How can you help an older adult who has no physical limitations but is having difficulty with memory recall? Is it safe to let these family members stay home alone? Will they remember to turn off the stove or take their medications on time?
I believe in leveraging Smart Home technology to support independent living. The cost is much less than moving a loved one to a nursing home full time and it can help bridge the gap between private duty care visits.
Here are the Top 3 reasons why I use Constant Companion to keep my patients safe and living in the homes they love.
1. Privacy
- Constant Companion has their own private server that blocks telemarketers from calling their devices and potentially talking the patient into giving them their credit card numbers or other personal information.
- The only people who are able to video call into the devices have to have been vetted by the family beforehand and placed in central database.
2. 24/7 Urgent Response Team
- The systems are routed to a call center staffed by real people who can connect them the help they need.
- The most useful feature of this over just calling 911 is that when a call for help comes in, the call center has immediate access to the name and address of the person registered to that device.
- This is important because during times of stress, a patient with mild cognitive impairment may not be able to manage the additional cognitive load of remembering their names or the address where they need help.
3. Simplification
- Needing to use the exact phrase or words to activate some Smart Home Technology can be a challenge with memory issues and a source of frustration.
- In this system, I have complete control over customizing the phone number to whatever is easiest to remember for the patient.
- For example, if they can’t remember that it’s Dominos Pizza they love, I can program it to just “Pizza”.
The high cost of senior care can be a surprise to family members when they first notice changes in their loved ones.
Our Virtual Aging-in-Place Consultations can help families learn what their choices for care and be able to discuss the pros and cons of their options with an expert in this space. Get the help and information you need to make informed decisions.
Carol Chiang is an Occupational Therapist, Accessible Realtor and owner of Evolving Homes. She has 25 years of experience of caring for patients and believes the importance of planning ahead to decrease stress. You can send her an email to
