GrandCare on CBS: Tech to Help Monitor the Elderly

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CBS – It’s a role reversal that many Americans go through – adult children taking care of their elderly parents.

And new technologies are helping to take the burden off the kids – and helping parents remain independent.

Jean Burkhart, 80, enjoyed living independently. Five years ago, however, she suffered a seizure while alone in her Florida home. More than four critical hours passed before her daughter discovered what happened.

Carol Roberts, Burkhart’s daughter, said, “I called to wish her a happy Mother’s Day and found her confused.”

In an instant, managed care became a necessity for Jean, but like a growing number of older Americans, she wasn’t ready for a nursing home.

Burkhart said, “I wanted to age in my home and not go to a long term care facility or a personal care facility.”

Burkhart and Roberts looked into alternatives and found the GrandCare System. It’s a high-tech set of sensors installed throughout the home that monitors and sends reports about Jean’s movements to family members down the street – or halfway around the globe for as little as $50 a week. It provides a realistic alternative to nursing home care, where the average price tag is more than $50,000 per year. Read the entire story here »

To learn more about how GrandCare can benefit your family, contact ConnectHome to find an authorized GrandCare installer near you!  (Contact Us Today!)

Energy Savings Travel Tips

As you get ready to travel – even if it’s a short trip – don’t forget to take these few easy steps at home before you leave:

• Turn up your thermostat to 85 degrees (unless you’re leaving pets at home, of course). Experts agree that the energy saved from turning your thermostat up in the summer while you’re away is greater than the energy used to cool your house back down after you return.
• Close window blinds and shades to block out the sun’s heat. It’s amazing how much indoor heat simply comes from the heat of the sun though the windows. Most ENERGY STAR qualified windows reduce the “heat gain” into your home more than typical windows do, without reducing the visible light. You get the light you need without the uncomfortable heat.
• Aside from those one or two lights that you may want to leave on for safety (or the lights you are using during your AWAY or VACATION modes in your automated lighting system) make sure everything else is turned off – all lights, ceiling fans, the alarm on your radio, and other small appliances.
• Perhaps the best thing you can do to save energy this summer is to choose hotels that have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR label. These hotels listed use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than other hotels – making a stay with them a carbon-saving experience.

For other energy savings tips, either while you are home or away, contact your local ConnectHome dealer! (Contact Us Today!)

Saving Energy and Money on Your Terms With EcoDog

ConnectHome is pleased to introduce a new product line from EcoDog, Inc. that is designed to give  homeowners ultimate control over their energy use. Consumers often feel that there is nothing they can do in the face of rising energy prices. Now, EcoDog’s FIDO Home Energy Watchdog provides a circuit-by-circuit visibility to electricity consumption that gives homeowners unprecedented power over their energy use with an added measure of privacy as a bonus.

FIDO makes it easy to make sense of electric bills: letting users know the cost of running major appliances or how much the kids add to the monthly bill when they don’t turn off their video games! With simple tips and graphic charts, FIDO turns kilowatt hours into monthly savings of 15 to 25% or more on typical electric bills.

• Security Alerts: Record when appliances, lighting or electronics are running excessively or at unexpected times.
• FIDO Tips: Personalized energy-saving advice based on individual use.
• Parental Control: Lets parents know how the kids use electricity. (Remote On/Off capabilities coming soon)
• Outlet Control: For individual electrical outlets (coming soon).
• Remote Access: e-mail or SMS alerts users to unusual electrical use.
• Universal Meter Compatibility: Works with any electric meter and enables dramatic savings as utilities roll out the new generation of Smart Meters with complex time-of-use billing schemes.
• Solar System Optimization: Added benefits for homes with solar installations: shows savings (or earnings) at a glance, monitors loads for maximum return on investment, tracks energy generation over time in KWHr and actual dollars and compares consumption versus generation.

A Comprehensive FIDO System Includes…

16-Circuit Breaker Monitor: The Breaker monitor connects to any residential circuit breaker panel to provide monitoring for up to 16 circuits. Multiple Breaker Monitors (up to 64 total) may be installed for larger panels or additional breakers.

PLC Computer Adapter: The Breaker Monitor sends energy usage and generation data to the PLC Computer Adapter via Power Line Carrier communication that requires no additional wiring in the home. The computer Adapter links to a home computer via serial or USB connection.

FIDO Energy Advisor Software: EcoDog’s software then provides detailed views of the home’s whole-house and room-by-room energy use mapped to a layout of the home. It includes suggestions on how to reduce consumption based on individual usage patterns and local tiered electrical rates and provides remote notification of alerts via text or e-mail. FIDO Energy Advisor runs on any Intel-Compatible PC or Mac (in emulation) running Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7.

See the entire EcoDog FIDO System @ Home Controls or contact your local ConnectHome dealer for a professional installation! (Contact Us Today!)

Nutone: Out With The Old And In With The New

Nutone recently announced that it had discontinued the IMA line of intercoms. This includes the IMA-4406, IMA-3303 and the previously dropped IM-3204 models of master stations and accessories. These models were sold by the thousands over the years and many are still in use today.

In the place of these older systems, Nutone has introduced two new models: NM200 and NM100. Both of these can include the option of a 6 disc CD player: NUNC300. The main difference between the NM200 and the NM100 is the NM200 is designed to be used in new construction with Cat5 to each room station or retro-fit for a 6 wire system. The NM100 is used for retro fit with either a 3 or 4 wire existing system. The NM200 can support up to 15 rooms and 3 door stations. The NM100 goes up to 15 stations with 4 wire and 13  station with 3 wire.

If your looking for a deal on a new installation, contact a ConnectHome dealer. (Contact Us Today!)

HAI’s Snap-Link Mobile for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad

HAI, one of ConnectHome’s leading manufacturers of integrated automation and security products, announced that it is finalizing development of an application for use on the Apple iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

By downloading the application developed by HAI, you can now control your entire HAI home from an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. The colorful hand-held interface is similar in design to HAI’s other mobile interfaces including Snap-Link Mobile and WL3.

Complete access to the HAI Omni or Lumina equipped property is available. Homeowners and business managers have the ability to view event logs, real-time surveillance footage, and adjust anything under HAI’s control including lights, appliances, temperatures, window coverings, audio, and more.

“HAI’s full-featured application provides another option for remote access and control within the home as well”, explained HAI President, Jay McLellan. “Apple’s affordable touchscreen devices allow for a plethora of control options that are perfect for HAI installations.”

The application is expected to be available during the 2nd quarter of 2010.

Bob Vila Features Home Automation & Security

Bob Vila’s Home Improvement website, bobvila.com, wrote a fantastic article about “Today’s Home Security Systems”. They interviewed HAI’s Thomas Pickral, Jr.

“Your security system knows your schedule,” says Thomas Pickral Jr., manager of business development for Home Automation Inc. (HAI) in New Orleans, La. “It knows where you are in the house. Generally, it doesn’t do anything with that information. But now system designers can write a computer program using information from those sensors.” For example, a program could note that the house was in ‘away’ mode and immediately set the home’s temperature higher in summer or lower in winter to save on utility bills.

To add a home automation system to your home, contact a ConnectHome dealer. (Contact Us Today!)

ConnectHome Dealer Wins Luxury Home Of The Year

The Mark of Excellence Awards program, presented by CEA‘s TechHome Division, recognizes the best in home electronics products, services, and installed technology. Each year, manufacturers, distributors, and systems integrators enter to compete for this coveted honor judged by independent experts within the industry. The Mark of Excellence (MOE) Awards program culminates with the announcement of the winners at the Mark of Excellence Awards Presentation, during the EHX (Electronic House Expo) Spring event in Orlando, Florida.

“The MOEs mean more than any other industry association award and they represent the best the electronics and installation professional industry has to offer,” said Robert Archer, EH publisher.

Link Your House, a ConnectHome dealer, was named a Platinum Winner in the Luxury Home of the Year category for 2010.

Audio Distribution Without Wires!

Six Sound Sources, Up To Eight Listening Zones: NuVo’s NEW retrofit solution is the ultimate in flexibility and audio freedom. Combining reliable technology with an unprecedented simplicity, Renovia is a whole home audio system that promises sophisticated sound incorporated almost invisibly into a home’s architecture, without a disruptive installation.

Using the home’s existing power lines to distribute audio to up to 8 zones, each Renovia system is comprised of a Source Hub and an unobtrusive in-wall Zone Amplifier for each intended zone. The Source Hub, complete with a built-in dual tuner, centralizes the system’s six audio sources and can be easily stored out of sight. The system works seamlessly with an extensive selection of sources, including legacy devices and NuVo’s Music Port for access to a whole world of music, as well as Renovia’s own NuVoDock for iPod. Managing the system from a variety of NuVo’s attractive control options is intuitive and uncomplicated.

With Renovia, experience music anywhere in your home, any way that you want – easily.

Renovia Features:

• Whole Home Audio in up to 8 different rooms
• Quick, simple installation for a reliable retrofit solution
• Designed for discreet placement, for a system that is practically invisible
• Built-in Dual AM/FM/SIRIUS-Ready Dual Tuner and 2 Renovia NuVoDock specified inputs
• Wide range of control options

Want to add the new Renovia system to your home? Your local ConnectHome dealer will be happy to assist you! (Contact Us Today!)