Dec 7 2012
Residents of one of the country's top-rated retirement communities will soon be able to experience the benefits of remote health care monitoring to ensure resident safety, security and quality of care.
Verizon Enhanced Communities and Healthsense Inc. announced on Thursday (Dec. 6) the launch of their first joint initiative -- at The Virginian, a 350-unit continuing-care retirement community in Fairfax. The community is the first in the U.S. to have both Healthsense's wellness-related products and services and Verizon's FiOS TV, Internet and voice services.
The Virginian, which offers independent and assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation and home health services, strives to provide high-quality care and manage changing health conditions in a way that allows residents to stay in their preferred home as long as possible.
Healthsense supports these objectives via a campuswide Wi-Fi infrastructure supported by Verizon FiOS, a 100 percent fiber-optic communications network. The Healthsense solution comes with a suite of devices that can be used to monitor residents' daily living activities and to enable residents to notify the staff in the event of a personal emergency, such as a fall.
Healthsense enables the staff at The Virginian to respond faster and intervene earlier, while automating or simplifying many of the on-site care staff's daily processes.
"Healthsense technology enables us to provide the outstanding care our residents expect, giving them peace of mind, safety and security," said Chris Isherwood, executive director at The Virginian. "As a senior care community, we gain a partner who will help us create a technology-enabled care environment that's among the best in the country."
In the future, Verizon and Healthsense will launch similar joint initiatives at continuing-care retirement communities, assisted living facilities and other senior living communities throughout the country.
"This is an exciting day for all of us involved in this milestone project, most importantly for the residents of The Virginian, who will be able to live a safer, more secure and more comfortable lifestyle as a result of the services Verizon and Healthsense are providing," said Michael Weston, executive director of Verizon Enhanced Communities, a strategic unit of Verizon that delivers FiOS to multidwelling facilities and new developments. "Healthsense's nationally recognized wellness-delivery programs and devices are an ideal match for communities such as The Virginian that also have chosen to enable Verizon's FiOS network."
For The Virginian, which was recognized this year by US News & World Report on its list of Best Nursing Homes for 2012, the choice was a natural one.
"When we realized that it was time to upgrade our copper-based nurse call system," said Isherwood, "we wanted to look for a replacement system that was at once good for both our residents and our staff. Healthsense quickly became the front runner."
Since deploying the service, Isherwood said, the overall reaction has been extremely favorable. "Overall, our staff has been much more efficient, and we believe that the long-term marketing advantages that we have gained will make The Virginian more competitive in the long run," he said, adding:
"Today's smart seniors are probably the first generation in the senior residential space really to understand and embrace how technology can have a positive impact on their lives. Whether they're looking for ways to maintain or improve their health or communicate more effectively, we believe The Virginian offers more than similar places nearby. One of the side benefits is that it provides a great deal of peace of mind for our residents' families and friends."
Verizon Enhanced Communities provides developers, owners, managers and residents of multifamily and single-family communities with Internet, TV and voice services delivered over the Verizon FiOS network. Verizon also offers these communities its Verizon Concierge service. Among its many features, Verizon Concierge enables residents to communicate with each other to set up carpools or clubs; quickly and easily schedule access to property amenities; set up services from local businesses such as dry cleaners and taxis; and make reservations or place a takeout order at a local restaurant.
Source: http://www.verizon.com