Aging in Place - Is Technology the Answer?

A friend and I were sharing coffee and the conversation turned to stories of caring for our aging mothers. We had so much in common. Both of our mothers, despite our pleadings, remove their Life Alert gadgets when they go to bed. They get up and all too frequently, don’t put them back on. Technology has improved life in many ways and this includes products for the aging. And eldercare technology continues to bring solutions. Yet often elderly people don’t embrace the gadgets designed to help them when they need it most.

Every day, people find themselves becoming responsible for the needs of an aging parent. Many will be in this role of caregiver for a long time. Most people don’t ask to become caregivers; it is a role time places them in. It is also difficult for adult children to become a parent’s supervisor; causing feelings of resentment for both. Many caregivers are also dealing with the challenges of a loved one with dementia, traumatic brain injuries, ALS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism or other trials. No one is ever really prepared for these challenges financially, emotionally or spiritually. Statistics tell us that few people prepare for their own personal long-term care needs. Putting a cherished parent in a nursing home may be necessary - someday. Prolonging the time which a parent can stay in their own home is the most cost effective and appreciated gift we can give them. But keeping them safe healthy and engaged in their own home is a significant challenge. Can technology help with this?

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Along with the new responsibilities of caring for aging parents come new and unsettling emotions. As time passes caregivers struggle with feelings of guilt and anxiously question themselves: What if Mom falls? Did Dad take his medication today?  What if Dad wanders outside again? All too often caregivers sacrifice their own health and wellness while caring for another’s needs. Can technology help with this?

The answer is yes. Today there is HAPPIE. HAPPIE is not a device that one wears to be removed and forgotten, but rather a digital caregiver; a companion providing so much more than a call to 911. And best of all, HAPPIE offers so much convenience and is so easy to use, it becomes a friend to the user. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, HAPPIE is always on and listening. With simple interactive voice commands your loved one can ask HAPPIE to call you …and HAPPIE dials the phone. HAPPIE informs your loved one about their daily appointments and medication schedule. It even displays what medicine looks like and how it’s taken.

HAPPIE keeps the loved one connected with the HAPPIE Community and features a Memory Library playing home movies and displaying mementos of significant life events. HAPPIE doubles as a phone to call anyone they wish; and to get help when it’s needed. HAPPIE provides caregivers with updates about their loved one including monitoring if medication is taken, exercises are completed and when a loved one leaves and returns to the residence. HAPPIE allows the caregiver to discretely look in on a loved one to be sure they are safe and happy. Technology really can help with that! Learn more at HAPPIEHome.com