AT Can Help You With Your New Year's Resolutions!

This is the time of year when many of us strive to be better - better in our mental and physical health, with our relationships, with our finances, etc.  

Have you already made some New Year's resolutions?  Are you worried about breaking them?  Let AT help you achieve your goals and stay on track for the whole year!

1. Remember to take your medicine or vitamins/supplements!  Consider getting one of these pill organizers with an alarm: 
  
Reizen 7-Day Pill Organizer with LCD Clock-Alarm-Timer  
7 Day x 4 Large Capacity Pill Box with Alarm Timer . Weekly Pill Box Organizer System for Medications, Supplements, and Vitamins.MedCenter System Deluxe 2-31 Day Organizers and 4 Alarm Reminder Clock
 
2. Lose Weight!  These devices measure movement including arm activity and are a good option for wheelchair users.

Polar USA  
Body Media  
Nike+ FuelBand SE
 
3. Manage your budget! These apps help you set a budget, track your financical goals and give you visual graphs.

Mint
Check
Spendee 
Dollarbird - Personal Finance with a Calendar

4. Quit Smoking! Try these apps and websites for great ways to finally break this unhealthy addiction.

My Quit Coach
Smoker Reducer
Livestrong
QuitNet

5. Volunteer More!  Many people want to give back to their communities and the start of a new year is a great time to get involved in meaningful volunteer work.  Check out these sites for opportunities in your community.

Idealist
California Volunteers
Volunteer Match

  

Mobile Medical Alert Devices: AT for People on the Go

By Kim Cantrell, CFILC’s Program Director

“Kim, I’ve been stuck against the closet for nearly 3 hours. I think, I think I dislocated my hip…yeah, I think so…. And I just called an ambulance and they are coming. I’ve been yelling for hours….wait, they are here…gotta go…”

Mom wearing mobile medical alert device

And then she hung up. It was my mom. She had dislocated her hip. And questions started forming in my mind. Why was she stuck for THREE hours? What hospital was she going to? Where was my grandpa?

Later I met my mom at the hospital and learned that she completely dislocated her brand new hip that was less than three weeks old.

And no, she didn’t trip or fall. She simply turned and leaned over into her hall closet. It happened that fast, and she was stuck in an upright position.

The Decision

My mom lives with my grandfather, and we believed that if something happened to her that he would bring her a phone or would alert a family member. He is very hard of hearing and refuses to wear hearing aids or any other hearing amplification device. My mom yelled for help for hours. Grandpa couldn’t hear her. She had no other way to get his attention. Only when Grandpa decided to go to his bedroom did he find her in the hallway. That is when he brought her a phone. It was Grandpa who saved the day. (Hooray Grandpa!) But it took a long time. If she had been living alone, it would have been much longer.

Afterward, Mom decided that she needed a medical alert device. She wanted to maintain her independence and feel secure that she could call for help in an emergency.

Most medical alert systems work by having the user wear an emergency button around their neck or wrist. The base unit is plugged into the home's wired telephone line, ideally in a central location. When there is an emergency, the user pushes the button and within seconds an operator’s voice sounds loudly on the base unit and you are able to have a two-way conversation. If the operator doesn’t hear you, they immediately dispatch emergency personnel.

Why a Mobile Medical Alert Device?

Mobile Medical Alert Base with GPS unit

GPS unit in purse

When I began my research into medical alert devices, I ran into a problem. My mom doesn’t have a traditional landline phone through the local phone company. Her home phone uses a technology called Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP). Most Medical Alert systems only connect to traditional landlines. I quickly learned to ask the various medical alert companies whether they connect to VOIP systems and they all said no.

Finally, after much research, we found the best option for my mom. We purchased a device that works on a cell network and has a GPS tracking unit.

Here is how it works: The unit comes with one main base. You install the base permanently in your home and there is a smaller piece that sits in the base while you are at home. This smaller piece is the GPS tracker. When you leave, you remove it from the base and carry it with you. My mom keeps it in her purse so it is always by her side. 

She wears a pendant around her neck with the emergency button. If she has an emergency far from home, she can push the button and the service triangulates the position of her purse, knowing that she is close by. She can talk to the operator through the GPS device. The only time the GPS will not work is if she is deep inside a building or parking garage that blocks reception.

We like the mobile alerts because she can call for assistance outside of her home, which traditional medical alert services don’t offer. She likes the service because she is always on the go. Her service costs about $30 a month, and the equipment was leased for free with a 6-month contract.

Pendant worn around the neck

How well does it work? She has tested it multiple times both at home and around town, both accidentally and on purpose. So far an operator has answered every time both quickly and professionally. She hasn’t used the device in an actual emergency (and hopes she never has to).

My mom purchased her service in August 2012. In just one year many other companies have jumped into the mobile medical alert game and now offer systems similar to the one described above.

If you or someone you love doesn’t have a traditional landline phone or is always on the go, they may find a mobile medical alert system that will make them feel secure so they can continue their activities of daily living inside and outside of the home.

Do Your Homework!

Please research several companies and read multiple user reviews of their services. Many companies have sales people that work on commission. Please do not feel pressured to sign up when you are calling for information regardless of the “today only” discounts they offer. Make sure the service is right for you before signing up. When my mom eventually enrolled in a service, the company honored their “today only” discount over a week later.

The following is a sampling of companies that provide mobile medical alert systems:

·        Connect America   

·        eCare

·        Medical Alert

·        Mobile Help

As mentioned above, do your homework. The AT Network does not endorse or recommend any of these companies.

Have you used a medical alert device before? Please tell us about your experience in the comments box below.

Check Out the New Things Available on the AT Exchange!

If you have never checked out the AT Network's AT Exchange website, or if you haven't looked at it in awhile, now is the time to do so!  We have many new and exciting items for loan, for sale and some items that centers are giving away for free. You might just find the AT that you have been looking for or you could find something new to try.

On the AT Exchange, Californians can search for and find gently used devices for free or at low-cost.  They can also borrow devices for free for thirty days. Our Device Lending Libraries loan out devices to individuals so that they are able to try a device before spending a lot of money on something that they are not sure will work for them. 

We have updated the "Featured Items" bar on the left of the AT Exchange home page so you can browse the newly featured items and discover recently added equipment to the site.

Currently, our website is featuring the following devices for short-term loans: iPads, Bumbo floor seat, Pocket Talker sound amplifier and Smartpens with wifi. Search our large inventory of devices to see if we have anything that you would like to borrow.  You can also contact the programs directly to inquire about particular items.

Find an item for free or at low cost from reuse centers around the state--shower chairs, scooters, walkers, and more. Simply search for the items labeled "free" or "for sale" using the advanced search option. 

Still have questions about the AT Exchange?  Call us at 1.800.390.2699 and we would be happy to help.

Hearing Loss in America

by Samantha Garcia

Diagram of the Ear

 If you have hearing loss, you are not alone – not by a long shot. As you might expect, some populations experience hearing loss in higher numbers. For instance, 1 in 3 people over the age of 60 and half of people over 85 experience some hearing loss. Additionally, hearing loss is the most common injury for veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, Hearing Health Foundation states that 60% of returning veterans have hearing injuries.  However, hearing loss impacts more Americans of all classifications than you might expect; it is estimated that 1 in 5 Americans aged 12 and over, approximately 48 million Americans, have hearing loss in at least one ear.

 

With so many Americans experiencing hearing loss, it becomes profoundly important that those who do retain communication with others and stay connected. In fact, a 2011 study by Dr. Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins University has recently become a hot topic, as it found a strong connection between hearing loss and the risk of dementia, partially due to perceived isolation. His next study will focus on how hearing aids are used and if they can play any part in reducing the risk. 

One of Dr. Lin's findings shows that only 1 in 7 adults who could benefit from using a hearing aid actually does. The misuse or underuse of hearing aids is possibly due to the high cost of hearing aids, the increase of devices purchased online (without a fitting by an audiologist) and the stigma of using hearing aids. These may be critical factors in how hearing aids are used (or if they are used at all) and whether they can have any impact on this issue. If it turned out hearing aids could help delay the onset of dementia, imagine the possibilities – not least of all that insurance companies would perhaps be more likely to fully cover them. Some people have found pocket talkers to work well for them. A pocket talker is a portable amplifier that includes a microphone and headset and can be used for one-on-one or small group conversations or for radio/TV listening. Pocket talkers are much less expensive than hearing aids and cost around $120.

In the meantime, we know that hearing aids continue to be invaluable to individuals who are hard of hearing and those around them. According to hearingreview.com, hearing aid sales are up 2.9% from 2011 to 2012. Historically, the industry has seen a 3-4% increase, but in this economic climate, this is still seen as adequate growth. Additionally, veterans now account for 20% of the hearing aid market. Another interesting area of growth is that of Behind The Ear (BTE) hearing aids with external receivers, which now account for about half of all hearing aids sold in the U.S. – this is big leap, up from about 40% in 2011.

As devices change or you experiment with what type works best for you, you may find yourself wondering how to dispose of or find used hearing aids. If you use or need a hearing aid or know someone who does, there are multiple ways to donate and/or receive used devices. Hear Now, part of theStarkey Hearing Foundation, repairs and resells devices in the U.S. and uses that revenue to buy new hearing aids for those who can't afford them. You can also send devices to sertoma.org, which is working to make public facilities accessible for all. In California, you can donate to the John Tracy Clinic, which provides hearing device loaners to children. Moreover, Rotary Clubs often collect used hearing aids for repair and donation, as do service clubs like Lions Clubs, among others. Don't forget - donations are usually tax-deductible, too!

   

Have you had any experience donating or receiving a hearing aid from one of these or any other organizations? Have we missed a good resource? Let us know! Also, if you are in California and need an assistive hearing device, contact your AT Advocate by clicking here.

Emergency Preparedness for People Who Use Assistive Technology

by Jorge Ruiz, Assitive Technology Coordinator at Central Coast Center for Independent Living

Living in California, the possibility of a high magnitude earthquake hitting and affecting our lives is very likely! In fact this past fall in October there was a small 5.3 magnitude earthquake that originated in San Benito County and was felt in many parts of California. 

Coincidentally, also in October, I participated with the Local Office of Emergency Services at their Emergency Operation Center for the Shakeout!  Shortly after everyone had ducked and covered, we held a three hour long exercise responding to an imaginary 7.3 magnitude earthquake and its aftershock. 

My job as the “Operator” was to take calls from emergency workers and connect them to the resources in our area. Imagine providing information and referral under heavy stress! This experience made me wonder if people with disabilities who use assistive technology (AT) are prepared for a disaster like an earthquake.

The following helpful advice was adapted from publications by the Disability Law and AdvocacyCenter of Tennessee and the Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults

What Can You Do in Your Home?

Plan for the possible need to evacuate your home and do an assessment of the assistive technology (AT) you use in your home. In addition, make sure you have what you need to shelter in place. Compile a list of the AT critical to support your physical well-being and ability to communicate during an emergency. Have an appropriate back-up power supply and know how long the power supply lasts. The following questions will assist you in developing a list of AT used in your daily life.

Do you use Assistive Technology:

• To assist you with mobility?

• To help with your personal care?

• To help you during meal time?

• For communication?

• For transfers?

• For transportation?

Accessible Routes

►► If you live in an apartment complex ask

about evacuation plans and routes. Check

the routes for accessibility and make sure

that designated areas of shelter are clearly

marked.

►► Gather information about how first responders

will be directed to residents with disability

related needs.

In the Workplace

►► Evaluate your assistive technology (AT) needs in

a workplace evacuation. Do you have personal AT

that needs to be evacuated with you? Make sure

you have what you need to shelter in place. Do you

need AT to alert you to a disaster and the need to

evacuate the building?

►► Become familiar with the evacuation procedures of

your workplace and consider how a disaster may

impact your ability to leave the building safely.

►► Elevators may not be available for evacuation. If the

elevators are not working, learn the evacuation plan

if you cannot use the stairs.

►► If you have a mobility impairment, know what AT can

assist with evacuation. If there is AT available, where

is it located and is it easily accessible? Is someone

trained to use it? If AT is not available, ask if your

employer can purchase it.

►► If you are asked to go to a designated place to wait

for help, confirm how the first responders will be

notified where you are located.

►► If you have a hearing and/or visual impairment make

sure there is a working alert system in place.

►► Be responsible for your own safety. Develop

your own evacuation plan. Do not depend

on just one person to assist you.

Create a support network to

ensure assistance will be

available.

General Things to Consider

►► Let your local fire department and/or utility company know about your special needs.

►► If you have a power wheelchair, consider having a

manual chair as a backup. If you use a custom wheelchair

for medical support (e.g. ventilator or oxygen), attach

information to it for the first responders.

.

►► Store backup equipment at another location.

►► Teach others in your support system how to use your AT

and attach laminated instructions.

►► Keep critical AT charged and have backup batteries.

►► Make plans for someone to notify you of an emergency ifyou are deaf, hard of hearing or have vision impairment.

►► Have a corded land line phone that does not use

electricity. A land line phone or cell phone can be used

during a power outage.

►► Plan for taking AT with you. Remember to take chargers

and other components with you!

►► Label or tag your AT with your contact information.

►► Register your AT with the manufacturer.

►► Take a photograph of yourself using your AT. This helps

clearly identify the AT belongs to you!

►► Keep photographs and a record of all AT serial numbers in a safe location (safe deposit box).

►► Think about how you might go about obtaining a short-term and/or long-term replacement for your AT, if needed.

►► Since homeowner’s/renter’s insurance does not cover

damage by ground water, flood insurance may be needed

to replace AT lost or damaged in a disaster. Factor in the

cost of home or vehicle modifications when determining

the replacement value of your home or vehicle.

Also extremely helpful and interesting is the following video, "Prepare to Prosper," by the San Fransisco Department of Emergency Management.

Do you have a plan for disaster preparedness for your home/work/school? Share your ideas with us by using the comment button below.