With the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our routines have changed. Some of us are working from home, some children are being homeschooled, and the amount of physical contact we have with our family members has reduced. For caregivers, the pandemic brought forth new concerns. More than ever, caregivers are seeking ways to continuously stay in touch with family members and have peace of mind knowing that they are safe and well in their home. Assured Living Wellcam is one such method that can help.
Caregiving is challenging for all members of the family
Caregiving is often, very stressful. With many responsibilities such as laundry, grocery shopping, taking the family member to appointments, caregiving can creeps up on you and it is easy to become overwhelmed. All of your energy is spent on supporting your family member and your own life stops. You may even be worried to leave your family member alone at home in case something happens to them.
There is no preparation to help you become a “caregiver”. In 2018, 25% of Canadians (about 7.8 million) aged 15 and older cared for an individual with a long-term health condition, a physical or mental disability, or problems related to aging.1 Caregivers are likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety and may feel overwhelmed, tired, lose interest in activities, or feel sad—in the long run these can negatively affect one’s health.
Many Canadians who are caring for their family member are experiencing caregiver burden. Imagine, your mom lives in her own home and she would like to remain in the home where she spent the last 30 years of her life. Though you are continuously supporting your mom to be independent, you are constantly worried that something may happen to her and you won’t be there to support her. In the moments when your mom does not pick up the phone, panic may set in. You may be asking yourself, “Is mom okay? Did something happen to her? Maybe she had fallen, and she can’t come to the phone.” In these times, you may urgently pick up your car keys and drive to mom’s place to make sure she is okay. In some instances, mom just could not hear the phone, and nothing has happened to her. Mom is safe and you are able to take a deep breath and your anxiety level lowers. Your mom may ask you, “why are you here?” as she is surprised by the sudden visit.
This is a common scenario for people who are providing care. It is important to ensure family members remain safe and if an incident happens, someone can be there for them but identifying the false alarms from the real incidents is necessary to provide caregivers with relief and peace of mind. Technology-based solutions have increasingly become available to support caregivers – ultimately empowering caregivers with the tools to reduce stress, anxiety and save time.
What is the Assured Living Wellcam?
Sensor based wellness monitoring technology like Assured Living supports caregivers with insights about the family member’s daily activity patterns and notifies caregivers if anything is out of the ordinary, so they can support family members to stay at home for as long as possible.
Wellcam is a new product within the Assured Living ecosystem. With the two-way voice and one-way video capabilities, caregivers can get in touch with their family members easily with a push of a button. The family member can also reach out to the caregiver easily if they need to speak to them, by pressing the button on top of the device. With smart video alerts, caregivers can configure a specific area in the home they want to be alerted of, for example, if there is anyone on the ground in the living room, or any unexpected movements in the middle of the night. On the dashboard, caregivers can also view activity highlights for the day.
What does a day in life look like with Assured Living Wellcam?
Meet Susan
Susan has been caring for her mother who has mild cognitive impairment. With a full-time job and a family of her own, Susan feels overloaded and pressed for time. Susan is constantly worried about her mother’s safety and wellbeing.
When Susan purchased the Assured Living Wellcam, she installed it, with mom’s permission, in her living room. With the Wellcam, Susan’s mom can speak to daughter and Susan can be alerted of any unexpected activities. The Wellcam also allows Susan to create up to three video analytic alerts that can be personalized based on her needs. For example, Susan can be alerted when someone is sitting on the couch, exiting the home, or entering the living room. Susan can also set the timeframe, so she is only alerted during certain hours.
With the Wellcam installed in Susan’s mom’s home, let’s look at what Susan’s day in life looksAlthough not every day may look the same, today, Susan is taking her mother to a doctor’s appointment and picking up medication.
With Wellcam Susan can call mom easily and see how she is doing. Susan can be alerted if there is motion in areas where she is most interested in. These areas can be in the living room main entrance doorway or on the couch. With the Wellcam, Susan has additional information to be able to support her mother when needed. The additional information can help Susan feel less anxious, ensure she is equipped with more insight to support mom, and provide peace of mind.
Easy Installation during the pandemic
The Wellcam can be self-installed easily to stay connected with your family member. Once the product is ordered and you have registered for the monthly subscription, the Wellcam will be shipped to the address provided with detailed instructions on how to get started.
For more information on how the installation works, watch the videos below.2
How do I get started?
Wellcam is a standalone product part of the Assured Living ecosystem. With Wellcam, Assured Living’s Wellness Package can be easily integrated into the wellness monitoring solution for enhanced caregiving insights.
If you are you a caregiver interested in using technology to support your caregiving needs, Best Buy Health is here to support you. Call us at 1-866-697-4501 for a non-obligation consultation.
For details about the Wellcam, visit Best Buy’s Assured Living website
2 Ethernet cord is not included with the Wellcam. For alternate installation methods, please contact us at 1-866-697-4501 for support or refer to the installation guide in the box
Disclaimer
Best Buy’s Assured Living Wellcam device and program is subject to terms and conditions available by calling 1-866-697-4501 or on https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/help/policies-and-terms-and-conditions/geek-squad-terms-and-conditions. The Assured Living Wellcam device and program consists of hardware and service components. Minimum hardware component (Wellcam device) and monthly service. Self-installation required. The Assured Living Wellcam device and program is not a monitoring service. You are required to use the Assured Living Wellcam device and program in compliance with all laws, including Canadian privacy laws. The program does not provide or act as a replacement for medical care, diagnosis, or treatment in any manner. Please consult your health care professional for health-related concerns. The Assured Living Wellcam device and program should not be used for emergency or urgent care needs. In an emergency, call 911 or got to the nearest emergency room.
