Smoke from the
Chimney: The QuietCare Story
Professor Anthony P. Glascock, a leading sociologist and gerontologist at Drexel University, was traveling the world collecting information on how elders are cared for in different cultures. In rural Ireland, one man, Seamus, described his daily ritual for checking on his elderly father's health.
Every morning when he awoke, Seamus gazed across the valley to his father's house. If he saw smoke rising from the chimney, Seamus knew his father had gotten up from bed and was going about his routine. On mornings when there was no smoke, Seamus would pedal his bicycle around the valley to check on his father.
Seamus' story stayed with Dr. Glascock. Dr. Glascock's mother lived 1,000 miles away and was healing from a broken hip. He wanted to call her, but worried that at the first ring, Mrs. Glascock would leap to her feet and hurry to run to the phone, risking re-injury. If he didn't, how would he know she was alright? What Dr. Glascock needed was smoke from his mother's chimney. Returning to Philadelphia, this is what he set out to create. Dr. Glascock turned to his colleague, fellow elder living expert David M. Kutzik, to help him create a system for caregivers to discreetly check in on seniors and weigh any emerging health risks.
Dr’s. Glascock and Kutzik have created a wonderful technology. Knowing what I know now, if Quietcare had been available at the time, it may have allowed me to see changes in Mom’s activities that may have provided us an advanced indication of an impending health risk for early intervention. Quietcare provides automatic detection of bathroom falls, the ability to track the taking of medications and nutrition and the capability of overseeing the general well being of elders and those with physical or mental handicaps 24 hours a day. Quietcare uses proven motion (heat) sensor technology that reports into a secure server every couple of hours where the data is analyzed and put into an easily interpretable report. The system does not use any cameras or microphones assuring the elder of total privacy. Quietcare allows the family and other caregivers the ability to check in on Mom or Dad anytime from anywhere, over a secure website on the Internet. In the event of an emergency, the system automatically calls for help. The senior lives their normal life style and retains their dignity. It doesn't require the pushing of buttons or any interface by the elder, while alert and alarm triggers are automatically set based on the seniors normal activities of daily living. The use of Quietcare in combination with a PERS provides for the utmost in safety and protection of loved ones.
Today, as a professional in the field of elder care technology, I feel proud in knowing that 1,000’s of families and professional caregivers are using Quietcare and PERS to protect our elders. I continue in my search on a daily basis looking for new cost effective, reliable innovations that allow our elders to live longer and safer lives at home.
My Deepest Regards,
Lee Lanier
Vice President
TSI Distribution
