Care in the Home
As we age, a person or a couple who have lived independently for a lifetime are now faced with the reality that their children or other caregivers need to step in, whether on a daily or occasional basis. This can cause upset, so security measures must be practical and sensitive to the needs and feelings of elders.
The aging process causes declines in our senses of hearing, sight and physical abilities. Older people might not be as quick to react and cannot respond as quickly to safety problems as in their youth. This makes older people accident prone. With bones that are more brittle and less dense, older people are more susceptible to danger from an accident in the home.
Many older people fall in the home in spite of precautions. Sometimes it takes hours or days to discover the fall and respond. Elders may lie on the floor with a head or body injury and unable to get help, waiting for someone to come by. Strokes or heart attacks require immediate medical attention, which is only possible if a caregiver is aware of the situation.
Elders face a variety of other dangers from living alone, including break-ins, theft and fraud through multiple sources.
The 2010 US Census may show that the number of seniors is increasing faster than younger populations — but that’s not to say that child care needs are dissipating. Almost 85% of the children in the United States today live in a home with both parents who work, and reliable caretakers for children are difficult to find and keep. Women from the ages of 20 to 60 care comprise the typical caregiver, watching children on a part-time or full-time basis.
Most states do not require that caregivers have knowledge in CPR or first aid, or a degree in childcare — creating extra challenges in determining if a caretaker is qualified. The child might seem happy and well-adjusted once the right caretaker is identified and hired, but the bottom line is that a parent can never be quite sure what takes place in the hours that they are away from home.
Technology at Work
The smart phone has changed the way consumers look at mobile communications. The mobile phone is no longer simply a tool to call a spouse from the supermarket aisle or AAA from the side of the highway. The modern consumer looks to the smart phone as a tool that unlocks a universe of data opportunities, from basic e-mail to an explosion of applications – or “apps” as referred to in casual conversation.
Mobile video surveillance is quickly becoming an intriguing mobile application in commercial and residential applications. The readiness of wireless technologies with video platforms has given IT-savvy companies in the security and surveillance markets a way to bring video surveillance and remote monitoring to the everyday consumer. Such applications for smart phones (Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, and others) and tablets, such as the iPad, are now available for residential users looking to view their surveillance cameras on the move.
Mobile video surveillance started with the ability to see the front door from the bedroom, and evolved to watching the home while at work from a desktop computer. People can now see the interior and exterior of their homes from anywhere. Devices like smart phones and iPads have made it possible to go from watching people ring the doorbell to watching activities inside and outside the home from any location. It has become a huge and popular market.
Working parents, caregivers, and children of elders simply want a mobile surveillance application that works — something that is easy to set up, offers low maintenance and is compatible with their mobile devices, cameras and recorders. The best applications are simple to “install” and use, requiring only simple downloads and addressability to the user’s cameras. Most are low-cost, and come free of charge.
Ease of use is the most important aspect for residential applications, ensuring that the casual users can centralize management of web-connected cameras and recorders and establish a single login step — saving time and eliminating the frustration of constantly toying with the keypad. Advanced options allow consumers to synchronize supervision operations across fixed and mobile devices, easily and cost-effectively — allowing PC and MAC users to view the same information from a desktop.
Providing Choices
There needs to be an element of choice and control. Few nannies will want to feel as though they exist in a police state. Caregivers can call their parents and negotiate times for observation, perhaps as dinner is served or bedtime has arrived. Elders also have the choice to turn off the cameras or negotiate with when and where the home surveillance can take place.
The living room and kitchen is a popular example. Users can pull up separate windows for each room on their smart phone or tablet and check on their children or parents at home periodically throughout the day, with the care giver's full knowledge of the observation activities if one is present.
Cost-Efficient and Convenient
Children of older people, or caring neighbors who occasionally look in on elders who live at home, can do so thoughtfully and in a subtle fashion and cost-effectively. More than 80 percent of homes in the United States have computers; and more than 90 percent of Americans have mobile phones. It's time to put them both to use for elder and child care. It is a couple simple step process as an example:
http://www.mobideos.com/mobideos/community/Webcam.html
Video surveillance on the mobile phone is easy to use, cost effective, and convenient. It can give caregivers and family members peace of mind at any time during the day or night without having to leave work, go home, and 'drop in.' Users quickly realize the value and potential of live video streaming on their mobile devices by utilizing this technology.
Home surveillance used to be a service conducted by security companies, or the installation of expensive security systems — all dependent on third parties. Now, with technology advances in smartphones, PCs, and video streaming, that technology is available at very affordable prices to anyone who owns these devices.
Checking in on children or elders who are at home either alone or with a caregiver relieves the stress of care giving, alleviates potential problems and is a proactive buffer against accidents or carelessness.
Sources: U.S. Census 2010, PC World 2010, Federal Trade Commission, mobiDEOS 2011
Contact:
mobiDEOS, Inc. 75 S. Milpitas Blvd, Suite 201, Milpitas, CA 94035 Phone: 408-716-8347
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