AFrame Digital, Inc and LifeMatters Bring Non-Intrusive Technology for Senior Care to the Washington, D.C region

LifeMatters will integrate the AFrame Digital personal health monitor into its home health practice to enhance the ability of its senior clients with mobility concerns to live independently.

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LifeMatters will place the monitor with the seniors under the company’s care, and AFrame Digital will support them with its turnkey monitoring solution that will manage the data and deliver alerts

Reston, VA, and Bethesda, MD (Vocus) July 19, 2010

AFrame Digital, Inc. and LifeMatters announced today a partnership agreement for the AFrame Digital personal health monitor to be sold through LifeMatters to its clients, both individual consumers and residents served in independent living communities. LifeMatters’ strong market presence and excellent reputation for home senior care in the Washington, D.C. area, coupled with AFrame’s new, non-intrusive technology, make them ideal partners.

The AFrame Digital Personal Health Monitor is a non-intrusive wrist monitor, similar to a sports watch that represents the next generation in senior health care technology. The personal health monitor records a user’s activity, impacts and critical health data including weight, blood pressure, pulse and oxygenation levels. Changes in any one of these bodily functions can signal the need for immediate care. Additionally, concerned family members can be sent alerts and updates.

“We are excited to offer this leading-edge technology to our clients,” says Craig Goodman, President of LifeMatters’ Virginia Division. “The personal health monitor is a proactive and personalized approach to dignified health care in a space where time is critical. The non-intrusive nature of the equipment, ease of use, and discreet design are services that we care about as a company providing senior care.”

One of the greatest fears for seniors who live alone is the risk of falling down and not receiving help. The AFrame system removes that worry. If a senior falls, the system sends out an immediate signal to any loved one in the system. There is no need for a senior to press a button or pull an emergency cord that he or she may not have the ability to reach.

“We know from working with clients that panic buttons are ineffective,” Goodman says. “Seniors feel self-conscious about asking for help and often underestimate their injuries. We also know that if the fall is serious, they may be unable to call for help.”

“LifeMatters will place the monitor with the seniors under the company’s care, and AFrame Digital will support them with its turnkey monitoring solution that will manage the data and deliver alerts,” says Dr. Amy Papadopoulos, AFrame Digital’s Senior Research Scientist. “Our home-installed telehealth system will provide LifeMatters with the ability to non-intrusively collect vital signs and have superior telehealth situational awareness between visits by the company’s staff. Seniors will experience improved safety and quality of life, allowing them to remain in their homes longer.”

The AFrame system also provides trending information and alerts to allow health care providers to properly treat seniors based on long-term data rather than one-time readings. The ability to alert on changes in a user’s health eliminates the need to sift through data and reports. This allows medical personnel to determine the root causes of those changes faster.

LifeMatters now will offer this improved level of customer care to its clients in the metro Washington, D.C. market. “This system can improve the independent lives of our clients and their families,” Goodman says. “We see the system as a way to also differentiate our service from other health care providers. We look forward to a long-term relationship with AFrame Digital.”

AFrame Digital Inc., www.aframedigital.com, a Virginia small business, was founded in 2005 to research, design and manufacture non-intrusive, wireless sensor-based monitoring and situational awareness solutions for long-term care and occupational safety. AFrame has received support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Institutes of Health, and is working closely with two large military treatment facilities, Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) and Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), to develop models of injury and disease recovery for the bioinformatics analysis software portion of the system. The company's MobileCare MonitorTM system received FDA clearance in 2009 for in-patient, outpatient and home care settings.

LifeMatters, www.lifemattersusa.com, is a privately owned and operated home health care company that is based in Bethesda and has additional offices in Falls Church and Washington, D.C. The company offers a comprehensive range of personal, skilled nursing and Alzheimer’s care services tailored to each client’s individual needs. LifeMatters’ innovative, licensed and dedicated professionals are committed to providing the highest quality care to support comfort and independence.

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