livingwell@home


Key technology collaborators announced for study of senior wellness


The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society is collaborating with three high-profile companies in its LivingWell@Home research study. They are WellAWARE Systems, Philips Lifeline and Honeywell HomMed.


WellAWARE sensor technology


WellAWARE Systems is providing the sensor technology component of the LivingWell@Home research study. The WellAWARE technology uses small, wireless motion sensors that are placed throughout a room or apartment. The sensors passively monitor wellness indicators such as sleep quality, activity levels and bathroom visits — without the use of cameras, microphones or wearable devices. The information can alert caregivers to potential, emerging health conditions and provide the opportunity for early intervention.


Personal emergency response technology


Philips Lifeline is providing the medical alert service and fall detection components of the collaboration, including Lifeline with AutoAlert. The system has a medical alert pendant that can automatically place a call for help if it detects a fall and the user is unable to press the button.


Telehealth technology


Honeywell HomMed is providing telehealth equipment for the LivingWell@Home research study. The equipment collects vital sign information, asks disease-specific questions and provides educational content to users in their homes.


“We are excited to announce this technology collaboration as we engage in this important work of helping transform the way people age and think about aging,” says David J. Horazdovsky, president and chief executive officer of the Good Samaritan Society. “We have worked with these partners for some time, and with this collaboration, we are proud to be part of the solution for helping seniors maintain their wellness.”


8 The Good Samaritan • 2011 • Vol. 45 • No. 1


promise, says Soyland. But to persuade public and private insurers to pay for technology, he says, the Society needs formal evidence that can only be provided through a large-scale study.


“Currently, third-party reimbursement is very limited to pay for these technologies for seniors, which limits their use to the private-pay market,” Soyland says. “We believe our LivingWell@Home research will prove the impact on outcomes and serve to increase the number of sources that are willing to reimburse payment, thereby extending these services to seniors of all income levels and needs.”


While the study is still in its early stages, many participants — as well as members of their families — already are seeing the value of the technology and are living the future that the Good Samaritan Society envisions for senior care, Society leaders say.


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