Healthsense's State-of-the-Art Monitoring Technology Improves Safety, Security for Dementia Patients at Northfield Retirement Community

Business Wire, Sept 22, 2008

NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- Seniors with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia are being cared for at Northfield Retirement Community with state-of-the-art remote monitoring technology designed by Healthsense, a Mendota Heights-based aging services technology company.

The Healthsense Integrated Solution technology, installed in Northfield's new 12-unit Evergreen Lodge memory care facility, improves safety and security for residents by allowing staff to monitor residents remotely and respond more quickly to their needs. The foundation of the Healthsense system is a standard Wi-Fi wireless platform that provides network coverage for various devices and technologies. These include a building-wide nurse call system that enables staff to immediately pinpoint a resident's location when he or she calls for assistance; Wi-Fi phones carried by the staff that receive alerts generated by the remote monitoring technology and help improve communication; network security cameras that can be monitored off-site via computer; and an access control system that helps ensure the safety of residents in the unit.

Developed with grants from the National Institutes of Aging (NIA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Healthsense technology also includes a variety of sensors placed in strategic areas of the patients' residences that are designed to look for specific behaviors and alert staff to intervene when necessary. For example, motion detectors on walls can detect movement within rooms; contact sensors on kitchen cupboards and refrigerator doors can monitor whether the resident is eating regularly; and pressure sensors on beds are used to detect when a resident gets in or out of bed.

"The Healthsense technology adds an extra dimension to our ability to care for our seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia," said Kyle Nordine, President and CEO of Northfield Retirement Community. "By mitigating or preventing high-risk situations such as falls and wandering, the system allows our staff to focus on providing the highest quality care to our residents. This highly sophisticated, state-of-the-art remote monitoring technology represents the future of aging services and we're excited to be able to offer it right here in our community.

"Since the memory care unit is not attached to the other buildings on our 30-acre campus, the advantage of the Wi-Fi system is that our staff can monitor the residents' activities remotely from other locations," added Nordine. "Healthsense provided us with a one-stop solution - all of these advanced technologies run off a standard Wi-Fi platform."

Brian Bischoff, Healthsense's President and CEO, said, "We're proud to partner with a far-sighted, innovative provider like Northfield Retirement Community that understands the significant benefits that our remote monitoring technology can provide. Technology can never take the place of skilled and compassionate care by a human caregiver, but it can help healthcare professionals - like the dedicated staff at Northfield Retirement Community - improve the quality of care they provide to residents."

About Healthsense

Healthsense is a market leader in providing technologies solutions for the future of aging services. Healthsense offers completely integrated systems including: Personal Emergency Response Systems, Wi-Fi wireless nurse call and Resident Monitoring for fall detection, wander management and alerting of changes in well-being. These systems are scalable, flexible, and based on proven Wi-Fi communication standards. The flagship Healthsense product is the eNeighbor[R] system. The eNeighbor system was developed under the direction of the National Institute of Aging (NIA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The system monitors an individual in their home and automatically calls for help if it detects a possible problem. The eNeighbor system utilizes a series of wireless sensors placed throughout the residence, which capture the occupant's activities of daily living. Visit www.healthsense.com for more information.

About Northfield Retirement Community

A faith-based provider of Christian care and services, Northfield Retirement Community is the area's leading retirement living organization, offering a complete range of housing and amenities in scenic Northfield, Minnesota. For nearly 40 years, Northfield Retirement Community has innovated change and choice in housing services. Today, that tradition of innovation continues, empowering residents and families alike to join in the community of caregiving. Visit www.northfieldretirement.org for more information