NPR: Technology can help seniors stay in homes

Aug 25 2010

NPR continued its series on seniors aging at home.

Part two examined a company called Adaptive Home, "one of a growing number of startups that use monitoring technology to revolutionize elder care. These companies are also betting on a big market as the baby boomers enter old age. Chris Bridgers says a basic package includes about a dozen motion sensors placed strategically around a house. They can provide adult children with a stunningly detailed rundown of a parent's day" (Ludden, 8/23).

Part three continued looking at "wired homes," with an example of a older couple in Georgia monitored via live video hookup to a company in Indiana. "The scene may not seem so strange in the era of Skype, when many people use the computer to keep in touch with far-flung relatives. But ['telegiver' Denise] Cady can see almost every move the Fitzgeralds make. Their house is wired with video cameras ... ResCare's services start at $600 a month and can run well over $1,000 depending on how much active monitoring is needed. But that's still a lot less than the average nursing home" (Ludden, 8/24).