WellAWARE of watching grandma

Behavioral Telecare Still In The Mix: With all the talk recently of convergence between telecare and telehealth (the latter is vital signs monitoring), here you finally get a partnership between two major national healthcare providers which are willing to bet on residential behavioral telecare to support aging in place.

One can say that WellAWARE has come out of its corner swinging, after quietly redesigning Home Guardian, rebranding the name and placing it live. While there are operational similarities between other sensor based systems (like QuietCare and Healthsense), their business model is quite different as they have assured distribution channels via the two key partners (60 facilities is a LOT). It's also smart in this recession to be proven and backed by leading non-profits, not a behemoth corporation or VC funding, and to keep the system straightforward (Healthsense's drawback is that it is a ladder of multiple systems).

There's a little convergence with vital signs mentioned--but if the reporting is easy to follow and the alerts are immediate, this is real competition for GE, which also markets (but does not own) QuietCare.

The real future is supportive care in private homes rather than assisted living apartments. Good Sam and VOA are in home care so it would have been interesting to get the CEO's take on that.; Posted by: Donna Cusano Posted on: 07/08/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use