Though civilization has been advancing since the Stone Age, no one in 1936 could have imagined how much would change in the next seventy years. At a time when it took Western Union a day to deliver a telegram and overseas letters could take over a week to arrive by boat, who could have believed that a time would come when fax machines would spit out documents sent from around the world or that e-mails would arrive at home computers practically instantaneously? While a person was waiting for a telephone operator to connect their phone call, or for their party line to clear up, could they have predicted that in their lifetime they would be using cell phones and hand-held message devices that they could carry in their pockets?

Although we often long for the "good old days" when families gathered around their large Philco radios for the news and entertainment, it is indisputable that technology has changed the way we live, and often for the better. Medical advances have insured that people will live longer but in many cases they are living alone, when once they might have been living in close proximity to an extended family unit. Being true to our mission of enabling seniors to live independently at home and with dignity for as long as possible, Selfhelp Community Services has been looking for ways to enhance our residents' and clients' quality of life through the use of advanced technology.

Following an internal needs analysis that took place last year, Selfhelp decided to participate in a six month pilot program to test the QuietCare Health Security System in its residences. Currently installed in 27 apartments in Selfhelp's Queens' buildings and NORCs (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities), QuietCare automatically alerts caregivers of possible emergencies and provides early detection of changes in a resident's behavior. Using wireless activity sensors, the system tracks daily activities such as when the senior gets up in the morning, whether there is a possibility that s/he has fallen in the bathroom, is visiting the area where medications are kept, is active in the kitchen, and whether the home is dangerously hot or cold. Caregivers are then automatically alerted by the monitoring company when an emergency might exist.

There have already been several cases where the presence of this monitoring system has helped get a Selfhelp resident assistance that s/he would ordinarily not have. One example is a daughter who had her father's home care attendant hours increased after receiving several fall alerts in a short timeframe and was then found unconscious in his bathroom. A second example is a social worker encouraging a client to go to physical therapy after it was noted that she was delaying getting out of bed due to the pain caused by a recent shoulder injury.

In addition to introducing the QuietCare system to our residences, other technologies that Selfhelp is investigating to enhance its services to the community, are telehealth and cognitive stimulation. Installing telehealth technology into homes will offer clients the opportunity of having their health monitored on days when they would ordinarily not be seen by a nurse or home health aide. Transmitting information on the client's blood pressure, glucose, and weight to a central location where the data is then reviewed by a nurse, appropriate follow-up would be arranged as needed. This is yet another way for clients to remain safe in their own homes. Cognitive stimulation, or "exercises for the brain," offered through special computer programs, will be a way to enhance cognitive abilities for early stage Alzheimer's patients. Selfhelp hopes to offer both of these exciting technologies to our clients in the next few months.

We are very excited to be able to offer these technologies to our seniors, helping to ensure their safety and their ability to live comfortably and with confidence in their own homes.