Barron Associates, Inc. proposes to develop a TELEpHOne Monitor for the Elderly (TELEHOME), a low-profile, body-worn, wireless personal monitor with built-in speakerphone. Functions provided by the TELEHOME system include: (1) monitoring/alerting for fall events, personal emergencies, activity/inactivity, and wandering;(2) automatic connection of mobile speakerphone to call recipient in response to an emergency event, or to calling parties for incoming telephone calls;(3) capability for family members and friends to stay abreast of in-home activity patterns of monitored individuals (e.g., track transitions through areas of the home, activity counts, etc.) through automatically-generated telephone voice calls, e-mail messages, or the TELEHOME website;and (4) recorded voice message delivery to mobile speakerphone to remind monitored individuals to take their medication, etc. The TELEHOME system is easy to operate, and requires no modifications to the home or involvement of a third-party monitoring company (eliminating associated fees). The TELEHOME system will be valuable to informal caregivers, such as adults who have an elderly parent living alone in a community or senior care facility, who want to ensure that those in their charge are safe and up and about each day. It will also provide peace of mind to elderly persons who want to continue to live independently, but have a safety net in place.

Public Health Relevance

The role of informal caregivers (i.e., family, friends, and neighbors), as contrasted with formal compensated home care providers, has increased greatly over the past two decades in the U.S. due to changes in the Medicare system. One way to lessen the burden on informal providers and provide peace of mind, as well as increase quality of care and quality of life for elders, is to make available a low-cost monitoring system that would allow potential emergencies to be identied when they occur and enable family and friends to stay abreast of activity patterns of those in their charge. Commercial personal monitoring systems available today provide incomplete coverage of potential emergency events and are too expensive.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase II (R44)
Project #
5R44AG026876-03
Application #
8049100
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-MOSS-F (15))
Program Officer
Bhattacharyya, Partha
Project Start
2005-07-01
Project End
2013-03-31
Budget Start
2011-04-01
Budget End
2013-03-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$444,680
Indirect Cost
Name
Barron Associates, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
120839477
City
Charlottesville
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
22901