A company based in Omaha/Council Bluffs is touting technology to help elderly Iowans stay in their homes longer. The client wears a bracelet or necklace that monitors their health care. Sarah Matlock, spokeswoman for Medi-Guard USA, says similar devices have been around for a while, but this one can notify far-away loved ones of a potential medical emergency.
She says it allows the family members, if they are in town or across the country, the ability to review the subscriber’s activity. The client is reminded by the device when to take medications, do blood pressure checks, diabetic checks or other health procedures. If the company doesn’t get notification that the check had been done, the client will be contacted.
“The machine would actually give them a reminder that it’s time to do a wellness check,” she says. “The same thing would happen with their medications. We can actually record up to 16 different messages.” If there is a problem, Matlock says Medi-Guard USA takes charge.
“We have highly trained medical professionals who monitor these systems 24 hours a day,” she says. If clients are susceptible to falls, Matlock says the system will alert them if that happens, and many more features are coming soon.
“The machine can hold up to 255 attachments,” she says. “Within the next six months, we will be seeing blood pressure checks, an acu-check machine for our diabetic patients.” Matlock says this device is also useful for younger people who may suffer from medical conditions.
In addition, there are security measures that can be installed — like motion detectors and door alarms — to notify Medi-Guard USA if a person with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia tries to leave the house.
Thanks to Karla James