Hospital program helping families watch out for loved ones in Cook County

People who want to keep better tabs on their elderly loved ones in Cook County now have an Internet tool made available through a grant-funded program called the Peace of Mind Project. It is a partnership among Boreal Access, the North Shore Health Care Foundation, Cook County Public Health & Human Services, Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, and Cook County North Shore Hospital & Care Center. On June 20, 2013, hospital social worker Hilja Iverson showed the hospital board the many ways a special computer program can help monitor the well-being of people in their homes.

The program involves installing computer equipment that can be linked to family members or caregivers elsewhere. The cost is $100/month plus the cost of high-speed Internet, but a sliding fee scale is available. It is a product of GrandCare Systems of Wisconsin, which develops technology that allows people to “age in place” by remaining in their own homes. Available features include:

. A chime to remind a client to take his or her pills;

. Blood pressure, temperature, and weight; monitoring;

. Motion detectors and door sensors that can alert family members in other locations and tell them when a front door or refrigerator door has been opened or when someone has been in the bathroom;

. Monitoring of the temperature inside a home;

. Sensors on bed mattresses that can be used to monitor restlessness or when someone has been lying down or getting up throughout the day or night;

. Skyping with family members or caregivers.

. User-friendly email;

. Brain-teasers that can track cognitive skills;

. Self-reporting of mood and physical condition (a client can answer questions about how they are feeling that day in comparison to other days, for example);

. Reports on whether and when a medication box has been opened;

. The ability to play music and display personal photos.

Board member Tom Spence suggested demonstrating the program in a location where older people could see it in action, such as the Cook County Senior Center.

Because of potential liability issues, health care providers will not monitor data generated from the patient’s home, but printouts of data generated through the program can be brought to appointments.

People interested in the program can contact Hilja Iverson at (218) 387-3040.