The New York Times features SeniorBridge's Claudia Fine's comments on the importance of coupling technologies that monitor aging parents with oversight from a geriatric care manager 

New York, NY - July 29, 2010 - In the general scheme of life, parents are the ones who keep tabs on the children. But now, a raft of new technology is making it possible for adult children to monitor to a stunningly precise degree the daily movements and habits of their aging parents.

The purpose is to provide enough supervision to make it possible for elderly people to stay in their homes rather than move to an assisted-living facility or nursing home - a goal almost universally embraced as both emotionally and financially desirable...

"Clearly, technology can help identify problems and patterns, which is a critical step in caregiving. The second step, however, is finding solutions and resources and making sure that they work effectively for the older person, a responsibility that is more than most adult children are able to handle from a distance.

Ideally, monitoring devices should be combined with oversight and coordination from a professional such as a geriatric care manager, who can help families both identify appropriate technologies and assist in reviewing the information those products provide, looking for warnings signs early, before there is a crisis, and offering options and solutions for family members to consider when inevitably, Mom does need help.

This type of partnership helps adult children not only better care for their parents, but also helps preserve their relationships as daughters and sons. When the focus of the relationship is on nutrition, medication, doctor appointments and hospital stays, connecting with mom over birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, grandchildren and career milestones becomes more complicated." - Claudia Fine, MPH, LCSW, SeniorBridge

About SeniorBridge

SeniorBridge is a leading care management company with a 10-year heritage in helping people cope with the challenges of complex chronic illnesses such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. The company's 32 offices and national care management network address the total well-being of its clients through a comprehensive process of assessment, planning, care coordination, advocacy and the provision of direct care. The company has headquarters in New York City and benefits from the support of its advisory board of internationally known experts in geriatrics. To learn more visit www.seniorbridge.com.