ElderWeb

This section of ElderWeb is a comprehensive overview of how our long term care system has evolved by examining the events and decisions that changed the way that we have provided and paid for the care of our elderly over the years.

Be sure to look at the narratives and illustrations in the Appendix. Many photos and documents come from the wonderful Library of Congress American Memories collection. There are also graphs, tables, and charts of data like changes in life expectancy and long term care utilization.

Millions of elderly people live alone, many far from family or others who might watch over them. One option emerging is that of using technology to help someone at a distance tell how things are going, using some sort of passive monitoring system. A passive system does not require the elderly person to do anything to make the system work, as opposed to "active" systems that require the elderly person to take some action, like pushing a button on an emergency response system pendant. Some passive systems put cameras in the older person's home that allow someone somewhere else to see what the camera sees. Others use sensors that can detect motion to alert others if the elderly person is not eating, has not taken their medication, or has fallen. These systems may be used to watch over elderly people who might not realize they need help, like someone with early stage Alzheimers who might forget to eat or take medications. They can also be used to detect falls or other problems as they happen, or to monitor third parties like home health aides and other home help.