COLUMBUS, Ohio– When it comes to protecting the elderly from the coronavirus, visitation from family can be dangerous, which is why the state of Ohio has restricted visitation to nursing homes. And While we may not be able to be with our elderly loved ones in person, maintaining communication is more critical now than ever.
We spoke with an expert regarding some technology to help us stay in touch.
Lisa Cini from Best Living Tech, an expert in senior living, brings us some awesome gadgets that are easy to use - allowing us to not only stay in touch - but even monitor their health.
"They say more people die of loneliness than anything else. So I can't stress enough that you need to connect with those that you love, especially those that you consider seniors," says Cini.
The list of gadgets:
Loop - Stay Connected to Those You Love
"It is like a radio kind of thing, but it is a secure video chat, and you can put pictures on it, you can video chat, and the greatest thing is that you can carry it around.
One-Button Touch Phone
Another thing you can do is get them a one-button touch phone. So I know a lot of seniors might have trouble with cell phones and things like that. This is fantastic, especially for anyone with Alzheimer's or dementia or maybe difficulty seeing. It plugs into a regular line, and you put your picture there, and it can be dialed very quickly."
Joy For All Companion Cat
You can also get your loved one a pet that they don't have to take care of
like the Joy for All Companion Cat.
"She acts like a cat. She can be muted. She's purring right now. She'll respond to you or not respond to you, but it's a fantastic way to have a companion without having to do the care of feeding them or taking them out and such."
And there's even a puppy version.
Kardia Mobile
Then check out this gadget for their health called Kardia Mobile.
"Our heart tells us so much about whether we are healthy or not. This little device, which is about the size of a credit card, you put your fingers on it like this, and it takes an FDA EKG. It will tell you if you've got something wrong with your heart. It can be read by a cardiologist or cardiac tech; it can be sent to the hospital. And typically, it can predict about five days ahead of schedule if you're going to have a heart attack or a stroke, and with corona, the heart gets affected when you start to stress, so it could indicate if you're sick."
The Human Charger
And if your loved one is too afraid or can't get outside -- this gadget is a great way for them to still get vitamin D.
"This little device, it's called the human charger. You just press the button, and you've got this little light that just goes into your ears, and you do it for 10 minutes, and it helps keep you happy. It re-kicks your circadian cycle; it allows you to sleep better; it combats depression."
Lisa also really recommends the power of the written letter or even encourage your kids to make their own cards to send to loved ones, something that they can look at all day every day.
You can find more about these gadgets and other ideas at Lisa's website.