By: Deanna Rebro | Category: Health & Fitness | Issue: December 2007
Imane Rose, marketing director at Senior Select, displays a small, inconspicuous Always There monitoring device.
Senior Select, a locally-owned company, has been providing home health care since 1998. And now, it is proud to introduce its new monitoring service. Designed specifically for seniors who want to remain safely and independently at home, Always There could be the most important development in eldercare safety in more than 20 years.
Thanks to a combination of technology and human care, Always There automatically generates alerts for possible bathroom falls, lack of morning activity or extreme household temperatures, even if the individual cannot call for help. Advanced technology now gives Tulsans security in knowing their loved ones are always looked after.
“Nothing will replace a human in a home,” says Imane Rose, marketing director at Senior Select. “But this is the next best thing.” Rose deals with seniors and their problems on a daily basis. She explains that many deny their need for additional care. Some cannot afford the care, while some do not want anyone staying with them. Always There is an option for seniors and their loved ones.
Always There alerts for potential emergencies by detecting changes in key behavior patterns. “Elderly people have set patterns of behavior,” Rose mentions. “And they seldom deviate from those routines.” Inconspicuous motion sensors installed in the home allow behaviors to be recognized. Activities from key areas such as the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen are reported. There are no cameras involved, and no action is required from the individual being monitored.
Always There’s motion sensors are in canisters small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. They operate much like a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector; there is nothing to turn on or off and no codes to remember.
According to Rose, the device can literally withstand an F5 tornado, the strongest tornado on the Fujita Scale. “The support behind the technology is what really matters,” she says. “You need the experience and knowledge to man it. Alerts of possible emergency situations are received by emergency response operators, who call the senior to check on their well being. If needed, designated family members, caregivers or local emergency services are called.
Nationwide statistics show that 90 percent of people who get help within one hour of a fall or other emergency will continue independent living. “Responding quickly to a dangerous or life-threatening situation is the key,” Rose adds.
Activity reports and alerts are available 24 hours a day to the Senior Select staff. The reports identify such things as morning wakeup, potential bathroom falls, medication handling, meal preparation, sleep habits, overall activity levels and more. Since Always There tracks activities over time, one can share this information with doctors or other health care professionals if needed.
Senior Select’s Always There service is $199 each month and includes six monitoring stations, which provide coverage for most houses. Larger homes may require additional stations for a small charge.
Senior Select is happy to show interested persons how quickly, easily and inexpensively Always There can be there for a senior loved one. Call (918) 493-2100 today or visit Senior Select online at www.oklahomaeldercare.com.
Deanna Rebro has worked in the publishing industry 30+ years, including eight years writing for Value News. She has also worked in real estate for the past six years. Deanna graduated from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio with a B.A. in Journalism. Outside of work, she serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for Pet Adoption League. “Every story I write is a learning experience,” she said.
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