March 5, 2009 – McLean, VA and Sudbury, Canada – Northern Communications, the only company outside the United States honored as GE Security Pro's Dealer of the Year, and Alarm.com, a leading provider of digital wireless and web-enabled security technology for residential and small business customers, have partnered to launch a technology solution enabling caregivers to remotely monitor elderly and disabled individuals without compromising their independent living environment.
Over the past ten years, population aged 45 to 64 in Canada increased 35.8%, and is expected to balloon an additional 30% over the next decade. At the same time, more than two-thirds of caregivers are women – mostly married, working mothers who juggle caregiver responsibilities with a desire to maintain their own quality of life.
"The Canadian Population is aging, and the costs of placing loved ones in retirement homes or providing dedicated home care has risen beyond what many families can afford," said John Whitehead, President of CareLink Advantage. "CareLink Advantage addresses these challenges by enabling caregivers to remotely and affordably monitor loved ones who might otherwise be transitioned to professional care facilities – allowing seniors and disabled individuals to live independently and with dignity."
CareLink Advantage uses Alarm.com's wireless, web-enabled technology to allow caregivers – such as family members or home healthcare providers – to maintain awareness of an aging individual's well being. Sensor information and/or camera views can be sent to an authorized individual's PDA, cell phone and computer so they can be alerted.
CareLink Advantage couples Alarm.com's proprietary application services, GSM two-way communications technology, and IP cameras with GE Security control panels and wireless sensors to create a turnkey solution with several key benefits:
- Alarm.com's proprietary Up & About™ monitoring – Customizable settings enable caregivers to receive alerts if activity has not been detected for an extended period of time during usual hours of activity, if a loved one has wandered from the home when they should not have, or if medication was not taken on schedule.
- Emergency two-way wireless voice – A direct voice connection is established with a live dispatcher at the central station or a responsible family member over a GSM connection.
- Remote video – Subscribers may use live video to assist in determining the urgency of any notifications or simply to look in and make certain all is well with loved ones.
- Timely notifications – Caregivers receive vital information about loved ones, such as eating and sleeping patterns/habits. They can monitor their health and proactively prevent many unnecessary complications that can lead to deteriorating health and hospitalization.
A study of family caregivers found that about 17 million people in the U.S. are spending more than 10 percent of their income on caregiving for loved ones age 50 and over – in large part due to associated travel costs and limited ability to monitor seniors and disabled individuals remotely.*
Steve Trundle, CEO of Alarm.com said, "CareLink Advantage's passive yet powerful remote monitoring features reduce the financial, emotional and physical toll placed on caregivers and extend the time individuals can remain in their homes."
The new offering will be distributed by Northern Communications and is available immediately throughout Canada via participating CareLink Advantage dealers. CareLink Advantage is accepting Distribution Partner applications in some Canadian markets.
*Evercare/NAC Study "Family Caregivers — What They Spend, What They Sacrifice" (2007)
About Alarm.com
Alarm.com Incorporated provides wireless and web-enabled security and activity monitoring technology to residential and commercial customers throughout the United States and Canada. Alarm.com's Operations Center processes over 25 Million security events every month, reported by Alarm.com systems that are used to monitor and protect houses, vacation properties, apartments, professional offices, restaurants, retail chains, model homes, boats, trailers, data centers, and more. Alarm.com-enabled security systems are offered through a network of over 800 licensed Security Dealers. Alarm.com technology is compatible with GE Security equipment and has been tested by ETL to comply with UL 985, UL 1023, and UL 1635 (ULC S545 and ULC 1023 in Canada) for residential security installations. The company is headquartered in McLean, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC.
About Northern Communications
Northern Communications has been in business for over 55 years. One of the firm's divisions is Northern 911, which provides call routing for VOIP 911 calls across North America, as well as fire dispatch for over fifty fire departments. Another division of Northern Communications is True Steel Security. They are the only company outside of the United States to have ever been honored with the GE Security Pro Dealer of the Year award. True Steel has received this honor twice (2003 and 2004), and is one of three companies to have been inducted into the GE Security Pro Hall of Fame. True Steel is a multiple winner of the "Security Is a Family Matter" award for community involvement, and is a recent winner of the 2008 Bell Canada Business Excellence Award in the category of "Chairs Award," given to a company that makes a significant impact on the community through involvement in business, associations, and charitable work. True Steel was honored during the 2008 Northern Ontario Business Association awards as the winner of the "Innovation Award" for the development of the "CareLink Medical Information File."