Home Alone But Never Alone: A Care Button for Aging in Place with Peace of Mind

Online, July 2, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Phil Doyle announces the Care Button, a monitored home health security connection that enables seniors to continue living at home years longer.

The newest medical equipment recommended for seniors by nurses and Home Health Care agencies is hardly new at all. Wilhelm Hormann invented it in the 1970s in Germany for people who were home alone, and he was awarded the Frankfort Innovation Prize in 1982.

Today, the modern version of his device - known as a Care Button - is a security connection with 24-hour monitoring that enables seniors to continue living at home for more years, empowering them with the freedom, confidence and independence to age in place safely with peace of mind.

People say they do not want to move into nursing homes or assisted living facilities because of the cost, the stigma of getting old and helpless, and the fear of losing their freedom. AARP surveyed the 50-plus population and found that 86% of them want to stay in their homes.

Now from anywhere in their home, with the push of a water-proof button worn as a wristband or pendant, the Care Button base unit speed dials a specially trained senior-friendly professional at one of several company owned 24/7 customer monitoring centers in the US who quickly answers via two-way speaker, stays on the line and will call an emergency contact list including the Home Health Care provider or the paramedics. The base unit also has a temperature sensor that sends an alert to the monitoring center in the event of unsafe heat or cold.

According to studies, seniors who have a Care Button live in their homes two to six times longer compared to those who don't have this medical equipment.

"But it's far more than just those extra years," said Phil Doyle, Home Health Specialist. "It's a 24-hour connection to peace of mind that comes with knowing you're never alone, even though you are home alone. It's your very own personal security system that's always there for emergencies."

Phil Doyle is a Home Health Specialist serving San Diego. He offers free Fall Prevention In-service for nurses and care givers, educational brochures, and a Fall Prevention Assessment in the patient's home. He explains the need for providing safety equipment for the patient beyond the traditional scope of practice.

Phil Doyle recently found his true calling in the Home Health Care industry after selling his Internet video company which produced and sold the first-ever online video rental in 2001. Phil's company produced thousands of online videos for workplace safety and business skills training with customers in over 80 countries.

After a 1,600 mile solo bicycle tour from Canada to San Diego to raise awareness for the Ocean Health Action Plan signed by the Governors of California, Oregon and Washington, Phil lived on his sailboat for a year and became obsessed with finding a way to help millions of people live better. He discovered Home Health Care, and now he is dedicated to providing peace of mind to seniors and their care givers with the grand vision of a Care Button for every senior at home alone so they are never alone.

"I love the Care Button because it is such an elegant solution to a massive social problem that affects everyone," said Mr. Doyle. "When seniors age at home safely with security and peace of mind, not only does everybody win but also everyone in the system saves money."

Nearly three quarters of those who live to 85 will eventually need health assistance ranging from simple help around the house to 24-hour skilled nursing care. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, a week in a private nursing home room costs about $1,500 while a week of home health care costs considerably less.

The cost of staying at a nursing home ranges from about $40,000 to $85,000 a year, according to a recent report by John Hancock Financial Services Inc., an insurance and financial services company. The average cost of a home health aide, on the other hand, is about $37,000 a year.

Rates vary, but assisted living facilities often charge $3,000 per month and up, while skilled nursing facilities can cost $6,000 per month and even higher. The average cost of assisted living now tops $50,000 a year.

A Care Button costs about a dollar a day.

Many elderly admissions to a nursing home or assisted living facility occur not because of deterioration of the senior's condition but because of care giver burnout.

National Alliance for Care Giving reported that 30% of Americans are care givers, spending about 20 hours a week providing care for an elderly parent or a loved one. In addition, the fastest growing segment of the population is aged 65 and over. With the recent financial crisis and recession, much of the elderly population plan to stay in their homes longer, making 'aging in place' a major trend that is creating high demand for solutions to meet their needs. A Care Button solves the concerns of care givers who are not able to check on aging family members but are worried about their safety and well being.

Care givers' concerns are real.

* 36.3 million adults 65 and over reside in the United States
* 10 million live alone
* 1 in every 3 seniors will fall this year
* When injured the average time it takes to be found is 15 hours
* Average hospital stay is 8 days ($9,985 average cost)
* For people who live alone, becoming incapacitated and unable to get help usually marks the end of their ability of live independently

There's no place like home, but this doesn't mean it's safe.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate 234,000 people go to the emergency department each year because they got hurt in the bathroom.

Dr. Judy Stevens says two thirds of the injuries were women. ``The injury rate increased with age, so people over 65 were more likely to be injured - and also to have a more serious injury, like a fracture,'' she said.

The study found two thirds of injuries happened in a shower or tub.

After a fall or other emergency, 90% of the people who get help within one hour will continue independent living. Because the odds of survival are proportionate to the speed of response, the first hour window after a fall is known as the "Golden Hour."

"Education is the key," said Mr. Doyle. "We're getting the word out to seniors through Home Care Agencies, Home Health Agencies, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Hospitals and other organizations who work with seniors every day. A big part of our message is how a Care Button provides an unique source of patient retention for Home Health Care companies - because enabling patients to stay in their homes two to six years longer is good for their business."

Many health care agencies are governed by CMS (Medicare) & DHS (Dept of Health Services) who grant and revoke certification based on physical audits or surveys. Some Home Health Care agencies will be required to establish a Fall Prevention Program for their patients, and they must show that they are taking steps to arrange for all equipment and services necessary for a patient's care and safety.

A Care Button is not just for seniors. It is a personal security system for anyone who is ever home alone or at risk with a health condition. Customers also include physical rehabilitation patients, adults living with disabilities and children with special needs.

Various companies market competing products known as medical alert devices, panic buttons or personal emergency response systems. Early Internet advertising, outsourcing and drop-shipping by these mail order companies created a negative image of their products with an unwelcome message of helplessness and despair, such as "I've fallen and I can't get up." The industry now has an opportunity to adjust its marketing message to a positive focus on the freedom, peace of mind, safety benefits and security provided by a Care Button to anyone who is home alone, specifically offering the independence and confidence for safely aging in place at home two to six years longer î º and the peace of mind it gives to their care givers, too.

While Medicare does not currently pay for a Care Button, some Medicare Advantage programs and supplemental policies have provisions for coverage including Humana, SCAN (Medicare HMO plans), retirement plans, supplemental or tertiary plans, long-term care policies, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Plans - and it is a 2011 IRS tax deductible item.

"The potential growth of the Home Health Care industry is astounding," said Mr. Doyle. "Our research shows that 89% of seniors want to stay in their homes, and 65% would like to use new technology but are not actively looking."

While only 9% of individuals aged 65-69 need everyday assistance, that number rises dramatically to 50% for individuals aged 85. And 78 million Baby Boomers are poised to enter this senior (65+) segment already responsible for over 34% of all health care.

The global home health care market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4% between 2009 and 2014 - worth US$207 billion by 2014. The most important trend in healthcare is the focus shift from hospitals to home care, moving from treatment to proactive monitoring and care which is opening new gates of opportunities for the home health care market. Patients prefer home health care over hospitals mainly for the convenience and cost effectiveness it offers. However, they are now opting more for third party home health care over self care mainly due to better quality treatment ensured by trained medical professionals at home. The home health care market generates more than 70% of revenues from the people aged 65 years and above. The major reason underlying such huge revenue from the older population is the declining 'elderly support ratio' which is the ratio of the number of people caring for the elderly to the number of older people above 65 years. This further showcases the growth potential of the third party home health care market in coming years.

In the home health care equipment market, diabetes devices alone constitute about 46% of the entire market, while the home therapeutic equipment market is the highest growing market growing at a CAGR of 19.4%.

Home visits and nursing services constitute 72% of the entire market. Most of the growth potential lies in the field of home telemedicine service which is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 32.3% from 2009 to 2014.

Remote chronic care monitoring technologies will play a major role in U.S. health care in the next few years. The market for other Home Health monitoring devices - blood glucose monitors for diabetes, ECGs and blood pressure cuffs for heart conditions, weight monitoring for obesity - will skyrocket over the next four years with predictions that the market will grow 26% overall from $6 billion in 2011 to more than $18 billion by 2014. And that's not counting the massive growth in mobile healthcare, the primary driver behind an explosion in the digital health market over the next five years.

Phil Doyle can be reached at 619-252-4547 for a free in-home or online demonstration of a Care Button and the free booklet "A Guide to Independent Living: Important Safety Tips for Independent Seniors", a Fall Prevention In-service for nurses and care givers, and a free Fall Prevention Assessment in the patient's home.