In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to focus on long-distance relationships and the stress and strain that distance can put on those bearing the extra miles to make it work.  Of course, we are not talking about romantic love, but the love of an aging parent who has made the decision to age in place at home while you have forged ahead to make a life of your own in another city or state.  This scenario is common, and the numbers are rising each year.  According to the Herald News:

“The National Institute on Aging estimates around 7 million Americans are long-distance caregivers. Aside from economic factors that often drive people far from their hometowns, shifting demographics in the country could exacerbate the issue: Over the next four decades, the share of people 65 and older is expected to rapidly expand while the number of people under 20 will roughly hold steady. That means there will be a far smaller share of people between 20 and 64, the age group that most often is faced with caregiving.”

But there is good news for adult children in this situation: improved technology and new devices are making the miles between not quite so far. Products like myHalo are taking their places in the “must-have” market, and we are far from alone. Technology is on the forefront of the issue and is offering more product options that ever before, aimed specifically at making life a little easier, seniors a little safer, and difficult situations a little less complicated – whether it be through medication dispensers, GPS tracking, or home monitoring and fall detection.

AARP has also created a list of tips for long-distance caregivers to keep organized and stay ahead of the curve, such as keeping contact and account numbers for utilities and financials. And in the case of an accident, having an up-to-date list of medications and insurance information on hand can save time and make a stressful event a little easier.

Finally, it’s important for caregivers to remember to give themselves some time off. Rest and relaxation are crucial when  juggling family life and caretaking. So this Valentine’s day, hunker down with a box of chocolates and celebrate all you do for everyone in your life – even from the comfort of your own home.

Thanks to an exciting announcement this week from the Obama administration, Alzheimer’s disease may soon join the likes of polio and yellow fever as examples of how science has triumphed when tasked with an insurmountable challenge.  The first ever National Alzheimer’s plan has been developed to determine the best options for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by the year 2025. As one of the millions with a family history of Alzheimer’s, I’m not too proud to shout, “YIPPEE!,” but it is difficult not to ask hard questions about funding and support for families – not to mention, “What do we do in the meantime?”

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For families long impacted by the constant worry of wandering loved ones, a new product has recently been released by GTX Corp. Developed over the past two years and currently available on the market for around $300 per pair, GTX Corp has developed a GPS tracker that fits into the heel of an otherwise normal walking shoe, making the worry of wandering a soon-to-be-distant memory.

In a report from the Daily News, Professor Andrew Carle from George Mason University claims that the shoes will help to eliminate embarrassing and potentially costly accidents for those suffering with senility or early onset Alzheimer’s disease.  The device will allow families to create a “geo-fence” that would trigger an alarm if the person “wanders” outside of the designated area.

Products like these, and the myHalo medical alarm, are part of a growing market developed for the impending “aging tsunami.”  Aging Baby Boomers are not taking no for an answer and are wanting technology solutions to the complex problems of aging, whether it be for the seniors themselves, who need a medical alarm with automatic fall detection like myHalo, or for an aging parent that they want to keep an eye on with a GPS locator in the car – or even a pair of shoes.

With so many options, families are able to pick and choose the best products that meet their needs. Apple is including three monitoring devices in their holiday gift guide, including Pocketfinder GPS Locators, small GPS devices that can be placed in the car, on your pet’s collar, or on your person.  With advancements like these, early PERS devices with panic buttons are now becoming more and more obsolete, and that’s a good thing.  Statistics say 4 out of 5 seniors who use traditional, manual medical alarms are unable to push the button after the fall – a risk no one needs to take now that there are so many outstanding products on the market.

Make sure to make safety a priority this holiday season, and include a monitoring device, like myHalo under your tree.

Many families believe that the move towards aging in place is a complicated and expensive decision, and depending on which direction you go- it can be.  However, more and more we’re seeing that companies targeting aging seniors and their families are making it easy to take the proper steps toward safety and increased protection with minimal cost and effort.  The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently ran an article about prioritizing the rooms in the home that need aging in place modifications the most, and they suggest starting in the bathroom.

“The room that poses the most danger to seniors is the bathroom. The potential for slips and falls is greater in this part of the home – 75 percent of fall injuries occur in the bathroom — making it a good place to focus your renovation energy” claims the article. They go on to suggest installing hard surface flooring, higher toilets, walk-in showers or baths, and good lighting.

While making the decision to make your home safer is a step in the right direction, some of the suggestions mentioned in the article take time and money up-front.  These types of renovations often end up displacing the homeowner, and causing friction between family members.  I suggest starting small with a wearable medical alarm with advanced fall detection and remote monitoring.

By wearing a medical alarm, seniors have the security that if they do fall or have an emergency someone will immediately be notified and come to help them. On the other hand, with remote monitoring, family members have to capability to “check on” their loved ones health and activity levels through a password protected website.  It’s an easy solution that keeps seniors in their own homes without the cost and burden of renovations.

During the months of November and December, Halo Monitoring is providing a promotional offer to get started easily with no risk. The promotion includes zero deposit and $1 shipping and handling fees. All you have to do is enter coupon code WINTER on your order form. With this offer, you can give protection to your loved one immediately with minimal up-front cost and only a small monthly fee IF you decide to keep it.  Convincing a loved one to wear a small medical alarm on their belt or around their chest is an easy step in the safe direction.

For the upcoming Holiday season, we are offering a limited discount to all new myHalo customers.

For the months of November and December only, Halo Monitoring is waiving the $99 deposit, and offering $1 shipping and handling charges.

You will only be billed the standard monthly rate:

$49/month for the myHalo belt clip;

$59/month for the myHalo Complete with chest strap and 24/7 activity and health monitoring

Click here and enter the offer code “WINTER” to receive this limited offer, or call 888.971.4256. For more information, please click here.