There are current studies with monitoring and wireless devices as they cross lines at time and it is called "participatory sensing" as without proper design and implementation they could also drive one crazy too. There are studies at UCLA and in Pennsylvania.

http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/07/participatory-sensing-center-for.html

UCLA has a grant for just under 10M to do this.

In addition the White House is also very much aware of participatory sensing and has a video on it as well at the link below.

http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/white-house-speaks-about-wireless.html

Now whether all of these folks communicate, I don't know but this is a big part of healthcare technology today is the fact that we are over loaded with innovation and short on the string with collaboration, a very fractured business.

Well the services providing Video monitoring are not cost effective yet. mayb once the software improves and can alert if the patient is not out of bed or too long in the bath, etc.

This is a slippery slop and there probably needs to be more research copmpleted. There is far more to caring for the elderly than tracking their vital signs. Many still can't care for themselves, taking a bath, prepare meals, keeping up with the volumes of medication. I have an elderly family member in my home. It is a 24/7 job and takes an enormous toll on the family.

My Mom's 87 living alone in FL. I'm in NY. I made her get one of those life alert systems because she fell down in July and had bleeding on her brain. That system is self activated by a button carried on the person. You can also set up check in times for an additional fee over the $48 a month. She's better now, but I have been thinking of setting up some kind of networked camera system to be able to check up on her from time to time. A system that kept track of her vital signs would be preferred. It should be able to alert someone by phone when parameters are exceeded. This concept is a great idea that shouldn't be put down. There are many more seniors going to be living alone in the next two decades.

Hey, here's an idea. CALL your mom. Often. I do, every day pretty much. I also got her a cell phone, so that I can get hold of her if she hasn't answered her home phone. And get healthy BEFORE you get these chronic diseases - lose weight (or encourage your older relatives to do so), eat properly, get regular exercise. Those things can help prevent diabetes, as well as hypertension. Both my parents (81 and 86) were diagnosed with high cholesterol in their 60's - both changed their eating habits severely, both NO LONGER have it, without any meds. My father also had high blood pressure - a 4 mile walk a day, coupled with less watching of the news "cured" him. Neither take any meds at all (despite my dad's lifelong problem with asthma, he merely avoids triggers).

Safety going digital can save a lot of money; and they can hire people, from cleaning house every week, preparing meals, doing shopping, running errands, from transportation to MD appt and getting medications...

Government or hospital or insurance agency can run "elder care" and the care can provide the services like the above.

What I find funny is they paid for a study to tell us, "As you get older you need more medical care." I could of told them that....and, we could of saved the tax dollars that paid for another no brainer study.

There's an app for that! Think about it if they ever get it right, "Hey check on your grandma and see how her health is right now". OK let me pull up my cell phone apps and check the heart monitor and vitals. Yep still good. That would be Awesome!

Remote monitoring of the elderly has become of valuable piece of the care giving process. I agree that personal contact should be the top priority of a caregiver. Monitoring my mother’s medication is a major concern for me. Age Right Solutions offers a medicine dispenser which sends me a message if the medicine isn’t taken within a certain time period. It also monitors several other dally living skills. Again, the Age Right system is just piece of the bigger picture for me.