Health Care Internet Tools for Your loved Ones in the 22 nd Century

With the aging population in North America many "baby boomers", myself included, are faced with the dilemma os looking after their aging parents, some whom are still living in their own homes, sometimes distant from their children. The children want their parents to continue to live in their own homes and pursue their own lives, but are concerned about their parents' growing frailties. What can be done?

There are new technologies developing intended to make it easier, less stressful and even healthier for older folks to continue living at home, yet enable their children to monitor the situation.

"About 10% of the world's population was 60 or older in 2000—but that figure will more than double to 22% by 2050. Some countries will be especially hard hit: 28% of the population in Italy and Japan will be over 65 by 2030. In the rich world, there will be two old people for every child by 2050." Economist June 9 2005.

MedivoxRx Technologies, a division of Wizard Software, based in Pittsburgh, has developed Rex, the talking pill bottle. As people grow older they are prescribed complex combinations of various medications. Needless to say, the older a person gets the less reliable is his/her memory, pills are easily confused and labels become hard to read.

"Pressing a button on its base plays back spoken prescription information, stored in a microchip, through a miniature speaker. This information can either be generated automatically from prescription data, or recorded directly using a docking station: "Mum, take this arthritis pill for your shoulder pain, but not more than three times a day." A new version of Rex, now in the pipeline, will warn if a bottle is opened too many times in a day." (Economist June 9 2005) is one of the many new technology solutions

In the near future there will be the necessity of the present generation to monitor living and health conditions of their elderly parents as the parents health deteriorates with age. The nature of the present economy makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the parents (who are now senior citizens 60-80 years old) and their children to live in the same geographic area, particularly in the smaller rural communities where many of these "senior parents" are living.

The Internet can help solve that problem enabling the children to monitor their parents living situation from afar

"Health Hero Network, has developed the Health Buddy, a dedicated computer that offers daily coaching for some 45 health conditions. The latest version has a colour screen and ports for connecting medical sensors, such as a device for measuring diabetics' glucose levels. Used by American health-care organisations to look after over 5,000 chronically ill patients, the Health Buddy plugs into the phone and sends data between patient and doctor every day. " (Economist June 9 2005)

At IBM's research lab in Zurich, researchers are working on a mobile-health tool kit to link medical devices with wireless networks. Missing a medication, for example triggers a mobile-phone call. "Another device in the works at HP is a wearable wireless sensor, the size of sticking plasters, that could be used for remote monitoring [through a wireless connection to the Internet] of heart activity and other information. The idea behind all of these monitoring systems is to allow old people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, even when they are being treated for chronic illnesses, rather than moving into a nursing home." (Economist June 9 2005)

various devices, interconnected by the Internet technology, are available which can be used to monitor the life style of senior citizens living alone at their home who are prone to memory lapses. Some might say this is an intrusion of the senior's privacy others may say it is a way in which senior citizens can remain in their own homes longer and have their (seniors health) monitored, both are correct. The decision is best made in conjunction with the senior citizen and their care givers.

A new health monitoring "system from Lusora, a start-up based in San Francisco. The Lusora Intelligent Sensory Architecture (LISA), which will go on sale later this year, is a collection of wireless devices including a wearable panic alarm and various monitoring devices that are placed around the home and detect motion, sound and temperature. Data from these devices can be accessed securely via the Internet." (Economist June 9). Such a device would allow a care giver or care givers to monitor the daily patterns of the person wearing the device.(http://www.lusora.com/index_console.html) For example; it would enable someone to determine if the fridge has been opened during the day leading him/her to assume that the person being monitored is still alive, mobile and perhaps has eaten something.

A new York firm "Living Independently" has also developed a similar, Internet connected system in conjunction with ADT Security Services, a home-security firm (http://www.quietcaresystems.com/index_fl.htm). ADT is told what patterns of activity—or lack of activity—should trigger particular pre-determined responses, such as calling for an emergency doctor.

IBM is working on a comprehensive Internet portal which brings together medical information, doctor appointments chronic disease data and other information pertinent to the senior. The portal would also maintain a "buddy list" to e-mail all concerned on latest medical updates from the senior himself or his doctor. Knowing other people are concerned about and monitoring your health makes the patient more likely to maintain his/her health and follow their doctors orders.

As this research continues the above devices will become more widespread and less expensive as more people use them.