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.

We have reached the final stretch of the Halo Hero contest, and I have had the privilege of reading each entry submitted by the seniors and caregivers across the country. Read the rest of this entry »

I just returned home from a trip to Washington D.C. where Halo Monitoring was invited to participate in a NIH Workshop on personal motion technologies for healthy independent living.  It was exciting to be present for a multidisciplinary workshop.  The team included 20-25 top scientists, physicians, engineers, and clinicians discussing assistive technologies. Read the rest of this entry »

Webmasters can earn revenue by marketing life-saving service for seniors

Huntsville, Alabama (May 18, 2010) — Halo Monitoring, Inc., provider of the world’s first and most comprehensive fall and alert monitoring system for seniors, announced an online affiliate program today.  The program will allow industry webmasters, forum and blog owners to refer caregivers through an affiliate platform and earn competitive commission rates. Read the rest of this entry »

Occasionally I will see medical alarm vendors (also known as PERS) position their product as a direct alternative to professional care (at home or in a facility).  Invariably these advertisements always compare price – comparing thousands of dollars for assisted living to the relatively low cost of a panic button.  Not only are these comparisons false and misleading,  but I also believe they discredit the entire industry. Read the rest of this entry »