By Linda Marsa

Special to The Times

 

October 11, 2007

 

The aging in place movement is gathering momentum because of several ominous demographic trends. In 2011, the oldest boomers will turn 65, and over the next two decades, the ranks of the "oldest old" are expected to balloon exponentially. This advancing age wave will place an enormous burden on the U.S. healthcare system at a time when there's a growing shortage of doctors, nurses and caregivers. Assisted living and skilled nursing facilities can't be built fast enough to accommodate everyone -- and even if they could, the costs would be astronomical.

 

"Corporations and government policy makers realize that as the boomers age, the costs won't be sustainable if we continue to do business the way we're doing it right now," says Majd Alwan, director of the Center for Aging Services Technologies in Washington, D.C.

 

The way to bridge this gap is to create an entirely new paradigm of care, experts say, and make it possible for seniors to remain in familiar surroundings until the very end.

 

"There is an intrinsic value to the home, where the individual has a sense of accomplishment and a level of comfort that they will never replicate by moving," says Peter Bell, executive director of the National Aging in Place Council in Washington, D.C.

 

Technology is paving the way. We've already come a long way from the electronic pendants and bracelets with panic buttons the elderly can press in case of an emergency. Some of the products that recently hit the market allow families to keep an on eye on older loved ones from a distance, and others use elaborate networks of sensors to detect unusual activity. This technology, experts say, provides peace of mind for the elderly, whose biggest fear is of falling and being unable to get help.

 

Costs are reasonable, ranging from about $200 for a no-frills sensor network to about $2,000 for more elaborate setups. Because these products have come on the market within the last two years, their use isn't widespread. "But they should become more popular," says Alwan, "especially as the systems become more integrated."

 

A system called QuietCare uses five to 10 sensors positioned throughout the home -- near the bedroom door, bathroom, refrigerator door or family room -- to track movement. Sophisticated computer systems are used to establish a person's behavior patterns. If there is a change in habits of daily living, such as when a person gets out of bed or how much time he or she spends in the kitchen or bathroom, the system will send out an alarm to alert caregivers.

 

Although the technology is still in its infancy, these are important first steps toward averting the potentially catastrophic consequences of an aging population.

 

"The overall thrust is to increase the quality of life and of care that seniors receive in their home," says Alwan of the aging center, "and ease the burdens on their families and on society in general."

 

home@latimes.com