Since starting CarePenguin, I’ve heard countless stories about elderly loved ones that fell while living alone and no one found out for days, some of which lead to death. It’s heartbreaking to hear this recurring story, so to prevent that from happening to my own grandparents, I created CarePenguin, a simple sensor that tells me if they used water that day as a proof of life.
One in four older adults over 65 will fall
According to the CDC, 36 million falls are reported among older adults every year, resulting in 32,000 deaths. (CDC). 50% of senior citizens who fall cannot get up on their own. When these falls go undetected, it can lead to “long lie times” that can be detrimental to their health. Lying on the floor for an extended period of time can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, dehydration, hypothermia, pressure ulcers, rhabdomyolysis and even death.
How can we detect if our loved one falls?
There are several ways to prevent falls before they happen which are outlined in our article Falls Among Senior Citizens and How to Reduce Long Lie Times. But what about detecting falls?
There are several wearable devices to choose from such as the Apple Watch, Life Alert, Lively products, etc. These are great for detecting falls and sending help immediately. However, these only work if the older adult wears them consistently. Studies show that senior citizens don’t always wear these and unfortunately, there’s a stigma attached to wearing them. More concerningly, one study found that 80% of older adults who fell and were wearing a call alarm did not activate it.
CarePenguin can save lives
I founded CarePenguin to solve this exact problem. CarePenguin is a simple sensor that detects whether or not a loved one has used water that day for the purpose of ensuring they’re going about their normal routine. One sensor detects activity throughout the entire house and it takes five minutes to install (no tools needed).
The combination of having the CarePenguin In-Home Activity Sensor as well as a fall detection wearable is ideal. This way, your loved one can get immediate help if they fall, but if they forget to wear their fall detection device or just don’t want to wear it, CarePenguin’s got their back. Family members can view their loved one’s activity on our app, receive alerts if there’s a lack of activity, and invite other family members to their account (alerts and family invites are available with CarePenguin Premium).
You should still call your mom
This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t stop calling our elderly loved ones or checking in on them. CarePenguin just adds an extra layer of peace of mind. A call a day is one touchpoint that your loved one is okay, but CarePenguin provides six to ten touchpoints in a day.
Families want to have meaningful conversations with their loved ones. CarePenguin puts your mind at ease so you can talk about the things that matter. We strive to help older adults remain independent and age in their own homes safely while also providing peace of mind to their family.