While assisted living facilities offer comfort, relaxation and reassurance for many seniors and their families, they may not be the right solution for everyone. However, fully independent living, especially if the senior lives alone, can be taxing and risky. There are some emerging middle-ground options that offer partially assisted living, whether through technology, a part-time caretaker, or both.
One such system, Virtual Health, enables seniors to remain living at home while offering them not only healthcare services, but also transportation, financial resources, food, and more.This can alleviate the stress of having to downsize possessions and leave behind the homes they’ve lived in for years, even decades. The company also aims to reduce hospital visits for seniors by providing personalized in-home medical care.
“As an enabler of a physician’s plan of care, we have partnered with national technology, health and daily living service providers to make it easy for mature adults to live their life as they choose in their own home,” said Virtual Health CEO Alex Go.
For those interested in a partnership between students learning about care and seniors in need of it, a program called Collegiate Caregivers aims to unite the two. This gives college students and graduates interested in senior care the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, and lets seniors get care from people who are receiving up-to-date education in the field. It also provides the students with a job related to their field, so they can earn money and experience before graduation.
Another option rolling out in Ireland is Sensormind, an online caregiver monitoring system. The intelligent software keeps track of a senior’s basic movements and looks for irregularities from their usual pattern. The system lets caregivers log in to check up at any time during the day, but it also alerts them through a text message if a pattern has been significantly disrupted. Seniors get a button used to call for help, too, in case of emergency. Initial volunteer testing has looked positive for this new technology.
If you’re unsure whether an assisted living facility is appropriate for you or your loved ones, you may wish to consider in-home assisted living options like these.
