A number of include home health monitoring and medical alerts as a part of their services, but many of them are not as far-reaching as those who suffer from chronic afflictions would like. While it’s important for the elderly or those who suffer from an illness to have the option of a panic button, many of these services do not include day-to-day monitoring. BeClose, a small company that operates out of Vienna, Va., recently paired up with Alarm.com to offer those who suffer from chronic illness a more comprehensive program when it comes to daily monitoring of their symptoms.
Panic buttons work only 20 percent of the time, and that’s not good enough [. . .] we’re very focused on wellness and safety,” asserts Liddy Manson, the CEO of BeClose.
She then goes on to explain that the monitoring system does not gather data for use in clinics or hospitals, but instead for at-home caregivers who need to keep track of the daily conditions of their charges. Unlike complicated medical monitors, this system tracks the daily movements and habits of those who suffer from a chronic illness, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or even a more serious problem, such as cancer. By monitoring daily activity, the system can alert a caregiver when something unusual occurs, allowing them to be aware of it before an emergency occurs. With many other medical alert programs, patients with chronic illness must alert the monitoring company when they’re having a medical emergency, and in some cases, they may be in too much distress already to do so. The BeClose program is more focused on wellnessand prevention, as charting unusual behavior or data may clue caregivers in on the fact that something is wrong.
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BeClose’s home monitoring solution makes use of a low-power, low-grade wireless network developed by the home security industry that connects a plugged-in ‘bay station’ with small sensors placed around the house. Those sensors are used to track movement, and can be configured to detect such things as bathroom visits, sitting and sleeping habits, the opening of refrigerators and medicine cabinets, activity patterns around the house and so-called ‘comings and goings.’”
While these actions may seem ordinary, a deviation in behavior patterns may indicate a problem, such as a decrease in appetite or an increase in bowel or urinary habits; it is this kind of reporting that could possibly prevent a medical emergency for a chronically ill individual.
Zach Jefferson
Author – Zach has six years under his belt as a marketing manager within the home security industry. He is in charge of keeping site information as accurate as possible, while developing new content ideas for consumers.