The Quiet Care story

Article submitted by Quiet Care Monitoring systems. Contact Comfort Keepers at 239-590-8999 for more information.

Professor Anthony P. Glascock, a leading sociologist and gerontologist at Drexel University, was traveling the world collecting information on how elders are cared for in different cultures. In rural Ireland, one man, Seamus, described his daily ritual for checking on his elderly father's health.

Every morning when he awoke, Seamus gazed across the valley to his father's house. If he saw smoke rising from the chimney, Seamus knew his father had gotten up from bed and was going about his routine. On mornings when there was no smoke, Seamus would pedal his bicycle around the valley to check on his father.

Seamus' story stayed with Dr. Glascock. Dr. Glascock's mother lived 1,000 miles away and was healing from a broken hip. He wanted to call her, but worried that at the first ring, Mrs. Glascock would leap to her feet and hurry to run to the phone, risking re-injury. If he didn't, how would he know she was alright? What Dr. Glascock needed was smoke from his mother's chimney.

Returning to Philadelphia, this is what he set out to create. Dr. Glascock turned to his colleague, fellow elder living expert David M. Kutzik, to help him create a system for caregivers to discreetly check in on seniors and weigh any emerging health risks.

How QuietCare Works:

The QuietCare system uses small, wireless sensor devices placed strategically in your residence to capture daily activity data. No cameras are used, preserving privacy, and no action from you is required. This data is transmitted to QuietCare through a compact communicator device connected to a standard phone line. Powerful software analyzes the motion data, comparing it against a profile of your usual patterns, to create daily activity reports.

With a PC computer, caregivers and family members can view the activity reports and alerts on a secure, password-protected website at any time. Easy-to-scan screens identify morning wakeup, potential bathroom falls, medication handling, meal preparation, sleep habits, overall activity levels and home temperature.

By improving proactive care, QuietCare can catch developing health problems early and help you to avoid preventable hospitalizations. In an emergency situation, the system will automatically generate red alerts that are transmitted to the monitoring Center. The red alerts are activated when (1) a person remains in the bathroom for more than an hour, (2) does not leave their bed by a certain time or (3) for extreme household temperatures. The response center trained operators to quickly respond to emergency alerts, first by calling client and then if needed notifying family members, caregivers and emergency services. Assistance can be on the way, even if you cannot call for it. By enhancing your "safety net," QuietCare helps to improve your quality of life and provide peace of mind for you and your family.