Security firm helps monitor elders
By Mark Baard | February 5, 2007
Alarm.com last week unveiled a wireless system that tells you if the older folks in your family are breaking their routine -- a sign that they may need help.
The Independent Living service uses a combination of contact and motion sensors, placed around the house, that are all connected to a wireless hub that relays data to the Alarm.com operations center.
Family members can look on the Web to see when the sensors were activated, and receive alerts on their cellphones and PDAs. That way, older relatives may be able to prolong the time they spend living at home.
Security systems are designed to alert homeowners and network operations centers anytime a sensor is tripped. But the Independent Living service sees inactive sensors as a cause for concern. Alarm.com calls this Up & About Inactivity Monitoring.
For example, if the motion sensor outside your mom's or dad's bathroom door has not detected anything by noontime, it could mean they are laid up in bed. If an elder is at risk for wandering, the system can let you know whether the front door has been opened late at night.
Many researchers say that elders are willing to sacrifice a bit of their privacy to avoid the nursing home. They may also accept something like the Independent Living system because it's easy to install. (A DIY option is available). And since it relies on GSM, there's no need to wire for broadband.