Home Reminder Systems Are Getting Easier

You are at work. You want to know if your mother is okay and yet you can't really call because you are in the middle of a meeting. Or maybe your father is forgetting to take his regular blood pressure medicines and this is making it hard to control his blood pressure.

One new option is a web-based online system for setting up automated reminder and check-in calls called the SageMinder System. Your loved one does not need to learn how to use any new equipment — he or she just uses the phone and you can set up the reminder to call at a customized time. The reminder call is interactive and will ask if everything is okay and will ask if your family member has or is about to take medications.

When asked a question, the person responds by simply pressing a button on the keypad of any regular home phone or cell phone. You, the caregiver, will then receive an immediate notification either by text message to your phone or email letting you know that the call was answered and whether everything is fine.

Reminder services for seniors like the SageMinder have proven to be effective ways for people to manage medications. One of the largest preventable causes of poor health management is failure to take medications as prescribed by a physician. For checking in, it can offer the caregiver peace of mind in between childcare and work to know that everything is okay with a senior living alone.

Devices that have been used in the past by visiting nurses come with cumbersome equipment and can cost hundreds of dollars. These systems were never really available for caregivers to purchase or set up. The SageMinder System, though, works with the phones and basic computer you already likely have and is less than the cost of a cup of coffee per day. Because of its simplicity and low cost, this reminder service for seniors is now able to be sold directly to caregivers. To learn more about the service, check out www.SageMinder.com.

The website for purchasing this reminder service also offers an online community, articles and tips and free downloadable forms and worksheets to support, encourage and empower family caregivers.

About Deah Bowes. As Director of Professional Services, Deah manages Sage consultants and sub- contractors and handles all media contacts for Sage Life Technologies, LLC. She has also been a family caregiver for many years and shares her experiences through articles and tips for visitors at www.sageminder.com.