In-Home Care and Medical Alert Monitoring Solutions

Caregiving From Afar. "You can still be there for your family..."

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:12:00 GMT

If you don't live close enough to be of immediate help to someone you love, you can still remain an important part of the family's support network by sharing some of the day-to-day responsibilities of care giving. Sometimes you may feel helpless or concerned that your only contribution may be financial or that you cannot contribute at all. When a loved one is in need it sparks a plethora of emotions and concerns; don’t worry even if you’re not close by you can still be there for your family.

You can start by making regular phone calls to check-in; when the days seem to drag on with limited activity and no one nearby a phone call can brighten the day and ease the pain of living alone. Just remember to breathe and relax when you hear the same story ever day or they take out their stress on you. A very cool blog post about stress is StrengthForCaring.com (http://bit.ly/8Kqd3p).

There are other options you have to offer compassionate care from afar. eCaregiver has a variety of at-home care services that allow us to always be there even if you can't. You can reassure your senior parent, elderly relative, or loved one that they're always in close touch with those who care. If the eCaregiver Personal Help Button is pressed, eCaregiver will quickly send the most appropriate assistance and will notify you about exactly what actions were taken (such as contacting a neighbor, family member, doctor or emergency service providers). In addition to medical alert buttons, you can set up reminders for medication compliance, vitals monitoring and more. We can work with you to create a custom care plan that is right for you and your family for thousands less than other options (and more personal too). For more information, click here.

Medication Compliance Research and Resources for Caregivers

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:37:00 GMT

With such a high response to our recent articles on Medication Compliance and Tele-health Solutions we wanted to also provide addtional third party resources and solutions for our readers. While we hope you find our products and services useful we encourage you to also seek information from these third party experts.

Merck Manual on ways to Improve Patient Compliance / (Also see: Medication Reminders & Pillboxes)

World Health Organization. Adherence to Long-Term Therapies Adherence Report

GENERIC DRUGS

From the Food and Drug Administration

From the Department of Health and Human Services

Frequently Asked Questions

PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

Needy Meds

Together RX Access

Medicare (Click on "Prescription Drug and Other Assistance Programs")

RX Assist

Partnership for Prescription Assistance

Access to Benefits Coalition

REDUCING MEDICATION ERRORS

JCAHO Speak Up - Medication Mistakes

Monitored Medication Dispensers

SAFE STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF MEDICATION

Federal Guidelines: Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs

Keep It Clean - A Save the Bay Campaign

NCPIE Tips on Safe Storage & Disposal

No Drugs Down the Drain

Disposing of Unwanted Medications

Watch Out Caregivers: Major Competitive Threat? (NOT)

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:36:00 GMT

As a professional caregiver do you view PERS and at-home alert systems as competition? What about Medication Dispensers? When speaking with professional hospice and at-home care providers I’m often confronted with concern that tele-medicine solutions are competitive rather than complimentary to their practices. In this post we’ll explore how professional care providers can actually save time, money and increase profits by using tele-medicine solutions to compliment their business.

In prior posts we’ve discussed the concerns and risks associated with medication non-compliance and doused you with research and resources to substantiate the issue. Now lets take a moment to consider the business opportunity for you as a professional care provider. Whether you manage a team of dozens of nurses or offer a smaller, personalized service you’ll want to read what you’re missing out on.

To put this into perspective we’ll talk about the electronic pill dispenser solution and how it could generate several hundred (if not thousand) dollars in additional revenue for you each month all while providing an increased level of personal care for your client and reduced stress for you.

Consider this hypothetical scenario: Jill manages a small practice where she and a partner provide at-home care services for about twenty-five clients. With long work-weeks often extending into the weekend it’s sometimes difficult to find time (or the extra money) to take a break. This tends to wear on Jill and her partner and it sometimes shows when she has to consult her notes for the third time that day to remember Mrs. Johnsons’ prescription regimen.

In addition to Mrs. Johnson, Jill will see four other clients that day and provide a host of services ranging from meal-preparation to bathing and more. For some clients she helps out with medications for others she doesn’t. After stopping by to check in on another client Jill grabs a quick lunch and is off to meet a new family who has flown into town to meet and discuss the needs of their aging mother. The family is appreciative of Jill’s time but their finances are limited and they are concerned with the costs for daily visits to manage medication and would prefer to pay for weekly visits with meal-preparation.

Have you seen the opportunities?

Having to manage multiple peoples prescription regimens can be a burden to caregivers. With an electronic pill box at your clients’ home you can rest assured that the right does is delivered at the right time.
Only visiting clients once a day/week to check in on clients leaves opportunities for missed medication doses. With MedicationWatch you can set a timer and rest assured that if your client forgets a dose we’ll call them (and/or you) to remind them.
Potential Clients are looking for more services; by offering monitored mediation management you can earn more money and meet the needs of more clients. Additionally, by embracing tele-medicine technology you’ll set yourself apart from the competition.

Let’s explore how you can use eCaregiver MedReady Medication Dispensers to improve customer care, reduce liability and improve profits.

For less than $25 per month you can set up an electronic pill dispenser that is monitored for compliance 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. That translates to “you” can now offer 24-hour medication compliance reminders for your clients for less than $1 per day.

Now the upside; many caregivers offer set-up of the unit for a nominal fee of $50-$100 (should take you about 15-20 minutes and you need to document their meds anyways). Then for $75 to $100 per month you can offer the MedReady Monitored system and monthly re-fills and prescription reminders. (All you do is refill the unit once a month and call in prescriptions when they’re running low like you likely do already).

Now if only half of Jills’ customers (above) took her up on the service that would mean an extra $1,000 in set-up fees and $500 to $750 per month in recurring revenue.

In conclusion eCaregiver MedReady Medication Management Systems are cost effective, they save you time, improve customer care and generate additional profit for your business. To learn more please click here or give us a call.

The Real Drug Problem Is Forgetting to Take Them: Medication Compliance Adherence Statistics & Resources

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:37:00 GMT

Remembering to take your medicine is the key to compliance. Medicine will be effective only when taken as prescribed by your physician. Good patient compliance and adherence means taking the right drugs, on time and in the proper doses.

World Health Organization reports that only around 50% of people typically follow their doctors' orders when it comes to taking prescription drugs -- and the rates are lower for certain medical conditions. Only 43% of patients take their medicine as prescribed to treat acute asthma. Between 40% and 70% follow the doctor's orders for depression medication. Just 51% of patients take the prescribed doses of high blood pressure medicine.

Patient Compliance

Medication non-compliance (non-adherence), the failure to take drugs on time in the dosages prescribed, is as dangerous and costly as many illnesses.

Studies have shown than non-compliance causes 125,000 deaths annually in the US (2), leads to 10 to 25 percent of hospital and nursing home admissions, and is becoming an international epidemic. It is, in the words of The New York Times (1) the world’s "other drug problem".

Negative Economic Effects of Non-Compliance

23% of nursing home admissions due to noncompliance (3). Cost $31.3 billion / 380,000 patients.
10% of hospital admissions due to noncompliance (4,5). Cost $15.2 billion / 3.5 million patients.

Prescriptions

About 50% of the 2 billion prescriptions filled each year are not taken correctly (7).
1/3 of patients take all their medicine, 1/3 take some, 1/3 don't take any at all (Rx prescription never filled) (6).

Caregiving

25,000,000 nonprofessional caregivers in the US (8).
80% of nonprofessional caregivers are women (8).
80%-90% of people requiring care in the US receive it from family members or friends (9).

References

1. The New York Times June 2, 1998 2. Smith, D., Compliance Packaging: A Patient Education Tool, American Pharmacy, Vol. NS29, No 2 February 1989 3. Standberg, L.R., Drugs as a Reason for Nursing Home Admissions, American Health care Association Journal, 10,20 (1984). 4. Schering Report IX The Forgetful Patient: The High Cost of Improper Patient Compliance. 5. Oregon Department of Human Resources, A study of Long-Term Care in Oregon with Emphasis on the Elderly March 1981. 6. Hayes, R.B.NCPIE Prescription Month, October 1989 7. National Council for Patient Information and Education. 8. Rosalynn Carter Institute of Georgia Southwestern College. 9. Parade Magazine, 1/29/95.

Concerns About Distant Caregiving and Medication Compliance

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:38:00 GMT

Caregiving from afar and worrying about a loved one living independently is a major concern. Making sure that a loved one is taking their proper medication on time is only one issue that families and friends face today. Do they take the wrong dose or perhaps forget if they took their pills? Are the confused as to which does to take and when?

One of the primary causes of hospitalization and premature institutionalization of older family members is the incorrect use of prescription medications, drug interactions or failure to properly take the medications as instructed.

As people grow older their ability to follow prescription (Rx) and other medication (OTC, supplements) instructions is decreased. eCaregiver offers a complete solution for "Aging-In Place" with medication compliance. Our products help the patient remember to take medications on time and also help caregivers manage multiple patient prescriptions and dosing regimes.

Whether you’re a concerned family member or a professional caregiver; we have products and solutions that improve the quality of care, reduce risk, save time and save money.

Managing Medical Costs & Improving Caregiving with Telemedicine

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:38:00 GMT

With the ever increasing demand for caregivers and the limited amount of trained and certified associates both professional caregiver organizations and individuals can turn to tele-medicine solutions as a way to improve at-home care. At-home care technologies (or tele-medicine solutions [blog]) are fast becoming recognized as an effective way to provide quality care while lowering costs.

We've seen that we can reduce admissions and it's a sound business decision to invest in services that help lower cost and improve care." Says Ethan Johnson, eCaregiver Director of Customer Care. The cost-effectiveness of telemedicine technologies [products] is just beginning to reshape the healthcare industry. Medicaid traditionally does not pay for less expensive alternatives to nursing homes, including in-home and community based care. That is starting to change with Medicaid waiver programs that help elders remain in their homes with assistance from visiting nurses and homemaker aides. For example, through South Florida's "Channeling" program, one of the state's first waiver programs in 1986, home health care costs about $26 per day, while institutional care would cost at least 5 times that much.

At the same time, home health care visits to monitor weight, pulse, blood pressure, and oxygenation are also expensive. For patients with congestive heart failure, clinicians must be aware of even slight weight gains, which don't often occur in sync with regular office visits. Regular trips to the doctor can be difficult and expensive for patients with mobility and transportation difficulties. Some visits cost as much as $500, including accessible van transportation services. For these reasons, insurance and managed care companies place limits on office and home healthcare visits. (Baker, 2001)

State and Federal Initiatives

Some 20 states have begun conducting projects to explore the effectiveness of telemedicine. The Veterans Administration is testing the concept through programs in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Texas (Baker, 2001).

The federal government is also taking an active part in studying the effectiveness of home healthcare technologies and services. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC's) on telemedicine at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and The Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, are funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

Many federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Food and Drug Administration, National Library of Medicine, and the Public Health Service are taking an active role in development and regulation of telemedicine and other home health care technologies.

Today and Tomorrow

Home health care technologies such as blood pressure monitors, glucometers, and fetal monitors have given patients more information and more responsibility for their own care. The advent of telemedicine has added a new dimension of interaction between the health care provider and the patient. As a result, patients today have unprecedented access to medical information, and more and more (especially aging baby boomers) are taking advantage of it to become directly involved in their own health care.

eCaregivers' Drew Zabrocki sees Interactive Healthcare Services as part of this healthy movement toward healthcare that is both patient-centered and cost-effective. "This is a new approach, and payers are very risk-averse. But with the average hospitalization of a heart failure patient costing $5,000-10,000, technologies that can help avoid the need for re-admissions quickly pay for themselves", Zabrocki observes.

Tomorrow's elders, patients who have grown up with technology, are sure to be more receptive and demanding of health care technology. As these and other telemedicine technologies increase patients' abilities to actively participate in their own care, caregivers will find themselves adjusting to far more proactive customers - perhaps even the word "patient" will have to be changed.

Also See:

Interactive At-Home Care & Benefits for Heart Patients

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:39:00 GMT

In a prior post we introduced you to the history of at-home health technology commonly referred to as “Tele-medicine systems” as well as one form of technology, the “Vital Signs Monitoring Service”. Services such as these are especially useful for heart patient users. “It's like an electronic house call. The patient gets attention. The provider gets information. And the Caregiver and patient can cooperatively maintain control of that information -- that's essential." said Ethan Johnson Director of eCaregiver Customer Care.

An important issue in the use of patient-operated technologies is diligence and accuracy. Patients with congestive heart failure must diligently monitor their weight. These patients, who may also be obese, are less inclined to weigh themselves regularly, much less report weight gains. Even minor weight gains may signal retention of fluids, which must be addressed promptly. It is not unusual for CHF patients to wait until they feel very sick before scheduling an office visit. At this point, it may be too late to avoid hospitalization.

Similarly, training in the use of these technologies is critical to effective monitoring. Usability of home health care technologies is paramount. If patients are not both willing and able to use it effectively, the results can be worse than no monitoring at all, since clinician, patient, or both may be misled into believing that signs are normal when they are not.

The benefits of effective monitoring go beyond the blood pressure and pulse data that’s transmitted. The time stamp on recorded data also provides the clinician insight into other potential health issues. For example, if the data shows the patient took his blood pressure at 2:00 AM, the clinician can follow up on potential sleep problems.

Interactive Healthcare Services at eCaregiver

In addition to reducing unnecessary hospital admissions, tele-medicine systems facilitate prompt and appropriate response by the clinician or caregiver. eCaregiver solutions includes thorough training and tracking software to monitor daily patient measurements, store and retrieve historical data, and generate reports. Patient measurements which fall outside preset limits can be flagged for immediate follow-up by the health care provider. Additionally, eCaregiver services include a 24-hr emergency monitoring center who can respond as appropriate.

“By engaging patients as active participants in their own care and providing physicians and nurse case managers with daily access to timely, accurate, and relevant patient data, eCaregiver Services strives to improve the management of heart failure disease. Patients receive a set of portable, easy-to-use devices that measure and transmit vital signs from their home to their healthcare provider's computer. The devices include a weight scale, a blood pressure unit, glucose level meter, oxygenation sensor, exhalation sensor, and a unit to transmit the data using the patient's phone line. In a user study, patients using the system had a hospital readmission rate of 0.13 visits a year, compared with an average of 1.5 for patients not using the service." states Drew Zabrocki, eCaregiver Brand Manager.

Aging in place is the best way to enjoy ones’ remaining days and families want to offer the highest quality of care often seeking professional care giver services to aid in providing the best for their family members. Tele-medicine solutions are effective tools for families and professional caregivers alike. If you’re fortunate enough to have family with the time and resources to provide at-home care the vitals reporting or personal help (medical alert) buttons can ease the work load and provide added peace-of-mind. As a professional caregiver the medication management and vitals reporting solutions allow you to effectively care for more clients by automatically managing less technical aspects of your day-to-day activities. With the ever increasing demand for caregivers and the limited amount of trained and certified associates professional caregiver organizations can turn to tele-medicine solutions as a way to improve customer care and profitability while meeting increasing market demands.

In future posts we’ll discuss how to manage medical costs with tele-medicine solutions and the future of at-home medical technology.

At Home Care Technologies, Telemedicine Solutions for Caregivers and Families Alike

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:21:00 GMT

With ever increasing costs of institutional care, restrictions on inpatient care by managed-care organizations, and the desire to "age in place" by individuals with medical conditions requiring regular medical monitoring, tele-medicine is fast becoming a cost-effective and viable option for many Americans.

Building on the success of home diagnostic tests such as those for pregnancy and glucose levels, technologies for managing chronic disabilities are developing rapidly. Home kidney dialysis and cardiac pacemaker monitoring are two of the procedures which previously required in-patient professional care but are increasingly done in the home, with minimal professional supervision.

Tele-medicine began in the 1960's with the use of ordinary telephone and wire communications by physicians who were physically remote from their patients. Since then high-speed data lines, advanced data compression technologies, and computerization of patient records have made tele-medicine a much more powerful clinical tool. As home health care and telecommunication technologies have continued to improve, patients have become increasingly involved in managing their own health care. At the same time, chronic conditions requiring regular monitoring are increasingly common among the growing elderly population. Congestive heart failure is among the most common of these conditions, requiring regular monitoring of blood pressure, weight, and heart rhythm.

How Interactive Healthcare Services Work

Using portable, battery-operated measurement units which operate automatically or with a single push of a button, patients take their vital signs daily. The portable units transmit the data and the time by radio frequency automatically to the home telecommunications "hub". The hub then transmits the data, using ordinary phone lines, to a comprehensive patient database accessible to the health care provider.

eCaregiver employs telecommunications technology for remote monitoring of patients' vital signs; for individuals, families and professional care providers eCaregiver provides 24-hour monitoring and all equipment required on a month-to-month basis thereby eliminating hundreds if not thousands of dollars in upfront costs. “Our aim was to get the technology into the hands of people who need it” said Ethan Johnson Director of eCaregiver Customer Care “It’s not enough to provide advanced technology if only the wealthy can afford it…everyone deserves quality compassionate care.”

In speaking with Mr. Johnson we also discussed specific uses of vitals and tele-health solutions for the at-home care community including how professional caregivers can improve profitability and efficiency with eCaregiver Partner Services. “Our services are designed so that professional care givers can include our vitals monitoring or medication management as a component of their service to increase value and efficiency…. If an individual Caregiver can manage a case load of twenty clients; we estimate they could manage four to six times as many by combining personal visits with tele-medicine solutions. This would be especially useful in rural areas. ”

In our next post we’ll discuss the effectiveness of at-home vitals reporting for Heart Patients, Interactive Healthcare Services and the future of At-Home Health Technologies, then we’ll look at the future of At-home Care Technologies.

The effects of Tai Chi Chuan on physiological function and fear of falling: an intervention study for preventing falls.

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:07:00 GMT

Falls have a major impact on the overall health of seniors and studies have indicated that physical activity can help lower the risk of falls. There's a ton of research on the subject from authorities world-wide. In this post I'll direct your attention to a case-control study of individuals older than 65 years of age, subjects who practiced vigorous physical activity and had no limitations to their activities of daily living. The research illustrates the physical and even cardiovascular benefits of Tai Chi for older adults.

In a group of seniors who were randomized, Tai Chi improved all measures of physical function. Tai Chi improved the ability of participants to perform both walking and more vigorous activities such as running. In a cross-sectional study comparing Tai Chi practitioners with an average of 13.2 years of experience with a control group of sedentary older adults, Tai Chi was associated with a reduced resting heart rate and reduced post-exercise heart rate. In this same study, Tai Chi improved the ability to sit and reach, total body rotation, and standing on one leg with eyes closed.

Physicians in Western countries might question whether older adults will accept Tai Chi as a form of exercise. A study of 130 seniors in the Southern United States found that older adults derived similar balance and movement benefits after randomization to programs of TaiChi or individualized balance training, but only participants performing Tai Chi reported that their average daily life and overall life was improved with the training program.

The authors focused on older adults with problems with balance and no prior experience with Tai Chi. This study helps reinforce other research regarding the value of Tai Chi in older adults. Whether performed alone or in a group environment, it appears that Tai Chi can provide important physical and psychological benefits for older adults. Physicians should keep this in mind when counseling older adults at risk of falling.

This was an summary of the article located at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/529870 we strongly encourage you to read the article and accompanying research and references.

eCaregiver is not the author of this article; all credit is given to Charles Vega, MD, FAAFP, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine; Associate Residency Director, University of California - Irvine, Orange, California.

While Personal Help Buttons and Medical Alert Monitoring Services have been proven to speed response in case of emergency and clients report enhanced peace-of-mind with a medical alert monitoring system; eCaregiver offers this information purely for your benefit and without compensation or intent.

References:

Stevens JA, Powell KE, Smith SM, Wingo PA, Sattin RW. Physical activity, functional limitations, and the risk of fall-related fractures in community-dwelling elderly. Ann Epidemiol. 1997;7:54-61.
Cumming RG, Salkeld G, Thomas M, Szonyi G. Prospective study of the impact of fear of falling on activities of daily living, SF-36 scores, and nursing home admission. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;55:M299-M305.
Li F, Harmer P, McAuley E, Duncan TE, et al. An evaluation of the effects of Tai Chi exercise on physical function among older persons: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Behav Med. 2001;23:139-146.
Hong Y, Li JX, Robinson PD. Balance control, flexibility, and cardiorespiratory fitness among older Tai Chi practitioners. Br J Sports Med. 2000;34:29-34.
Kutner NG, Barnhart H, Wolf SL, McNeely E, Xu T. Self-report benefits of Tai Chi practice by older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1997;52:P242-P246.

Injuries From Falls Are Increasing. Research, Prevention Tips & Resources.

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:29:00 GMT

Even after years of serving the aging community I’m always taken back by the frequency of preventable injuries among people age 65 and older--especially injuries caused by falling down--have increased dramatically year over year.

National Safety Council (NSC) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) teamed up for a national educational campaign designed to reduce the number of preventable injuries among older Americans.

Injuries from Falling are Increasing
Falling is the leading cause of unintentional injury at home among Americans 65 and older. Older people sustain such injuries by stumbling on stairs; slipping in bathtubs; falling off ladders and step stools; and tripping over garden hoses, dog leashes, and household appliance cords.

According to a 2003 CPSC study titled, "Special Report: Emergency Room Injuries, Adults 65 and Older", consumers 65 and over are increasingly at risk from product-related injuries that occur in or around their homes, especially injuries caused by falling. CPSC estimates product-related injuries and deaths involving those 65 and older cost the United States over $100 billion every year.

The report also cites a number of sports-related injuries and deaths among more active seniors. For example, CPSC noted 100 drowning deaths in one year among those 65 and older, a disproportionate share. Fires are also a hazard. Cooking fires that cause burns, start house fires, or ignite clothing while older people are cooking are a major hazard for seniors.

Older People More Vulnerable
The CPSC study found that people age 75 and older are even more vulnerable. From 1991 to 2002, the number of people 75 and older who were treated in a U.S. hospital emergency room for product-related injuries increased an astonishing 73 percent. During the same period, the number of Americans in that age group grew by only 27 percent.

In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control reported that unintentional falls were the #1 reason adults over 45 visited the emergency room. Here's how that breaks out:
- Ages 45-54: 817,043
- Ages 55-64: 633,428
- Age 65+: 1,840,117

Each week, more than 30,000 Americans over the age of 65 are seriously injured by falling, and nearly 250 die from their injuries, according to the NSC. Of those who do survive falling, 20-30 percent experience debilitating injuries that affect them the rest of their lives. Falling is also the leading cause of injury, and the leading cause of injury-related death, for both men and women 75 and older.

Most Fatal Falls Occur at Home
According to the NSC, 54 percent of all falling-related deaths of older people are caused by seniors falling down at home, and 20 percent of those fatal falls occur in residential institutions.

The most common serious injury from falling is a hip fracture. More than 24 percent of all people suffering a hip fracture die within a year of falling, and another 50 percent never return to their prior level of mobility and independence.

"These are preventable injuries," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "Older Americans are living longer and are more active than ever. We want them to enjoy themselves, free from debilitating injury."

Emotional Security & Peace of Mind

We have outlined solutions and tips to prevent falls in the home as well as a safety checklist which can be downloaded for free (no email address required).

In addition, many of our client report feeling more at easy and have calmed their fears of falling in and around the home with the addition of a Personal Help Button. While the button will do little to prevent the fall; it offers confidence and peace of mind that help is available at the press of a button.

Peace of mind and emotional security are essential to maintaining and active, engaged and healthy life. In future posts we’ll explore the physiological impacts of falling (or the fear of) and is impacts physical health, negative emotionsand physical activity.

Balancing Your Life with Caregiving Technology

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:01:00 GMT

Caregiving for a family member or friend isn't easy these days. Our fast paced lives make it difficult to balance everyday commitments to work and family. We know you want to be there as much as possible, yet studies have shown that continuous caregiving can lead to depression and exhaustion - and actually jeopardizing the security of your loved one. Sometimes you just need a break! In this post we'll talk about a few cool things you can use to help share the responsibilities and take some of the pressure of the day-to-day responsibilities and demands of caregiving.

It's important that you also understand the need for an occasional break to help you restore your own sense of balance and well-being; even if it's only a couple of hours to do errands. How do you reassure yourself and your loved one that help is always available? Many full and part-time caregivers are turning to technology with in-expensive and easy to use Personal Help Buttons when they are pressed the Personal Help Buttons (also called Medical Alert Systems) will automatically connect your family to most appropriate assistance and will notify you about exactly what actions were taken (such as contacting a neighbor, family member, doctor or emergency service providers).

Other ways to leverage technology to ease the load include setting up automatic reminders. A Reminders Service allows for personal interaction with a live person even when you're busy or taking that needed break. Whether to remind the individual to take medication, remember appointments, or simply provide words of love and support the service can really be a life saver. Sometimes family just needs an extra nudge from an "outsider" you can also use the reminder service to offer that loving reminder for exercise or doing the less desirable tasks so that you don't look like the "bad guy".

Caregiving is stressful enough without having to worry about all of the mediation schedules, reminders and refills; another very cool technology tool we've written about is the MedReady™ Medication Management System. This takes all the guess work out of medication compliance even when you're not there. It's an electronic pill box that automatically distributes the right does at teh right time. It sound a friendly reminder to take the mediation and if the does is not retrieved from the unit a Monitoring Care Center Associate will call to follow up; they can even respond to authorities or caregivers if needed.

In our next post we'll talk about long-distance care giving and how to start the conversation with family.

Now our shameless plug: eCaregiver is trying to make a positive difference by offering at-home care and medical monitoring solutions with no upfront cost of equipment fees. eCaregiver's medical alert and care center services are helping caregivers provide security for a family member or friend for less than a dollar a day, for more information, click here.

Worried About Medication Compliance?

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:57:00 GMT

Today more than every families are concerned with whether or not their elder loved one is taking all of their medication and in the right manner. With so many medications looking the same its easy to get confused. "Did I already take that one...?" or "Was that the blue or the light blue one at 12:00?".

Medication management is a growing problem for seniors and at-risk individuals in the United States. Clients using medication dispensers are on average 90% compliant to their doctor’s prescription regimen. eCaregiver systems work because they are easy-to-use and make remembering to take medications a breeze. eCaregiver systems are pre-loaded by the caregiver or medical professional and set up to remind the client to take their medication. When the time comes for them to take their next dose a buzzer will sound and the dose will rotate into position.

eCaregiver medication dispensers are monitored by the Care Center. They easily connect to a phone line and notify the Care Center if a medication dose is not taken within an allotted amount of time. When the Care Center receives notification of a missed dose they will try to contact either the client or a pre-designated medical responder for the client to remind them to take their medication.

Learn more here.

Anxieties and Risks of Falls

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:30:00 GMT

Being at home alone (even part of the day) creates legitimate concern about the risks of falling. You can now download a fall prevention checklist as well as read about other concerns and solutions to help maintain independence throughout the golden years.

For seniors, falls in and around the home have serious consequences. Did you realize that…

Falls are one of the most serious health risks among seniors over the age of 65, affecting more people than stroke and heart attacks combined.
Falls are the leading cause of death due to injury in those people 65 and over.
95% of hip fractures are caused by falls. 40% of those hospitalized for hip fracture do not return to independent living and 20% will die within a year.
More than half (55%) of all falls by seniors take place in the home. An additional 23% occur outside but near the house. eCaregiver can intervene in close to 80% of all falls.
Most falls go unreported, but it is expected that 35-40% of people over the age of 65 fall each year.
Those who fall are 2-3 times more likely to fall again.

As part of our on going effort to provide value and useful information we've added resources to our Healthy Life Section of our website. eCaregiver offers 24-hour monitoring and live reminder and check-in service for families who are shouldering the responsibility of caregiving for an elderly parent or loved one.

Company Offers Free Monitored Medication Dispensers

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:40:00 GMT

Failing to take the proper medication at the right time accounts for 25% of all hospital admissions for those 65 and older. Mistakes in medication adherence or in following a plan of care can also result in a hospital re-admission or admission to a nursing home.

Electronic pill dispensers are designed to help persons managing multiple prescriptions adhere more easily to their doctor’s prescription regimen. Most pill dispensers are easy to use and can release up to 4 doses per day. The caregiver simply loads the medication into the locking dispenser and sets the time and date (just like an alarm clock). When it comes time to take the medication a friendly reminder sounds and the dose is distributed to the patient.

What makes these systems so effective is connecting them to care center who can monitor compliance 24-hours a day. Professional monitoring services can call to offer a friendly reminder or contact a caregiver as necessary. Some at-home caregivers also set up automatic reminders services; these services automatically prompt clients to take their medications, to eat properly, to exercise, or to keep important appointments. Daily, weekly or one time reminders are usually easy to set up via an online portal or by calling the monitoring center.

Ranging from $150 to over $500, electronic pill dispensers can be an investment but they are certainly worth the money. Alternatively, eCaregiver offers the dispenser and 24-hr monitoring for no upfront equipment fee and monthly service for less than a dollar a day. What's best is when you're done with the unit just send it back and pay nothing more.

eCaregiver offers a variety of solutions to help people maintain their independence longer and improve the quality of at-home care. Services are offered for a low monthly fee with no upfront cost and no long-term commitments. For more information visit www.ecaregiver.net