Is America ready
for the number of Americans age 65+ to nearly double by 2030, when the
Baby Boomer wave crests? Are the children of Boomers prepared for the
burden of caring for their parents? If the current state of caregivers
is any indication, the answer is "No."
BeClose,
the affordable wireless technology which provides safety and
independence for the elderly, hears from caregivers every day about the
stress and strain of the responsibilities of caring for aging parents.
And now the American Psychological Association is drawing attention to
the same growing crisis. The APA just released its latest installment
of the landmark Stress in America survey, which found that caregivers
are struggling with the immense burden of caring for their aging or
chronically ill relatives. For instance:
More
than half of caregivers report that they feel overwhelmed by the amount
of care their family members require. Caregivers are
more likely than the general population to report that they are doing a
poor job at managing and preventing stress, and getting enough sleep.
Caregivers
over 50 are less likely to report they are very satisfied with their
relationships with spouses or significant others, or with friends.
The report emphasizes the public health implications of high
stress levels, with caregivers reporting greater rates of high
cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and depression. Fortunately,
there are affordable innovations that can relieve the burden of
caregiving, such as BeClose, the wireless technology that provides
caregivers with at-home monitoring of aging adults. Using discreet
wireless sensors placed in the home, BeClose tracks seniors' daily
routine. Caregivers know their loved ones are okay because they can
check on them at any time using a private, secure web page. And, if
there are any disruptions to daily life, caregivers are alerted in real
time by phone, email or text message.
The
key to the 30 years of caregiving ahead is to make sure these
innovations are available-and for the coming generation of caregivers,
accustomed to using Facebook and texting to be in touch with their
loved ones, that the technology meets their expectations.
"I
wish the findings were more of a surprise," says Liddy Manson,
President of BeClose. "But the entire reason for BeClose's existence is
to answer the stark needs of caregivers. We set out to create an
affordable system that gives the information every caregiver needs-that
their mom or dad is safe. And that if anything is amiss, they'll be
alerted immediately."
Washington,
DC-area resident Jackie Eyl, 45, is caring long-distance for her
77-year-old mother in New York, who is suffering from early Alzheimer's
disease. While Jackie and her brother had arranged for regular
assistance from an aide, and her mother has an active network of
friends who check in on her, there were still many hours of every
day-and night-in which Jackie had no idea how her mother was faring.
Jackie, who has two children, was living the nightmare portion of the
sandwich generation.
"I
lived in fear before I had BeClose," Jackie says. "I would lie up at
night and wonder-'Which catastrophic event will it be? Will she wander
out of her house and get lost, or get hit by a car? Will she leave the
oven on? Will she forget to eat one day, and starve?' I was a nervous
wreck."
Jackie
has found BeClose-and its "always on" ability to inform her of anything
out of the ordinary at her mother's home (a front door left ajar; the
refrigerator unopened for hours at a time; water on the floor of the
bathroom)-to be a relief to her worries. "BeClose helps mitigate my
fears, because I have information-without having to nag her about it,"
says Jackie. "If I see that there have been several nights in a row
that she's out of bed for hours, I will call the visiting aide, and ask
her to check in on my mother's sleep. BeClose is my first line of
defense. I'm sleeping better at night as a result."
In
a time when nursing home care averages $77,000 a year, assisted living
costs $200 per day, and live-in nurses can cost thousands per month,
BeClose is determined to make its remote caregiving offerings as
affordable as a cell phone plan-and tailored to meet the needs of
caregivers and elderly alike.
"At BeClose, we know that state-of-the-art technology can take families
from a state of fear and crisis management to a truly collaborative,
connected way of caregiving. Residents can have the independence they
desire, while receiving a safety net broader and more user-friendly
than anything previously available," says Manson.
