Hi-Tech Keeps Seniors In Their Own Homes

Seniors are going high-tech, and that is keeping a lot of them out of nursing homes.

HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo shows us the advances that are keeping people independent longer.

This is so important. Forty million Americans are over age 65, and one of the hardest things to face is being forced out of your own home into a nursing home.

Nothing slows Josie and Bernie Shankman down. She's 76, he's 86. "We usually ride every Saturday to a different place. I've never been afraid a day riding with him. I got on it the first day, and I've never been afraid."

Although she's not scared on the road, she worries a fall at home will put the brakes on life. "I think that's always on your mind. If you were to fall and one or the other wasn't to be here."

As we grow older, we also lose balance. One in three people over age 65 fall each year. Forty percent of nursing home admissions are because of a fall.

"Half of those will not return to their own homes and be able to live healthfully," said Debra Krotish, Ph.D., assistant director for Senior Smart at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

New technology is keeping a watchful eye on the elderly. This vibration detector can be placed on the surface of a floor to detect if a person has fallen, and notify caregivers. These motion detectors track a person's movement.

"For example, if you put them by the bedside or the bathroom door, you know that mom's gotten up in the middle of the night," Krotish said.

This piezo-electric material can be put underneath a mattress to read a person's heart rate and respiration.

There are also devices to monitor a person's health.

This blood pressure cuff and scale sends data by Bluetooth to an online system family members and caregivers can access.

Helen Coplan, 91, still lives alone. She thinks the technology would be very useful. "If anything can help a person stay in their own familiar surroundings, it's well worth it."

Keeping seniors safe and giving peace of mind to loved ones.

Dr. Krotish says the smart home technology could help ease the economic strain on the health care system as more of the population ages.

Costs vary depending on what patients need, but can run from a few hundred dollars to up to $8,000.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons, the average cost of a nursing home stay is about $50,000 a year.

HOME ALONE: Thanks to advanced medical care and increasing life expectancies, many more Americans are growing older. There are about 37 million people living in the United States who are over age 65, but as the population ages, there is also a growing concern for the health and safety of those individuals.

According to the United States Census Bureau, 7.5 million senior women and 2.6 million senior men live alone. While living alone can offer individuals a sense of independence, there are many challenges these seniors face. For example, one major concern is their security and safety. Those who have never been married or who are divorced or widowed are more than twice as likely to be robbed compared to those who are married.

ISSUES SENIORS FACE: Another concern is falls. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falls are the leading cause of injury and death among the elderly. One in three adults aged 65 and older fall every year. Between 20 percent and 30 percent of falls result in moderate to severe injuries. Falls are also very costly. Today, injuries from falls cost more than $19 billion. A decade from now, the annual cost is expected to reach $54.9 billion.

Another concern for seniors living on their own is medication errors. It can be difficult juggling a schedule of different drugs. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008 revealed more deaths from medication errors occurred at home than in hospitals, from January 1983 through December 2004.

TECHNOLOGY- A WATCHFUL EYE: New home automation technologies are allowing seniors to remain in their own home longer while improving their safety. Such technologies can range from computer controlled network interfaces to monitoring devices like lighting, motion sensors, environmental controls, video cameras, automated timers, emergency assistance programs and alerts. "Smart" homes can also include devices to monitor medication usage -- dispensing the right dose at the right time. Thermometers can detect fever, and blood pressure devices can recognize when blood pressure medications are needed.


For more information contact Senior Solutions at (954) 456-8984 or toll free at 1-800-213-3524