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by: Kerry Lynn Nichols

WellAWARE Systems is well aware of how to use technology to more effectively care for our aging population. The company, which began as a concept in 2000 at the Medical Automation Research Center (MARC) at the University of Virginia, develops wellness monitoring solutions that are designed to provide physiological data to caregivers.  The WellAWARE System was originally developed by the industry for the industry; its use was first successful with two of the country’s largest not-for-profit providers of senior care – Volunteers of America and the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. These groups also invested in the development of the product. Now the systems have moved into the commercial market, allowing the innovative technology to aide caregivers, both professional and personal.

The system is a low-cost solution that unobtrusively gathers and reports behavioral and wellness information of a cared-for individual. The system provides caregivers with trend-oriented data, which is then compared to individualized baseline information. This data can then be used to analyze the individual’s wellness and a care plan can be adjusted accordingly. The monitor records key wellness indicators such as, eating, sleeping, bathing, activity, toilet use, and psycho-social aspects. It can also detect potential emergencies such as falls or stoves being left unattended.  “With technology like WellAWARE, we can identify not only emergency situations that need a response, but also emerging medical conditions that our clients might not notice or be able to report on their own,” said Charles W. Gould, national president of Volunteers of America. Besides the obvious conveniences of this product for caregivers, it can also significantly impact healthcare cost savings.  

“As the population of the elderly in the U.S. continues to increase exponentially, we saw an opportunity to help empower families and professional care givers by providing solutions that increase the quality of life for our aging population,” said Jeff Noce, president and CEO of WellAWARE Systems. “By offering a passive, unobtrusive monitoring system, seniors are able to maintain privacy and dignity but allow caregivers to make better-informed decisions about the care they provide their residents based on the wellness and behavioral information collected, processed and analyzed with our technology.”

For more information on the WellAWARE product, visit their website.

by: Kerry Lynn Nichols

Brookdale Senior Living has kicked off its “Ultimate Chef America” competition to the delight of its residents. The series, which started in Phoenix, will visit five more cities before awarding the “Ultimate Chef America” title. Building upon their Optimum Life principles, the two hour cooking competition focuses on healthy cooking for seniors. “The creativity, ability, and talent of our Dining Services associates will be showcased during these unique competitions,” said Joska J. W. Hajdu, senior vice president of dining services for Brookdale Senior Living, and also an Executive Chef by trade. “Our chefs are masters at creating traditional, heart-healthy meals, and these competitions will stretch their creative talents further than ever.”

The competition will focus on educating the Brookdale residents on the benefits of healthy cooking and eating. They will feature a vendor expo, showcasing many of the competition’s national sponsors. Additionally, attendees will be able to participate in various educational programs, including a seminar featuring Brookdale’s Medical Director, Dr. Kevin O’Neil, on the topic of “Food for the Soul,” a wine program, “The Brookdale Wine Club,” and a class about using fresh herbs and seasonings, “The Art of Seasoning.”

Brookdale will also have an auction, featuring food-inspired art created by its residents. Proceeds will go to the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation, an organization which elevates the national consciousness of caregiving and fosters a culture of healthy caregivers impacted by chronic illness through programming, universal access to resources, and behavioral research.

For more information on Brookdale Senior Living’s Ultimate Chef America, please visit their website.

By:  Kerry Lynn Nichols

Social Networking has exploded in the last few years with the advent of Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn and more. CareFlash, a similar concept, is available to people living through a difficult health situation and offers a private Care Community for the people who need a social network the most. The online Care Community provides patients and family members a centralized place where they can access features and content that help to explain their condition as well as assist them through the recovery process and/or wellness changes.

The CareFlash site offers a “private, email-driven blog for sharing updates, explanations and well-wishes. A family care provider can easily create a Care Community, empowering friends to unobtrusively rally ‘round and support loved ones, relieving them of the exhausting and painful process of repeating and re-repeating updates and explanations – allowing family care providers to focus on the challenges at hand while maintaining their own sanity,” says founder Jay Drayer.

“The incomparable iHelp Calendar is integrated into each private Care Community providing convenient, dignified ways for a family care provider to unobtrusively request and organize involvement and assistance from friends within their Care Community. When a family care provider posts a request on iHelp, CareFlash automatically launches emails to the community members. When that request is accepted by a friend, it is automatically noted on iHelp, eliminating redundancies. Beyond meals and errands, visitation scheduling allows for visitors to be discouraged during inopportune times like during therapy,” says Drayer.

They also have a section for explaining the patient’s health issue, utilizing 3-D animation. This section is multi-lingual and presented in way that is easy to understand. Not only is this a benefit to the patient, but also to their families, as they can view it at their leisure. CareFlash can even be private labeled, so that your brand is affiliated with the care community.

For more information on CareFlash, visit their website www.careflash.com