If you were one of the lucky ones that attended the Shoreline Eldercare Alliance presentation on “So You Want to Stay at Home 101”, you were definitely Lucky! The program was very informative. Tracy Van Oss, Occupational Therapist, from Classic Care, LLC spoke first on ideas and tools you may want to consider as you age in place. She is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist and was emphasizing home safety solutions.
Our own, Ron D’Aquila,RN, owner of Assisted Living Services and Assisted Living Technologies spoke about how modern technologies can be used to keep yourself or someone you love at home. He demonstrated some very innovative tools that may be useful in four critical areas:
- Falls
- Medication Compliance
- Wandering
- Personal Emergency Response Systems
Ron had devices with him that were intriquing to many. Regarding falls, he had bed alarms and sensors that alert caregivers when a client attempts to get up alone. He demonstrated an automated medication sysytem that alerts clients to take their medication and can be set up to alert family members if the client forgets to take them. Personal GPS locators are ideal for anyone who may wander. It is a fact that 6o% of people diagnosed with dementia will wander. With such a locator, the client wears a watch or other GPS device, and some offer web-based tracking even from your cell phone. The personal emergency response system Ron discussed is a wireless system that monitors movement and activities of daily living. He added that he has an ever changing state of the art product line which is available through Assisted Living Technologies, Inc.
Janet Woxland, Administrator of Apple Rehab in Guilford, discussed care options and what you should know if you end up in the hospital and need rehabilitation after an injury or surgery. She explained you can pre-book the Rehab of your choice if you have a scheduled procedure that will require rehabilitation time. If you know your having knee or hip surgery, for example, visit your local centers and make a choice. She also reminded everyone if you are admitted to the hospital and will need more care in a Rehab facility to be sure you stay in the hospital for three midnights to qualify for Medicare payment at the facility.
Sylvia Patterson, Reverse Mortgage Specialist from Guilford Savings Bank, was also there and presented information on an option to assist you in paying for services in your home if you decide to age in place. A reverse mortgage enables eligible homeowners to access the money they have built up as equity in their home. The homeowner must live in the home and mortgage must be paid in full
These four panelists were a wealth of knowledge and everyone walked away learning some valuable information.
For more information visit: www.assistedlivingtechnology.com
www.shorelineeldercarealliance.org
