No one likes to think about moving a parent or other loved one to a nursing facility. Even though most nursing homes employ caring, qualified staff members, moving a family member away from home at a vulnerable time can cause severe guilt for the family and bring on depression for the loved one. 

According to the article, Does Moving to a Nursing Home Cause Depression?, the American Geriatrics Society says about 40-percent of nursing home residents experience depression due to the sudden change in surroundings. Losing a long-time residence, leaving established friends, and abandoning familiar routines are all factors that can negatively affect the mental health of nursing home residents.

How Home Care LINK Came to Be

JB Holeman, founder of Home Care LINK, knows the above scenario all too well. His experiences caring for an aging mother while in a different state led him to seriously pursue and develop the kind of care and monitoring he needed but could not find. To avoid the disorientation and depression that could occur if he sent her to a hospital or nursing facility, Holeman sought ways to keep her safe at home. However, he was frustrated with the lack of information his mother’s doctors and caregivers were providing. And his mother was not always an accurate source. It seemed to Holeman that getting a truthful, quick answer from anyone was nearly impossible. 

As a result of all of this frustration, Holeman developed his own accurate communication pathway – Home Care LINK. Home Care LINK is a telecare service that connects the family member with the loved one and caregiver on-demand, in real-time. This instant connection provides the responsible family member with valuable information and peace of mind. 

What Are Its Capabilities?

Home Care LINK gives regular updates on the loved one’s status, immediate alerts for critical situations, and alerts if the caregiver does not arrive as scheduled. This device can also keep vital health records, such as blood sugar and temperature. Additionally, Home Care LINK allows the caregiver to take pictures of any circumstances requiring documentation—such as a wound, an injury, or possibly, a receipt for supplies or services. 

The camera can also record a smiling or saddened loved one as insight into their mental wellbeing. Holeman believes receiving this accurate, real-time information can prevent ER visits and hospitalizations by catching problems before they escalate, and the loved one’s condition deteriorates. 

Selected as a technology integration finalist, Holeman’s Home Care LINK is solving critical issues with caring for aging loved ones. Holeman has discovered that his system is useful for family members who manage a loved one’s care and businesses that employ home healthcare workers. Home Care LINK is the added security a care provider needs to show they provide excellent care. And caregivers who work for a company that uses Home Care LINK will feel secure knowing clients have access to accurate, documented reports of the care and interactions they provide, as well as the hours they worked.

In Summary

Sometimes when you have a problem, you just have to tackle it yourself. For Holeman, solving his problem gave him the information he needed concerning his mother’s health and care when he could not be with her. And in solving his problem, Holeman addressed similar issues for numerous others struggling with the same lack of inadequate information. When you know the best place for your loved one is at home, you need the peace of mind Home Care LINK can provide.