and when, was she restless in bed, when she left the house and many other indicators of her health and her activity. If anything in her behaviour varies significantly from what is routine for her, the system will send an alert! All this without badgering her with questions. On top of that, you can set up reminders to your mother to jog her memory about doctor’s appointments, tests, whatever.
For this you need only for Magen Home Automation to install a health monitoring system in your mother’s home. Using strategically placed sensors, our systems collect the information you need. Computer programs process and analyze the information, combining it into easy to understand tables and charts. Our systems give you the data collected, as well as any deviations from normal routine which may indicate a problem. Data is also presented in such a way that you are not overwhelmed with unnecessary data; you don’t really want to know every time the refrigerator door was opened.
Get the data on your own computer
The information flows to you automatically, and is accessible wherever you are. Not only you get the information, but your brother in Moose Jaw and your sister in Cleveland can see it as well. Or other members of your mother’s support circle, including a local caregiver. Make a conference call and decide together what, if anything, should be done when things don’t seem right.
Aging in place
Many such systems, based on the “aging in place” concept are now available. Each geared to the particular needs and health problems that the senior suffers from. Magen will help you choose the one that is most suited to your situation.
Talk to your mom about this. You may be surprised how readily she accepts it; she may even be waiting to be asked. A 2007 survey by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) revealed that over nine in ten say it is important for them to stay at home for as long as possible.
Our systems are discrete and non intrusive; people are normally oblivious to their presence. We rarely use cameras, as most seniors consider this an invasion of their privacy. However, cameras remain an option when acceptable to the senior.
To help you and your mother to think about her independent life style and evaluate it’s viability, take a few minutes to do the independent living assessment test designed by professionals of Boston University and sponsored by Philips
Less costly than other alternatives
A monthly monitoring fee along with the purchase and installation cost, are a great saving over the cost of an assisted living facility. In most cases, postponing the move to a retirement or a nursing home by as little as six months, will cover the costs of the system.
Magen offers a wide range of services to make the life of seniors living alone safer and more comfortable. Call us and tell us your problem. We are committed to finding automated solutions to improve the quality of life of seniors.
Magen is an experienced, reliable and respected firm serving the Toronto area in southern Ontario since 1981. Over the years in which we have been serving this dynamic area, we have grown constantly, always remaining on the cutting edge of automation in the service of the individual. Our growth is proof of our uncompromising approach to quality installations and to our constant effort to exceed the expectations of our clients.
Magen has the know-how and the experience to help you. By working with Magen, you benefit from our rich experience and from the most professional advice available.
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