Laptop and Broadband for People Who Can't Stand Computers

Some creative folks in the U.K. have invented a new "laptop that ‘even your granny’ is supposed to be able to use in a bid to get more silver surfers online." Should we replicate that in the US, too?

A snip from the article says:

We had one hundred volunteers who were over 55 and were happy to tell us what they didn’t like about computers and we acted on that and then got their feedback on what we’d done,” he says. We have a very simple to use Linux operating system which has the top and the right hand side of the screen permanently devoted to icons for the computer’s applications so you don’t have to close down programmes or go off looking for the next thing you want to do. In fact, all the programmes are running in the background all the time so you don’t have to have the email client open but the next time you open it, it will be up to date with any newly-received emails.

One of the big issues among the test user group was usability, as well as a fear that the computer, which they had managed without all their lives, was either not needed or could start to take over their social life. Hence, the Alex system is designed to be very clear and everything that is viewed on the computer can be automatically attached to an email with the click of one ‘send’ button which gets round the problem of hitting ‘attach’ and then having to find where the file is stored.

Alex comes with a word processing, spreadsheets and a PowerPoint viewer, although far and away the biggest uses in the test group were email and web browsing.

For the entire article, visit:

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/news/profile-silver-surfer-creates-laptop-and-broadband-service-for-people-who-cant-stand-computers-10448.html

GrandCare Systems: Age Responsibly

Aldea is a GrandCare Systems dealer serving San Diego County. Contact us to find out how GrandCare can work in your environment -- it's a very affordable alternative that extends and enhances independent living.

There are various models of the GrandCare System to choose from. Ranging from independent home use, to nursing/in-home care staff member use to group homes to hospice/hospice care.

1. A mobile staff tablet to take to multiple resident’s homes/rooms so you can wirelessly record & assess bp, weight, pulse ox, glucose levels as well as record care notes about each resident. This can be accessed remotely by specified care-partners/family members.

2. A multi-resident wellness kiosk for residents to visit and take their vitals with the BP Device, Weight Scale, Glucometer or Pulse Oxygen. These vitals are automatically and wirelessly recorded to the system with allowances for the residents & staff members to jot down carenotes about the resident.

3. Community Room Entertainment Kiosk: Multiple Residents can also use the touchscreen system to play card games, see personal pictures, do trivia, receive incoming communications from family, see facility calendar events, view dining room menu options and more.

4. Multi-resident monitoring system. For multiple resident rooms or group homes. Monitors each resident’s door openings, bed, general motion and potential wellness information. One central TV can display communications, pictures, trivia, etc.

5. Individual (in the home model). There are two options for the in-the-home model. The interactive or passive model. Both will be placed into the independent home/residence and allows for family/care-partners to assess wellness information and be assured that all is well (got out of bed, accessed meds, accessed fridge, normal activity patterns, normal door activity, etc.). Care-partners can customize the GrandCare plan and determine which sensors are necessary for each individual installation. Sensors can EASILY be added or removed at ANY time, no wiring necessary.
A. Passive Model – allows family to send personalized pictures, messages, emails, reminders, family videos, etc to a dedicated TV monitor in the home. Resident needs ZERO technical know-how to use this. They simply watch the TV and the incoming communications.
B. Interactive “On-Demand” Model – allows family to send personalized pictures, messages, emails, reminders, family videos, etc to the easy-to-use, atm-like interactive touchmonitor in the home. The resident simply presses the buttons (pictures, messages, calendar, video, etc.) and chooses what they want to see and when!

6. Hospice/Hospital Model. A simple communication device goes into the room of the resident and plugs into any TV. Family and friends of the resident can go online to the GrandCare website and easily send “i love you” notes, messages, emails, family photos, inspirational words, calendar events and more. The system can also display spiritual offerings, trivia, weather reports, news headlines, nostalgia, stock photos, etc. The resident ONLY has to watch as new communications come in!!!

HOW IT WORKS:
The smart GrandCare System talks quietly and wirelessly with the chosen activity & telehealth sensors. Options range from motion, inside temperature, door, call-me buttons, bed/chair, caller-id on TV, blood pressure, weight, glucometer, pulse oxygen, etc.

Caregivers can log into our secured website from any remote location and check the sensor activity. They can also set up automated alerts. For example, they might want to receive an email if medications were not accessed and a phone call if there is a significant weight gain in a short period of time. Alerts are easy to set-up and can be customized to reflect ANYTHING you need to know. Of course, we walk you through all of this to ensure success!

There is a social/connectivity aspect to GrandCare, which separates us from other remote monitoring systems. It’s called the Communication Station. Caregivers and Family can go to our website and easily send pictures, messages, emails, reminders, calendar appointments, videos, music and more right to a dedicated TV monitor or to an interactive touchscreen. The loved one can also play card games, trivia, see news/weather reports and more using an easy-to-use ATM-like TOUCHSCREEN.

Technology Can Help with Fall Prevention

Falls are a serious threat to the health and quality of life for California’s 5 million older adults age 60 and older. Twenty to 30% of those who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries such as hip fractures. Hospitalized fall injuries have a serious impact on an older person’s quality of life and independence. But falls can be prevented if at-risk populations are identified.

There are a number of areas where technology advances can help in preventing falls: medication management, balance, nutrition and environment.

Medication management

As we age, it seems we are given more and more prescription medications to manage chronic conditions plus over-the-counter supplements like vitamins and minerals. In order to ensure that we take what we need when we need it, electronic pillboxes are especially suited to a complicated regimen. Some of the most sophisticated versions communicate via the Internet and web and can call us or our loved ones as gentle reminders to take our meds. We can even use pharmacies that arrange our pills in blister packs that exactly fit the electronic pillbox. No more sorting!

Balance

Did you know that the Wii Fit Plus balance board is just as good as lab-grade force platforms in rehab centers that cost upwards of $18000? A recent study in Australia compared the two and found the Wii contraption equally good for stroke rehabilitation (and it's fun, too.)

Exercise is another way to help with balance. Free yoga classes are downloadable through iTunes. Many downloadable applications for our computers or smart phones help us track our daily/weekly exercise.

Nutrition

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is to blame for many chronic diseases and falls. Increasing fruit and vegetable content in our diets (and avoiding the white foods like sugar and flour) is a very good thing to do. You can visit a variety of websites that have terrific information. My favorites are Dr. Furhman and Real Age. Don't forget to subscribe to their newsletters! Plus there are tons of applications for smart phones to track food intake. And, don't forget about meal delivery services for folks who don't like to cook or can't get to the store.

You can also get nutrition advice through support organizations for heart, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Environment

There are a variety of simple technology fixes for in-home environment issues. One of the most basic is lighting. We can replace light bulbs with brighter ones which might be more energy-efficient, too. We can work with home automation companies to install simple or complex solutions that turn on lights when we get out of bed or turn off lights when we close the bathroom door.

Aldea Communications is currently evaluating a number of technology solutions that will help folks stay at home, be independent and be safe. To find out more about our in-home evaluations, call us at 1-760-510-8407 or send email to susan@aldea.com.

This 10 minute video from San Diego County gives a good overview of the causes of falling and fall prevention.
http://sandiego.networkofcare.org/aging/library/falls/shortfall.cfm

Participatory Health: Online and Mobile Tools Help Chronically Ill Manage Their Care

http://www.chcf.org/topics/chronicdisease/index.cfm?itemID=134063

A great report that you can download at the link above. It covers health video games, medication management, the "other" medical home, diabetes care, weight management and wellness.

Their description:
"Chronic disease is most effectively managed through frequent, near continuous monitoring. Yet many patients spend only a few minutes a year with their clinicians. According to the National Council on Aging, a third of all chronically ill people say they leave a doctor's office or hospital feeling confused about what they should do to manage their disease, and 57% report that their providers have not asked whether they have anyone to help implement a care plan at home. New technology tools are emerging to bridge these gaps. This report describes some of the online and mobile platforms and applications that can assist patients in managing their health care -- not only at home, but almost anywhere else outside their clinician's office. Sources include extensive interviews with stakeholders in the field, whose experiences and views are presented throughout the report."

CalQualityCare.org: Your Guide to Long Term Care in California

http://www.chcf.org/topics/view.cfm?itemid=134126

The California HealthCare Foundation has created a Web site rating thousands of the state's long term care providers on a wide range of quality of care measures -- information that will help consumers and their families make important choices in the planning of their health care.

The free online service, CalQualityCare.org, rates the care provided by nursing homes, hospice programs, and home health agencies, where data is available to evaluate performance. The site also provides information on many other kinds of long term care, including assisted living, retirement communities, and day care options. CalQualityCare.org features an easy-to-use "Long Term Care Assistant" tool that helps consumers choose among long term care options by posing ten simple questions.

DiabetesMine Design Contest

http://www.diabetesmine.com/designcontest

This competition is open to all. They welcome entries from any individuals or organizations passionate about diabetes and product design ― patients, parents, caregivers, students, entrepreneurs, developers, engineers, etc.

Even cooler, all of us can participate in voting for the winning applications. So, if you have diabetes or know anyone that does, be sure to participate in the open community voting the website in mid-May, to determine the top 10 finalists for this competition.

Here are last year's winners:

http://www.diabetesmine.com/2009/05/announcing-our-winners-the-2009-diabetesmine-design-challenge.html

My Family Health Portrait

https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/fhh-web/home.action

My Family Health Portrait, a tool from the Surgeon General, is an Internet-based tool that makes it easy for you to record your family health history. The tool is easy to access on the web and simple to fill out. It assembles your information and makes a "pedigree" family tree that you can download. It is private--it does not keep your information. It gives you a health history that you can share with family members or send to your health care practitioner.
If you are a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the family health information that you collect via this tool should be protected as individually identifiable health information as required by the HIPAA Privacy Rule

Successful Aging

Technology can be a real asset in a successful aging plan.