Former firefighters noticed a problem
As former firefighters and paramedics of College Park Fire Department in Georgia, James McCreary and Brian Greer noticed a problem. They can recall several emergency situations where lives could have been saved if only the patient had gotten help sooner. “We realized there were a lot of people in our community who weren’t being taken care of or had any safety net or any protection in their home,” McCreary said. As a result, the owners of Genesis Home Care LLC, McCreary and Greer aim to help fill the gaps in health care.
They are doing this through Genesis’ in-home care services for the aging and a new partnership with Electronic Caregiver. McCreary, Greer, and James Berry – also a former firefighter – formed Genesis Home Care in 2012. Subsequently, the home care company expanded to provide Electronic Caregiver’s personal emergency response and remote patient monitoring (RPM) services this year.
Electronic Caregiver’s Technology
“We really believe in what Electronic Caregiver stands for, which is safety and protection,” McCreary said. “There are specific instances we saw in the past that Electronic Caregiver’s technology could have definitely remedied. We’re excited about the opportunity to protect people in our community and grow our business with Electronic Caregiver.”
One experience as a first responder stands out to McCreary with a woman in her 50s who had diabetes and was recovering from a stroke. She was being looked after regularly by her 74-year-old mother. One day, the woman’s mother was unable to get in contact with her daughter. Growing concerned, the mother called emergency services. “When we arrived on the scene, we found her daughter on the side of her bed,” McCreary said. “It appeared as if her leg had collapsed underneath her, which caused her either to have a heart attack or another stroke. When we found her, she was deceased.” Those experiences stay with the owners of Genesis Home Care and drive their commitment to quality customer services.
She could have survived
“I believe if she had had the protection of Electronic Caregiver, she could have survived that event,” he said. “She was sitting on the side of her bed. She was literally just more than an arm’s reach away from her nightstand where her home phone was. It was a tragic scene to see someone die in a way that we thought was just senseless.”
Daily, Electronic Caregiver helps the elderly and those with chronic conditions live in their own homes independently and safely. The company offers wearable protection with the Premier, a mobile security and care support system. With the Premier, clients get emergency response at the touch of a button. This is in addition to care plan reminders, pocketMD telemedicine, activity monitoring, and geolocation. Electronic Caregiver also offers the Pro Health, a chronic care and advanced RPM system for the home.
The Pro Health
The Pro Health provides emergency response, medication reminders, pocketMD, and vitals monitoring. For example, clients can check their blood pressure, temperature, blood sugar, and more using connected Bluetooth devices. They can have vitals information sent to their physician and designated family members for improved health care and communication.
Greer said Genesis Home Care clients value the peace of mind Electronic Caregiver’s technology offers. “It gives them a sense of added security and protection – especially when they’re home alone,” Greer said. “They know if something happens, they have access to emergency services. They don’t have to be by the phone to actually call 9-1-1.”
Genesis Home Care says these services are especially useful now
After learning about Electronic Caregiver, McCreary bought a Premier for his mother, who consequently came to find great value in it. She was reluctant to use the device initially, but quickly realized the freedom it gave her. She had suffered a stroke four years ago and lost mobility on her left side. This caused her to become very concerned about falling. “She was doing very little moving around her house or even walking outside. She was just afraid of falling and not being able to get up,” McCreary said. “Importantly though, once we got her the Premier with the fall pendant and the wrist pendant, she gained a sense of independence. She said to me, ‘It’s better to have this and never need it than to need it and not have it.’”
In addition, along with independence, Electronic Caregiver’s telemedicine and RPM technology help reduce the number of people visiting the emergency room. Certain ailments and injuries are easily resolved via a simple phone call or connected care with a physician. For Genesis Home Care, these services have become especially useful amid the pandemic, allowing patients to avoid an unnecessary trip to the doctor. “We’re dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and individuals who are chronically ill frequently visit and go into health care facilities. This is a high risk,” McCreary said. “We know that we can help lower that risk and provide another level of safety in this really uncertain time.”
More Opportunities
Moving forward, Genesis is looking for more opportunities to get Electronic Caregiver’s technology into the hands of those in need. Genesis Home Care and Electronic Caregiver partner Donald Anthony, CEO of Caring Hearts EMS, Inc., has volunteered to do a pilot program. He will offer Electronic Caregiver’s technology as part of his non-emergency medical transportation service. “Once we gave Donald the opportunity to see the capabilities of the Pro Health and Premier, he was excited to serve some of his clients,” McCreary said.
In conclusion, Greer said the goal is to help people live better lives. “I hope to sustain life, to reduce unnecessary ER activity, and help people feel safer in their homes with the added level of security Electronic Caregiver brings,” Greer said.
For information about Electronic Caregiver’s Pro Health system and other services, call 1-833-ECG-LIFE or visit electroniccaregiver.com.
