Most resident-monitoring technologies have features that are well-suited for memory care communities, but their overall system is more appropriate for residents without cognitive impairments. Dedicated memory care monitoring systems help to bridge that gap.
“The need is so big, and the needs are so different,” says George Netscher, founder and CEO of SafelyYou.
SafelyYou is an AI-enhanced video room monitor specifically designed for fall monitoring of memory care residents. It enables staff to understand a resident’s unmet needs, helping them predict future needs.
Because they can’t explain what happened, people with cognitive impairments who are found on the floor are taken to the hospital much more often than necessary. SafelyYou’s AI-enabled cameras detect falls with over 99% accuracy, and care staff is immediately notified for assistance. The fall video shows when and why a person went down and provides an opportunity to take corrective measures.
The SafelyYou clinical team reviews all fall footage and recommends person-centered measures. In one case, a man who was found on the floor had climbed up on his walker seat to adjust the overhead lighting and fell. The clinical team advised staff to assess his lighting needs, finding he prefers to use his table lamp. In the four months since, he has not had another fall.
SafelyYou supports the human element in technology, as well. The program requires no action from the resident to initiate a response, yet empowers more effective engagement between residents and staff.
Taylor Hernandez, director of learning and development at Senior Star, emphasizes the importance of the human element when using technology to enhance memory care. Senior Star uses technology to track resident well-being and to provide cognitive activities and assessments.
“All these things are very helpful, but it’s only as good as the information we put in,” she says. “The best way to predict change is to know the resident. That’s such an important element to any technology that is being used in the community.”
