Technology Helps Children Switch Roles: Becoming a 'Parent to their Parent'

HUNTSVILLE, AL, April 13, 2011 (Press-News.org) Caring for an aging parent is a daunting responsibility that no one is ever fully prepared to handle. It's hard enough conceptualizing the people that were responsible for raising you are now the ones who are needing the care themselves. However, the painful reality of caregiving for parents is often unavoidable. The numbers are increasing every year, and as 2011 officially begins the "aging tsunami" those numbers have no place to go but up.

Adult Children Adjust to New Roles:
An estimated 34 million adults provide unpaid care to an adult family member or friend over 50 - that's roughly 20% of all American adults, a number that will climb as more baby-boomers age. Those adult children spend roughly 21 hours/week caregiving. While 89% call those caregiving duties a "minor sacrifice", they still worry if they can keep up as parents get older. (AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving survey)

John Hanafee and his siblings live with their families near Sacramento, CA. Their parents, James and Doris, both 75 years old, still live in their own house in a community near their children. James has been Doris' caregiver for several years since she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The children have helped in that care when their parents asked, but now James has slowed down after several strokes and more help is needed. The parents want to remain in their house.

"The biggest challenge for everyone is acceptance," says John Hanafee. "Parents must accept they have arrived at a certain stage in life where they need help and children must be firm and honest in talking with their parents. We ultimately convinced Mom and Dad to get medical alarms by saying it would help us to help them. In addition, we would be able to respect their privacy but still be able to check on them."

So, John turned the technology in myHalo to help keep an eye on his parent's safety when he can't.

Doris and James are both wearing separate advanced medical alarms by Halo Monitoring that automatically call for help in the event of a fall. There's no need to push a button. James' alarm also monitors heart rate and temperature, an added benefit for care since he has heart issues and cares for Doris.

"The alarms have provided peace of mind for everyone," admits James. "Our children feel better knowing if anything happens they'll be notified right away, and we feel better knowing our children are close by and can help but we're still independent."

"Every family's needs are different and there are many tools available to help care for elderly loved ones while maintaining their independence," says Chris Otto, CEO of Halo Monitoring and a senior care expert. "An advanced monitoring system with automatic fall detection is a critical part of any complete care plan."

Fall Statistics:
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports:
• One out of three senior adults fall each year.
• In 2007, 18,000 older Americans died from fall related injuries.
• In 2008, 2.1 million older Americans were injured in falls.

Peace of Mind for Mother's Day and Father's Day Halo Monitoring, maker of myHalo, the most advanced medical alarm with automatic fall detection is making a special offer in honor of Mother's Day and Father's Day to help adult children care for their parents. Through the months of May and June, Halo Monitoring is offering free shipping and no deposit for its myHalo fall detection alarm to give more families peace of mind that their loved ones are safe.

• The myHalo system is a small, wireless device that is worn by the senior and sends an automatic alert- no need to push a button- in the event of a fall.
• myHalo also monitors body temperature, heart rate and activity level, allowing family members and designated persons to use a private, secure website and "look-in" on an elderly loved one for peace of mind without invading their personal privacy.

"myHalo is there when family and friends can't be, providing protection and automatic fall detection 24/7, which is why we are waving the deposit and offering free shipping for Mother's Day and Father's Day," adds Otto.

Learn more about myHalo and Halo Monitoring's special offer for Mother's Day and Father's Day at http://www.halomonitoring.com or 888-971-4256. This offer has a value of more than $100.

Tell the story of how best to become a "Parent to your Parent" which touches a large part of your audience. We'd be glad to set up an interview with Chris Otto of Halo Monitoring as well as families in your area.
Media Contact
Frank Graff, 919.459.8168, fgraff@halomonitoring.com
Sue Yannello, 919.459.8162, syannello@halomonitoring.com