Ring of Support: Remote Reminder System for Older Adults and Caregivers

Award Date: 2018

Project Lead(s): Mary Lou Ackerman, Vice President Innovation at SE Health

Project Title: Ring of Support Multimodal Digital Engagement Program

What is the issue?

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment who are living at home may forget appointments, events, or taking their medication. These lapses are stressful for caregivers to monitor remotely.

What did we do?

We asked older adults and caregivers to evaluate Ring of Support, a service that provides customized reminders for appointments, medications, or events. The service calls caregivers with daily automated check-in calls and connects them to home care nurses and offers different service levels for care. The innovation has the potential to help older adults remain independent at home. It may also reduce healthcare expenses by alerting caregivers when to request appropriate medical care for their loved ones. We surveyed study participants’ preferences, interests, experiences, and ability to use the technology.

What did we find?

The results of our study provide an early glimpse of the strengths and weaknesses of the service since there were only 17 study participants and only eight answered the experience and satisfaction surveys. Overall, the study was not well-designed, users did not find the service attractive enough to participate, and the service stopped working.