QuietCare: A New Way to Ease Caregiver Stress

"When you become a caregiver for a loved one, you live a much different life than you did before," says Ginger Weber, a 20-year employee of Riverview Medical Center whose mother, Nancy, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "Your free time, your free thoughts, your entire life refocuses on the family member who needs you."

Ginger and her husband began exploring options that would enable her mother to be independent as long as possible, yet give them assurance of her safety around the house. Then Ginger learned about QuietCare^sm, an innovative, new, noninvasive home monitoring service offered through Meridian Home Care.

Using wireless motion sensors placed throughout one's home, the QuietCare system allows caregivers to nonintrusively monitor their loved one's activities. "It serves as an incredible option for families struggling with how to strike the balance between keeping their active family member independent and out of a nursing home but consistently watching out for them," says Sandra Elliot, director of Aging and Senior Services Development at Meridian.

The QuietCare system uses specially designed computer software that monitors, records, and analyzes such activities as getting out of bed in the morning, eating regular meals, handling medications, and visiting the bathroom. It can quickly detect when there are changes to normal home patterns. The caregiver can be alerted via phone, pager, or e-mail if there's any information from the system that may be cause for alarm. QuietCare system both enables 24-hour monitoring and provides early warning for potential problems.

"While at my desk at work, I can check in on Mom and see if she has gotten up this morning and is moving, and more importantly, if she hasn't," says Ginger. "I can go about my day not having that fear in the back of my mind, wondering if she is safe."

For more information about QuietCare, please call the Meridian Health Line at 1-800-560-9990.