An article in today’s Washington Post describes some innovative  programs designed to help seniors or those with chronic conditions monitor themselves at home – reducing travel and time in hospital as well as costs.

Juanita Wood transmits her blood pressure readings to a clinic at her retirement community where she lives. Her husband, Arthur, seen in the mirror, uses a similar device, though he also keeps a written tally. Photo: Washington Post

“Every morning at 10 a.m. sharp, Juanita Wood, 87, taps “okay” on a screen to start up a device that takes her blood pressure and transmits the information to her medical clinic. At 10:30 a.m., her husband, Arthur, 91, touch-starts his own device, neatly lined up next to hers. The machine calculates his blood pressure and weight and sends them off, along with a blood sugar count that he enters by hand.

The Woods, of Catonsville, Md., are participants in one of several pilot projects that home health-care providers, retirement communities and others are conducting to see if high-tech but simple devices can help doctors closely monitor aging patients at home in a way that will help control problems before they escalate and cut back on the need for costly long-term care and hospital admissions — especially repeat hospital visits for chronic conditions.”

Programs such as these are not designed for diagnosis – there is not doctor remotely assessing you. Instead, they are designed to help elderly patients stay on top of their own medical condition, and be alert to changes that could indicate a more serious problem.

Read the full article here.