Senior GPS & Safety Devices on WUSA9.com DC, Maryland Virginia, featured article on safety products for seniors and elderly

FAIRFAX, Va. (WUSA) — “I go out by myself a lot, and if I couldn’t do that it wouldn’t be natural,” says Amy Pierce.

The sixty-nine year old treasures her independence.

“Why live if you can’t go out and do what you want to do,” she says.

So to maintain her freedom and allay her family’s fears, they want her to consider some hi-tech devices that will monitor her safety 24 hours a day.

“The purpose of this is to let us know when it sees motion,” says Comfort Keepers Toni Reinhart.

Motion detectors…door sensors…

“This is used mainly for people with Alzheimer’s and with cognitive decline problems,” she says.

…even a portable GPS.

“You can just put this in your pocket. If something happens, you can push the button and they can locate you,” says Toni.

Comfort Keepers provides this wireless technology to seniors who want to continue to live on their own.

Toni says, “Not everybody needs someone to come and sit and watch them 24 hours a day, but everybody needs to feel safe 24 hours a day.”

That one-on-one care can be expensive, about $3,000 a month. Comfort Keepers says their SafetyChoice systems won’t bankrupt your savings.

“Most of these monitoring systems are less than $1 a day. And you can be monitored 24-7,” says Toni Reinhart.

And for Amy and her family, peace of mind is priceless when you’re home alone.

“I love my home, and I want to be there,” says Amy.

With some technology like this, you may have to pay a monitoring service fee.

And here are a few steps to take to mitigate care costs for an aging parent.

Begin the conversation while your parents are healthy, organized a family meeting to talk about finances.

Prepare an advanced directive and a living will. This will help you prepare for any crisis.

And consider long-term insurance. It can be vital in case your loved one has a degenerative condition, a cognitive disorder or a prolonged illness. For more information go to:www.comfortkeepers.com and find your local comfort keepers to speak with someone about Safety Products.