Staying Safe Through Technology

AWARE-NS Health + Safety Spotlight www.awarens.ca

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Hi, I'm Tisha. Welcome to the Northwood InTouch Demonstration suite.

We're here today to talk about dementia, and the impact that it can have on caregivers.

Worry, fear of wandering, concern for safety - loss of sleep and burnout.

They're all things that we hear from families who are contacting us to look for our service.

Sometimes families are trying their best in order to look after someone at home,

because that's where someone wants to stay,

And in other cases, it's trying to make do until a nursing home bed becomes available.

Today we're going to talk about different solutions

that are easy to use, easy to install, and can change as people's needs change.

We've set up this demonstration suite here at Northwood

because the technology is new and not many people have seen it.

This space allows people to come in and check it out for themselves.

So we use it to educate clients, healthcare professionals,

and to test all of our equipment before it goes out in the field.

So, come with me, I'll show you what some of the latest technology we have to offer can do.

As we look at the various technologies in the demo suite,

I'd like you to keep in mind that each of the sensors can be used in a number of different ways,

based on someone's individual needs.

Starting here in the kitchen, we're at the stove, and we have a stove sensor.

This sensor helps to prevent unintended cooking fires.

And it can be used in one of three different ways, depending on someone's needs.

Basically, it acts as a sensor that looks for motion,

has a timer, and if someone were to leave the stove area,

it shuts the stove off.

So that's the first way it can be used.

The second way is that if someone's unsuitable to be around the stove

at a certain time of day, then we can lock the stove down

for that period of time.

An example might be if the person is exhibiting "sundowning" symptoms,

they're getting up in the middle of the night, and they're posing a risk getting around the stove

when no one is around.

Then we can have it so that the stove will not turn on during the overnight hours.

The third way that the sensor can be used is to lock down the stove completely.

So for someone who's not safe to be around the stove, this is probably the most appropriate setting.

And the way that it can be used is only when a key is inserted into the device

by a family member, caregiver, or by a home support worker.

Now we're in the bedroom, and the next sensor I'd like to show you is the bed sensor.

It's this long white pad, that gets slipped underneath the mattress of the bed.

It gets connected into this box, which gets then tucked underneath the bed itself.

This device is great to give caregivers more peace of mind.

If they're worried about someone wandering, getting up, maybe getting around the stove,

or, perhaps, injuring themselves by having a fall getting out of bed,

This is really going to allow families to have a better night's sleep,

knowing that as soon as someone gets out of bed, an alarm is going to be generated.

So, just like the other sensors we're talking about, it can be programmed in a couple of different ways.

One is that as soon as someone gets out of bed, it sends a call immediately to a caregiver

to notify them that someone is out of bed.

The second way is to program a slight delay, that allows someone time to get to the bathroom,

and then back to bed again. If they don't return within that amount of time,

then the call is placed.

That call can be placed to a caregiver, or maybe the call can be placed to our emergency response center,

depending on what that person would like to have happen.

The final sensor I'd like to share with you today is our automatic pill dispenser.

This device means peace of mind for family members who are concerned about someone

and how they may or may not be taking their pills.

The device can hold up to 28 doses of medication, that goes in this tray,

and up to four alarms can be programmed to go off at various times each day.

Once the pills are loaded, and the alarm times are chosen, the cover goes on the device,

and the device gets locked.

The caregiver can take this key with them,

and then they can be assured that there is no risk of accidental overdosing,

or confusion around which pill to take at what time.

With each alarm, the tray inside turns, providing only the dose that corresponds with that time.

If the person doesn't take their medications at that time for some reason, misses the alarm,

the caregiver is going to get a call by phone notifying them that a dose has been missed.

And then they can follow up with the person as needed.

On our tour today, we've looked at three different technologies

that can help to keep people with dementia safe at home.

I hope you've also seen that the technology can provide a huge sense of comfort, security,

and peace of mind to the caregivers as well.

If you want to learn more about the different sensors and technology that we offer here at Northwood,

you're welcome to book your own tour,

or you can visiti us online at www.northwoodintouch.ca.

Or you can give us a call at 1-800-461-3346, or in the Halifax area at 492-3346.

Thanks for visiting.

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