Frances Bolen, 83, receives her medicine from an automated dispenser, part of the Senior Safe at Home program administered by Sears Methodist Retirement System. UMNS photos by John Gordon.By John Gordon*
ABILENE, Texas (UMNS) - As aging baby boomers increasingly face the difficult decision of whether to live independently or seek nursing assistance, a Texas company is tapping the Internet to help seniors stay in their homes longer - with an emphasis on safety.
Seniors Safe at Home combines the latest medical technology and new computer software and is being rolled out by Sears Methodist Retirement System, which operates nursing homes and assisted living centers in eight cities in Texas.
Backers say the program is several years in development and offers a timely option in a nation where a baby boomer turns 50 every seven seconds. "The fastest growing population in this country are those people who are over age 85," said Sandy Perry, vice president of the Abilene-based program.
Senior Safe at Home links automated medicine dispensers, fall sensors and computer terminals for seniors to enter their vital signs and get reminders of their next doctors' appointments. If they're not feeling well, they can use the system to talk to a nurse at the program's national client service center in Abilene.
"There is that security that we are there," said Cornell. "We're not going to always have to call 911."
Relatives also can check in using an Internet web portal. "It will let them know if any of our alert systems have been triggered and what kind of intervention occurred as a result of that," said Perry.
Good medicine
The automated medicine dispensers are designed to eliminate errors that can land seniors in the hospital. "If they can't remember if they've taken the medication, they will go ahead and take an extra one, or they won't take it at all," said Tanya Cornell, a registered nurse who works at the national service center. "It is a very big, big issue."
Frances Bolen, 83, of Abilene uses one of the dispensers for her arthritis medicine.
"At first, it irritated me because I've always been real independent. And I thought if I can't take medicine without help, I'm in a bad way," she said. "But I realized I needed to, especially when you take that much."
Dick Evatt, 73, also of Abilene, enters his weight, blood pressure and other information in a home computer. The software even asks if he has had a stressful day. His doctor recommended the system because Evatt has a heart murmur and is alone much of the day while his wife is at work.
"I think this technology is on the cutting edge of making your baby boomers feel a whole lot safer at home," he said. "It puts you at ease much more and it just lets you rest easier."
Perry says falls are among the biggest risks for seniors at home. Senior Safe at Home partners with local health-care providers who check homes for tripping hazards and other dangers. Fall sensors can alert the national service center even if a senior is not able to push a button.
"If you can get to someone who's fallen within an hour of that fall, they have a much, much better chance of recovering fully from it," she said. "But if they're on the floor and you don't get to them for as long as 12 hours or a long period of time, then they're much more likely not to be able to go home."
Cost-effective
Perry believes the program is cost-effective and can help aging seniors to safely stay in their own homes for an additional six months to a year.
"We don't have the manpower to continue to do everything with individuals in people's homes," she said. "We are very excited about the potential of Senior Safe at Home to really revolutionize the way care is provided to older people around the world."
Sears Methodist began in 1966 as a mission of The United Methodist Church in Texas. Launched with its first retirement community in Abilene, the system has expanded to serve 1,800 residents in 12 locations across Texas.
*Gordon is a freelance writer and producer in Marshall, Texas.
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