A recent article published in the Washington Post highlights the question of whether seniors may be having too many medical tests.  After reading the comments from both doctors and seniors, it seems that I’m not the only one on the fence with this issue.

“‘An ounce of prevention can be a ton of trouble,’ observed geriatrician Robert Jayes, an associate professor of medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine. ‘Screening can label someone with a disease they were blissfully unaware of.’ Dartmouth physician Lisa M. Schwartz cites one such case: a healthy 78-year-old man who was left incontinent and impotent by radiation treatments for prostate cancer, a disease that typically grows so slowly that many men die with — but not of — it.”

When it comes to fall monitoring, however, prevention versus crisis management is a much more straightforward question.  Falls are the number-one cause of death among seniors, and simple planning can greatly increase the chances of a senior not only surviving a fall but safely remaining in their own homes after a fall has occurred. As myHalo user Howard Long says, “…so far myHalo has been like insurance.”

Many families fear the conversation about when is it no longer safe or practical for a loved one to remain in their own home.  However, an easy solution, such as a medical alert device with fall detection, provides an answer for both the family and the senior. Seniors feel more secure knowing in the event of an accident someone would be there to help, and families feel more comfortable knowing that not only will they receive automatic alerts in the event of a fall but also they can check on their loved ones anytime using a password-protected website. It’s a win-win solution.

Whether or not seniors are succumbing to too many medical tests will be ongoing debate, and there’s no easy answer when it comes to getting unwanted test results. However, when there are simple solutions to complex problems like aging in place, isn’t the cost of prevention worth the risk?

Recently, I’ve noticed the term “cohousing” popping up across the news.  For some, this is reminiscent of dorm life on a college campus, but for a growing number of seniors around the country, “cohousing” is getting a new lease with a new demographic.  Rather than moving into an assisted living community, some seniors are looking for alternative options that provide them with not only a network of their peers but a sense of purpose and unity that can only be found within a shared community.

Featured in a New York Times blog post last month, ElderSpirit, a cohousing development located outside of Abingdon, VA, is offering an alternative way of life for elderly persons who want to make their own decisions and continue to do things for themselves and for others. A cooperative with 29 homes, a Spirit Center, and a Common House make up this off-beat senior community.  Here seniors rely on each other to make community-wide decisions and support one another when they’re sick, while still maintaining their independence in their own homes.

But given the almost inevitable health complications that come with aging, how are seniors utilizing current technology offerings to better protect them? The myHalo medical alarm is one of many options that keeps seniors safer and better protected while calming the fears and anxiety of family members who want loved ones to be protected while living on their own for as long as it’s possible and practical.

CEO of Halo Monitoring Chris Otto commends seniors who want to maintain their independence while taking the appropriate precautions to protect themselves. “Staying active, regular review of all medications, and making your home safer are all proven ways to reduce the risk of falling,” says Otto. “However, it’s important that families understand that despite all precautions, accidents still happen.  Even minor falls can turn deadly if a fallen loved one is left alone for extended periods.”

The New York Times post admits, “Senior cohousing communities also confront the question of whether the model will hold as the health of residents deteriorates. In the last two years, residents of ElderSpirit have weathered several medical emergencies, including a heart attack and a broken pelvis, plus three joint replacement surgeries.”

When seniors depend on one another for care, technology can be utilized to keep them safer. Remote monitoring from a password-protected website calms anxiety when a loved one can’t get reached by phone.  Caregivers can be notified of falls, non-compliance, and even a change in movement pattern by phone, email and text message.  After seniors make strides in creating their own futures by committing to aging in place, technology supports their decisions and enhances their livelihoods by providing a layer of ensurance that help will be on its way if the worst happens.

Though it’s never pleasant to plan for accidents when it comes to seniors in our lives, when our loved ones make the decision to live independently – even within a cohousing community of shared responsibility and care – myHalo is an easy and nonintrusive choice for added security.

A voice at the other end of the phone can be the highlight of a senior’s day, or at least that is what the volunteers at TeleCare have been told.  A grassroots project out of Richmond Virginia, TeleCare, is keeping seniors feeling safe by offering a simple service, a daily phone call. Each day the volunteers at TeleCare call seniors in their area just to check on them.  “We feel like maybe it helps some of them stay in their homes, said Metcalf, co-coordinator of TeleCare, a free service staffed by volunteers. We provide, I hope, a sense of security and a feeling of well-being”

Halo Monitoring CEO, Chris Otto knows a lot about the daily phone call.  His mom would call his grandmother once a day to check on her, too.  A familiar routine for many caregivers that works fine until the one-day that you don’t get an answer.  Then comes the panic and the myriad of questions about what to do next. Once you get to that point, the options are limited; calling a neighbor or a friend, leave work and go over, or resort to contacting local officials, all depending on your circumstance. None of which are easy solutions.  But it was Otto, who asked the question, “Isn’t there a better solution?”

Otto decided the answer to that question was “absolutely, no” and the idea for the myHalo medical alarm was born.  Featuring not only automatic fall detection (no need to push a button in the event of a fall) but remote health and activity monitoring. Caregivers are now able to “check on” their loved one by using a secure, password protected website.  The myHalo Complete can even detect if there is an elevated temperature or extended, accelerated pulse rate.

Seniors want to feel safe but remain autonomous and not become a burden to their families. It is with medical alarms like myHalo and programs like Telecare that seniors are able to stay in their own homes for longer, and reduce the panic of their caregivers if the day comes that they aren’t able to answer the phone.

A recent study out of Washington University in St. Louis has found that a majority (67% studied) of adults who show signs of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease have a history of falling; meaning that falls could prove to be an early indicator of the disease in some patients.

“According to this study, a fall by an older adult who otherwise has a low risk of falling may signal a need for diagnostic evaluation for Alzheimers.”

To read the full article, click here.

In June 2011, Halo was pleased to introduce a new referral program, which rewards myHalo users for introducing potential new users to Halo Monitoring.

Our Program is Simple.

1. You introduce a new user to Halo
2. They sign up and use the myHalo medical alarm for 90 days
3. At the end of the 90 days, you receive one month of free myHalo service for yourself

Terms & Conditions

Referrer = person referring a new user

New user = person who has been referred

• New user cannot have previously used a myHalo medical alarm
• New user must sign up and pay for a minimum of 90 days service
• If the new user does not pay for a minimum of 90 days then referrer will not receive the free month of service
• The referrer is only eligible for a maximum of three months of free myHalo service

Every successful business understands the importance of the ‘word of mouth’ and we want to thank you for supporting Halo.

For a copy of our promotional flyer, click here.