If you’re worried about the safety of your aging parents at home, you can install health monitoring tech that keeps tabs on seniors and sends a wealth of information to your phone. With a tap of your finger, you can access Wi-Fi cameras offering views of the home or check in on their movements.
Some children of seniors are doing so out of an abundance of caution for their parents if they live alone. However, many adopt this tech after their parents experience a health scare like a fall or medical emergency.
This smart technology helps you monitor loved ones when you aren’t around, giving you a chance to step in if something goes wrong. But when compared to in-person care delivered by professionals, do these apps keep up? If your loved one is coping with Dementia or other age-related diseases, the experts at Integracare recommend compassionate home care over apps.
What Are Surveillance Apps for Seniors?
Surveillance apps come in all shapes and sizes.
For the greatest amount of oversight, you can install a series of cameras and connect them to your phone. You can upgrade these systems to include voice-activated screens and speakers so that your loved ones can call for help in an emergency. Alternatively, you can choose only to capture video when your loved one sets off motion detectors in the room.
Other apps tie directly to a senior’s phone or smartwatch, using geo-location and built-in motion sensors to track movement and detect falls. These apps can let you know if your loved one has left their home, and you’ll get alerts if the device is dropped in case of a possible fall.
Do These Apps Replace the Need for In-Home Care?
On the surface, virtual oversight of your loved one is invaluable to anyone worried about their parents aging in place, especially if they have health concerns. You’ll be able to checkin on them, even if you can’t be there physically.
However, the downside of this tech means you’ll always be reacting to an emergency that’s already happened. If you rely exclusively on cameras, you might check to see that your mother’s on the floor hours after the initial fall.
They also solve none of your parent’s physical needs at home.
Some seniors need attention and in-person assistance — whether they’re dealing with age-related mobility issues or living with Dementia.
That’s what compassionate home care has over any monitoring device. A home care agency such as Integracare employs teams of Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, and Personal Support Workers who are trained to deal with all issues relating to age, including Dementia and Alzheimer’s.
These professionals can come to your parent’s home and assist them in any way possible, from strictly medical support for wound care and administering medication to everyday assistance with daily activities or chores.
You can even hire live-in caregivers if your parent’s health doesn’t permit them to live safely at home alone. That way, someone will be there with them, supporting activities before disaster strikes.
These professionals strike a good middle ground between honouring your parent’s aging-in-place plan and getting the care they need.
Bottom Line:
Having someone watch virtually just isn’t the same as PSWs and nurses being there physically. Surveillance apps may be a great addition to senior’s care, but they shouldn’t outright replace compassionate home care provided by real-life professionals.
If you or your loved one needs in-person help with activities of daily living, or nursing attention, in-home care beats out an app every time.
