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A revolutionary way of doing business could take home health care and assisted living light years forward if a local collaboration gets the technology grant it needs to make the plan reality.
The collaboration consists of Winona Health, Home and Community Options, Hiawatha Broadband Communications and a company called A-Vu Media, creators of a concept that turns a TV set into an interactive communication system.
According to A-Vu CEO John Goodman, the technology hinges on the ability to use web-type cameras for video conferencing that could reduce assisted living visits and allow those needing extra care to remain in their own homes while still getting support.
Using a simplified remote control, the system could turn on a web camera installed on a television set to allow nurses to check on patients from the nurses station, doctors to visit with patients who are at home, and those in assisted living facilities to have supervision without as many staff people on the premises.
These live video calls are already taking place via Internet-based systems like Skype, Goodman said, but developing the system for health care and elderly people requires several modifications.
Primarily, simplification of the system is key, Goodman said, as many people today do not have the technical savvy or the level of connectivity needed to communicate through a video format.
For that reason, the remote control for such an application would have very simple function keys and would streamline a variety of technologies through one box.
E-mail, voice mail, video calls, cable TV and the Internet would all be bundled together, he said, though users would have the option of turning written messages into oral ones and vice versa, as well as using a television set for large format viewing of e-mails or things like pictures.
With such a system, Goodman said, the possible applications are endless. Some local potential uses include physical therapy checkups from home, medical consultations that don’t involve a trip to the clinic, and periodic monitoring of assisted living clients to ensure their well-being.
Down the road, said Goodman, such a system could revolutionize 911 calls, and police and fire officials are watchful of how the technology takes hold during this exploratory stage. “We could eliminate half of the 911 calls if we took this to its full level,” Goodman said.
It could also reduce patient visits by 40% to 50%, he explained, if certain routine check-ups could be done via video conference.
The collaboration applied for a government Broadband Technology Opportunity grant in the amount of $9.4 million dollars, which would be augmented by another $3.5 million from local partners.
That amount would be enough to develop the technology and place 500 systems in Community Memorial Hospital, HCO homes and area assisted living facilities.
For seniors living alone, the technology serves as a way to connect them meaningfully to caregivers and their families, potentially allowing them to live independently for longer.
Once fully developed and implemented, Goodman estimates such a service would cost the user about $75 a month, though it would be combining several services many already receive together under that fee such as Internet and cable.
If the grant is received, it would also likely create 25 or so jobs in the community, Goodman said, as customer service workers, administrators and software writers all would be needed to bring the concept to the community.
The group is waiting for word on the grant, but could see the program implemented by the middle of next year if grant dollars are received.
“We think that ultimately this is going to be a new way of thinking,” Goodman said.
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