Managing home health care for seniors and how to care for home health are often difficult questions many of us have to deal with. Luckily, as technology advances it is becoming easier and easier to take care of your health at home. In the past home health care revolved around an emergency medical kit which usually only had some disinfecting alcohol, a thermometer, and some band-aids. Recently, more healthcare products have begun hitting the market such as wearable sensors health monitoring devices to log and track vital signs. These started off as clunky tools that would be used by patients trying to manage chronic illnesses such as blood pressure readers. Going up to modern times the list of home health care products to monitor vitals has grown tremendously, they have gotten a lot sleeker and more accurate, as well as going digital.
New home health devices that are cloud enabled can facilitate remote monitoring to improve patient care.
Due to these advances in healthcare technology, it is becoming a lot easier to manage your healthcare at home. Some fancy devices aren’t going to replace the need to go see medical professionals but they sure can make it easier when the doctor or nurse aren’t around. This capability is extremely useful to home healthcare for seniors who often struggle with chronic illness and need at least some geriatric medical care on a regular basis. As many of the tasks normally done by a doctor or nurse become easier to do yourself at home, seniors can be more autonomous and not deal with the hassle of constant doctor checkups. Below I will go through some home health care products seniors can use to maximize this flexibility of technology, and live more convenient and independent lifestyles.
Jump to Category
- Prescription Management Devices and Services
- Blood Oxygen and Pulse Monitors (Oximeters)
- Blood Pressure Monitors
- Respiration Rate Monitors (Spirometers)
- Blood Glucose Meters (Glucometers)
- Medical Alert Systems and Devices
Prescription Management Devices and Services
Around 1/3 of hospital admissions with senior patients are attributed to improper medication adherence. This is likely due to survey findings reporting that potentially half of all prescriptions aren’t taken correctly. While it might not seem important all the time, properly taking your medication can keep you out of the doctor’s office!
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MedReady Medication Dispenser – $149.95
Prevent missed doses and double dosing with MedReady prescription management device – a simple and convenient solution that simplifies medication adherence. |
- Safety
- If a patient misses a dose, the dispenser denies access to the missed dose
- Compartments keep medications in place when turned upside-down or shaken
- Dispenser is protected by a lock to prevent tampering
- Switches automatically to rechargeable battery power if AC power is unavailable
- Includes card holder in bottom for physical copy of patient’s prescription
- Large 1.5” LED display
- Made in the USA
- Alarms
- Audible alarm notifies patient of dosage times
- Alerts and dispenses up to 4 times daily
- 85 dB at 10 cm, 400 Hz
- Continuous low frequency alarm until pills are removed
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 11.5”
- Height: 3”
- Weight: 1.4 lbs.
- Pill compartments: 1” x ½” x ¾”
- Capacity
- Compartments holds up to 9 M&M® sized pills each
- Dispenser holds 28 doses
- 4 doses/day for 7 days
- 3 doses/day for 9 days
- 2 doses/day for 14 days
- 1 dose/day for 28 days
Our Rating: 8.5/10
Affordable in it’s category, effective, and well designed.
Blood Oxygen and Pulse Monitors (Oximeters)
Cardiovascular disease is one of the most prominent and potentially dangerous chronic illnesses people have to deal with in modern times. Heart disease is the biggest killers of Americans, and blood pressure medications such as Lisinopril are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs. To somebody dealing with cardiovascular disease, it is often recommended to keep logs of their heart rate and blood pressure to report to their doctor and stay in control of their health. Wearable sensors health monitoring a patient’s blood pressure and heart rate can streamline this process tremendously in many cases.
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iHealth Air Pulse Oximeter – $69.99
Track your blood oxygen level (SPO2), pulse rate, and perfusion index with iHealth Air Pulse Oximeter – a Clinically tested, FDA approved, HIPAA compliant device with a secure mobile health app and Cloud to save your data as well as monitor trends and visualize results. |
The Air Pulse excels in this category like most iHealth products due to it’s focus on an easy to use and access mobile application and cloud server. This allows patients to engage in new healthcare information technology such as remote monitoring, which is a great up and coming healthcare service for seniors living alone.
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Digit Finger Oximeter – $400.05
Record fast and reliable SpO2, pulse rate, and pulse strength measurements with Digit Finger Oximeter – the ideal device for emergency, hospital, clinical environments, and especially home use. |
The Digit is useful for any age group from pediatric to geriatric care and setting such as at home or clinical use. While very expensive, the Digit is highly accurate and could be worth it depending on the patients need for highly accurate measurement.
Blood Pressure Monitors
Upper Arm
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iHealth Track – Extremely Affordable Blood Pressure Monitor – $34.99
Monitor blood pressure, pulse rate, and detect arrhythmia with the iHealth Track – the most affordable and easy to use blood pressure monitoring device on the market. |
The Track lets manage your heart and cardiovascular health with the cheapest yet highly innovative blood pressure monitor. The Track changes colors from green, to yellow, to red depending on the severity blood pressure reading (based on World Health Organization’s recommendations). This takes all the guesswork out of identifying potential health threats.
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iHealth Feel – Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor – $99.99
Measure and monitor your systolic/diastolic numbers, heart rate, and pulse wave with iHealth Feel Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor – a Clinically tested, FDA approved, HIPAA Compliant device with a secure mobile health app and Cloud. |
The iHealth Feel is a tremendous blood pressure monitor with a triple-check feature that ensures accurate measurements. It has a long lasting battery life and is simple, easy-to-use, and affordable. Like most iHealth products, it comes with highly useful dynamic charts and trends stored in the iHealth app and cloud to help you track and understand how your lifestyle (i.e. diet, medication, and exercise) affects your blood pressure level. Managing and sharing your historical data via PDF, Excel or CSV document with your doctor or family has never been easier making it perfect for remote monitoring.
Wrist
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iHealth View – Wireless Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor – $99.99
Clinically tested and FDA approved, the iHealth View Wireless Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor gives you reliable readings at home or on the go. View your blood pressure and pulse measurement instantly on the sleek display. This smart wireless wrist blood pressure monitor automatically detects and directs optimal arm position on the unit’s display for precise results. |
Omron-7 Series Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor
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Omron-7 Series Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor – $134.72
Measure and monitor systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse, along with date and time with the Omron-7 Blood Pressure Monitor – a highly advanced and accurate diagnostic technology which can monitor irregular heartbeat. |
The Omron-7 blood pressure monitor comes with IntelliSenseR with SigmaCuff technology which can povide some of the most accurate and comfortable readings. The extra-large digital display makes it a great choice for senior patients. An advanced positioning sensor can automatically confirm monitor is at heart level for higher accuracy. The cuff fits wrists of a variety of sizes ranging from 5.25″ – 8.5″ in circumference and come with a storage case, batteries, and a 5-year warranty.
Our Rating: 8/10
With a more affordable price tag the Omron-7 would be an easy 10. A highly accurate and easy to use device, this blood pressure monitor is very well received by patients and healthcare caregivers. It also comes from a long line of successful and trusted Omron blood pressure monitor products.
Respiration Rate Monitors (Spirometers)
Breathing disorders such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other lung centered medical issues are also highly prevalent and dangerous diseases that often require monitoring in chronic cases, and especially in old age.
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Spire Breath and Activity Tracker – $129.95
Spire measures your breath via the expansion and contraction of your torso. The Spire app analyzes and categorizes your breathing patterns as calm, tense, or focused. Notifications alert you to sudden changes so that you can reset your breath. |
Our Rating: 6.5/10
Ranked strictly as a healthcare device for respiratory problems this has little useful clinical practicality. From health and wellness standpoint though the Spire can be a powerful tool to engage in monitoring your breating.
Blood Glucose Meters (Glucometers)
Diabetes blood glucose monitors have been rapidly becoming better and easier to use. Long gone are the days of painfully pricking fingers and drawing blood, to be replaced with less invasive device and there has even been talk of non-invasive sensor devices being developed. This area of home care products has had to innovate consistently, more so than others, due to the inconvenience of having to draw blood and high rates of diabetes. This puts modern continuous blood glucose monitoring systems far ahead of other monitoring devices which haven’t had such a need to be more patient friendly. Below are some of the best blood glucose monitors available on the market this year.
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iHealth Align – Wireless Gluco-Monitoring and Personal Diabetes Management Device – $16.95
About the size of a quarter, this portable glucometer fits easily into your pocket and attaches directly to your smartphone or tablet for fast, accurate readings whenever, wherever. |
Our Rating: 8.5/10
iHealth always provides tremendously innovative products, with great quality, at an affordable price. You’re not going to find a more portable, and affordable blood glucose monitor than the iHealth Align. We’re giving the Align an 8.5 because despite it’s great price compared to the iHealth Smart glucose monitor discussed below, it requires connection to a smartphone which can be a deal breaker for many.
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iHealth Smart – Wireless Gluco-Monitoring and Personal Diabetes Management Device – $29.99
iHealth Smart takes readings like you’re used to with an old glucometer, but adds a digital twist. Its app becomes your digital logbook that presents your data in simple and easy to understand ways such as color-coded data, charts, and graphs! |
Our Rating: 10/10
You cannot beat iHealth and it’s premium product the Smart Glucometer due to the high quality engineering, sleek and attractive design, automatic and included cloud/mobile data logger. Oh and it’s amazingly affordable price!! This easy to use blood glucose monitor doesn’t sacrifice quality for convenience and price, and really has it all. There is no reason to buy a different blood glucose monitor because the iHealth Smart really has it all.
Medical Alert Systems and Devices
If you want to learn about current medical alert systems for seniors and their future potential read more by clicking here.
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Alert1 – Monthly Plan – Starts at $29.95
Medical Alert Device for seniors living independently. 24/7 medical attention instantly with the click of a button on the device hub, or wearable neck or wrist device. |
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MobileHelp Solo – Monthly Plan – Starts at $29.95
MobileHelp Solo is a simple to use and setup, small portable mobile medical alert system that works anywhere, not just your home. Instantly be connected to an emergency operator who knows exactly who you are, exactly where you are, and is ready send the help you need. |
Managing your own health care at home is definitely the way forward – it seems more and more products are being developed to enable home use. With a lot of people unable to get out to clinics etc, it will really help.
There are some great products you’ve got on here and they seem very reasonably priced too.
Yes, home health care for seniors can seem daunting and expensive but it doesn’t have to be. New products and devices are being developed to help with every aspect of home health, which will be especially beneficial for seniors. These include prescription management services, app and cloud connected monitoring devices, online pharmacies, and many more.
I am particularly interested in the glucometer technology. Mom is a diabetic and it’s challenging to keep track of her glucose level on a daily basis. I’ve always wanted something like a log that can keep a good record without the hassle of pen and paper.
This gadget seems like a good solution. Do you know if they ship outside of the US? Thank you.
Yes, I highly recommend the iHealth devices for any category they’re available, simply because of their really amazing mobile apps. Yes, they do ship outside of the US but only to Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Peurto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
If you are not in these countries, you can likely get it shipped directly through Amazon if it ships to your country.
iHealth Align – $16.95 – http://amzn.to/2gQ26l2
iHealth Smart (kit with 100 test strips and lancets) – $64.99 – http://amzn.to/2gOIn5b
Hey Simon, appreciate the info. Guess I’ll have to get it from Amazon then.
No problem, hope it works out. I think your mom will love the automatic data logging and visualization. She can even share this info with her doctor by showing it on her phone when she goes for a visit.
It is so great with the advancement of technology how easy it is to take care of ones self and also of ones family now in so many ways we can stay in the comforts of our own home.
These devices that you are sharing is so amazing and will be of a great help to your readers as this will make life more easy for them Tons of great information that s very informative.
True thanks, yes it is important that we don’t let healthcare technology fall behind other industries technology despite the massive amounts of red tape associated with healthcare. We already airdrop or share instantly from our phones, speakers, etc; why not our medical devices?
Technology is going to dramatically improve the health of the planet and I think it is amazing. There are some realy good monitering devices here which I am going to recommend to my elders. That one for the medical attention is a great product and it is definitely worth it. What is your favourite product out of these?
For the medical alert systems I’d say I like MobileHelp the best as it is a newer and more innovative company (and I believe it is the cheapest one as of now but that could change).
For the other devices I think it’s really hard to beat iHealth’s products. They are highly affordable, well tested and controlled, approved by the FDA, well designed functionally and aesthetically. And they come with the mobile and web connectivity cloud/apps which are great for remote monitoring and seniors living home alone.
My wife works in a nursing home, so I imagine she uses a lot of this stuff on a day to day basis.
I would think the monitors and alert system would be 2 of the major thing door elderly people to have in case of an emergency or at least to help prevent one.
Thanks for the great info.
Absolutely, and now that this stuff is becoming comfortably wearable, it should only make your wifes and other nurses lives easier (as well as patients) since the measurements will be for the most part automatic.
I had not heard of the Prescription Management devices before, but what a great product. I have to keep an eye on my mother as she sometimes forgets to take her medication. I think this is a product we need to get for her. Thanks for this much needed information I know it will help alot of people out.
Thanks for the feedback! Yea it really is a cool product since many people already use pill organizers, why not use one with some security and functionality features. It has great medical alerts seniors often need to stay untop of their health.
My grandmother is 100 years old and father in law is over 70’s. They will definitely like these products.
Grandmother’s muscle is almost gone, so do you think Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor works for her? Or do you have any suggestion?
My father in law suffers from diabetes. Would you please give some suggestion to choose iHealth Align or iHealth Smart?
i don’t know much about her condition, you could probably ask your doctor if its ok. But I think it is likely to be fine as it is more delicate and precise than more traditional and older models.
The beauty of the iHealth glucometers is the mobile and cloud connection which you get with both. The iHealth smart I’d say is a little bit more durable and has better reviews but both the iHealth Smart and Align are great choices. If you need something more portabl, the Alogn would be the way to go.
So many health care products for seniors to choose from in your article, my parents are in their senior year with health problems and possibly one of these products would be a possible Christmas gift this year?
Which of these products is bought the most from your readers, I am having difficulty choosing among so many good health care products?
The iHealth glucometers are very good selling and have great reviews. I higly recommend them to anybody going through diabetes disease maagement.
If your parents don’t have a medical alert system already I would also highly recommend that as it is very important to making sure the whole family feels secure leaving our elders living autonomously.
I enjoyed reading your article on home health care products for seniors, your tips have been very motivated and helpful.
The products you share are good choices for seniors, many of these products would make very thoughtful Christmas gifts for the seniors on people’s Christmas list.
All these products are tempting to give to my senior parents for Christmas, are there any you recommend?
If they’re living at home alone, the medical alert systems are a great choice to make sure they always have emergency help worst case scenario, my favorite is the MobileHelp system.
Also, the iHealth blood pressure and glucometers are great for anybody suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure. They’re a new age of products that work similar enough to the old ones that seniors can understand using them, but new enough that they can be used with digital health such as apps.