San Diego-based aging in place technology platform provider Independa has inked a deal with GreatCall, which offers the Jitterbug mobile phone service for seniors, to bring the company's 5Star Urgent Response mPERS offering to its Artemis wireless monitoring platform. Independa has previously announced health and activity-related sensors will be a part of the platform. 5Star will become a feature of Artemis this fall, according to the companies.
GreatCall launched the dedicated device version of 5Star in October 2011 following its acquisition of mPERS startup MobiWatch in 2009. The dedicated 5Star device leverages cellular wireless technology and GPS for its emergency response service, which works both inside the user's home and while they are on the go. Many existing PERS offerings use a wireless hub that connects to the backend system via the home's wireline connection. GreatCall also offers 5Star as an app available for iPhone and Android devices. It's also available for users of its Jitterbug phones. The company says its 5Star Urgent Response system can help its users 24/7 and nationwide with one button connections to certified care agents based in the US.
GreatCall will inform professional care providers when users on Independa's platform use 5Star to make emergency calls, and reports based on these calls will be included in Independa's cloud-based Caregiver Web App, which is the dashboard care providers use to check up on their patients who use Artemis.
More about the partnership in the press release below:
PRESS RELEASE: SAN DIEGO – July 18, 2012 – Telehealth innovator Independa™ announced today that it will integrate GreatCall’s 5Star Urgent Response™ system into its Artemis™ wireless monitoring platform, enhancing ability to remotely track the well-being of elderly people who live independently.
5Star, GreatCall’s mobile personal emergency response system (mPERS), is the first safety monitoring feature planned for Artemis, set to become generally available this fall. Independa previously announced health and activity-related sensors.
GreatCall’s emergency response system will join the ecosystem that Independa is building to help caregivers envelope elderly people living alone in a comprehensive network of care linked to wireless monitoring devices and Internet technology.
Using mobile and GPS technology for immediate, accurate location of the care recipient, GreatCall’s system is the forward-looking update to emergency response systems of old that relied on wireline telephone technology.
“GreatCall is well-known for its innovations in elder care technology, product reliability and quality, and outstanding customer support, so we’re very pleased to be adding its 5Star Urgent Response system to Artemis,” said Independa CEO Kian Saneii. “The 5Star Device is attractive, small and convenient, and the peace of mind it can deliver is huge.”
In addition to the 5Star Device, GreatCall’s Urgent Response service is available on the iPhone and Android mobile devices, as well as the Jitterbug mobile phone from GreatCall. A care recipient needs only to press a button on the 5Star Device to be connected to a trained customer service agent. GreatCall, of San Diego, supports 5Star Urgent Response users around the clock with full national coverage by certified care agents based in the United States.
Under the agreement with Independa, GreatCall will inform professional caregivers of emergency calls from Independa users. Reports on these calls will be incorporated into Independa’s cloud-based Caregiver Web App, the central dashboard and control panel that provides a full picture of an older adult’s health and well-being.
“We’re very pleased that Independa selected our 5Star Urgent Response as the mPERS component of its Artemis monitoring suite,” said GreatCall CEO David Inns. “Joining the Independa ecosystem will enable us to broaden our reach in the home care, home health and senior living markets, becoming part of a larger caring system.”
Laurie Orlov, founder of the market research firm Aging in Place Technology Watch, said: “Wireless and mobile technology represent the next significant direction in enabling older adults to feel safe when they are out and about. The addition of GreatCall’s easy-to-use and highly accessible 5Star Urgent Response system to Independa’s comprehensive suite of Integrated CloudCare solutions represents best-of-breed innovation to further that important trend.”
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About Independa, Inc.
Independa offers integrated technology-enabled independent-living solutions for the elderly. Independa’s best-of-breed Integrated CloudCare services enable organizations and individuals to cost-effectively help the elderly to remain independent longer, safer and more comfortably. The company, which has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, provides holistic solutions that seamlessly operate across otherwise not connected devices, such as telephones, tablets, touchscreen computers and TVs. Services include medication and appointment reminders, support for activities of daily living, comprehensive social engagement benefits, and wireless health and safety monitoring.
