For those of you in and around this industry, this is very cool. Today's NY Times has a lengthy front page feature by John Leland called "Sensors Help to Keep the Elderly Safe, and Living Independently at Home." Give it a read.
Monitor the environment. Sensor-based monitoring is not new -- QuietCare and GrandCare have pioneered home monitoring of seniors using room-based sensors for years. In both cases, sensors are placed in the room and alerts launched to a pre-determined number based on activity (or lack of activity) indicated by the sensors.
Seniors do their best to live and stay well. If you live in Florida and go to a concert at 4:00 pm on a Friday, it's not surprising to be surrounded by seniors in their 80's and beyond, dressed up and slowly climbing the steep stairs up to the balcony. These concertgoers likely live in their own homes, drive their own cars, and enjoy concerts and perhaps a nice meal in a restaurant afterward.
At first glance, this article was a human interest story about a free service for seniors in Columbus Ohio. There were only 4 enrollees in a program that provided automatic safety calls (reverse 911) at preset times. With no answer after 3 tries, the police were dispatched.
