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Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing Receives Mobile Health Grant From the Center for Technology and AgingBURBANK, CA, Oct 11, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing (Front Porch Center), a 501(C)(3) founded on the belief that technology innovation plays a vital role in enhancing wellbeing, was awarded a $77,150 mobile health (mHealth) grant from the Center for Technology and Aging for its "Minding Our Meds: Demonstrating Senior Medication Adherence with Cell Phone Texting Reminders" project. The project will address medication adherence among active, independent older adults using a cell phone texting service, and focus on 150 adults age 50+ living across Front Porch communities and neighboring senior centers. The goals of "Minding Our Meds" are to demonstrate that mobile alerts and monitoring lead to improved medication adherence in chronic disease management, and to create a replicable and sustainable model for using an mHealth technology solution for medication adherence. "Given that 91% of persons age 57 to 85 take at least one medication weekly, we understand the importance of finding widely available and affordable solutions that can be tailored to meet seniors' needs," said Kari Olson, president of the Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing. "Working with great partners like CareSpeak Communications, UCSF, Sprint, One Economy and the Front Porch family, we are excited about adapting the use of everyday mobile technologies like cell phone text reminders to support the medication management needs of active, on-the-go seniors. This is what the Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing is all about -- finding ways to creatively apply technology as a tool to help individuals live life their way." Added Davis Park, director of the Front Porch Center, "This project is about keeping seniors healthy, independent and connected. To the extent that a simple and widely available communication tool can help accomplish this makes it that much more powerful." The average adult aged 65-69 fills 13.6 prescriptions and those aged 80-84 fill 18.2 prescriptions per year.(1) These medications are administered to address a number of the effects of aging, including hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure, depression and arthritis. Yet for every dollar spent on medications, $2.53 is spent to treat medication-related problems,(2) which are the fifth leading cause of death(3) and account for 30 percent of hospital admissions among older adults.(4) To improve medication adherence, "Minding Our Meds" will deploy CareSpeak Communication's mHealth platform, a two-way SMS-based medication reminder service that is available on virtually any cell phone or smartphone device with a texting plan, and conduct pre- and post-intervention surveys to collect data to track medication adherence, user satisfaction with the technology and overall health and wellbeing. It will also develop a replicable model that combines education, training and web-based resources with lessons and techniques that can improve medication adherence. The project will work with One Economy Digital Connectors as part of its community service projects to provide training in showing older adults how to set up and access CareSpeak accounts through its web-based dashboard. "With the aging population trend in the USA, it is important to create simple, affordable, yet effective tools to help seniors and their circle-of-care manage the seniors' health and wellness better," said Srdjan (Serge) Loncar, CareSpeak's founding president and CEO. "Medication therapy compliance, monitoring of biometrics, patient education play a significant part in improving health and quality of life for seniors, and CareSpeak's mobile health platform helps seniors achieve that. CareSpeak's platform, using a ubiquitous, inexpensive technology, helps keep people out of the hospital, connected to their circle-of-care and living independently." Added Kelly Dunne, president and CEO of One Economy Corporation, "This initiative just scratches the surface of the power of the 21st century technology as well as the role that mobile applications will have in improving health. One Economy believes it is important to meet people where they are in terms of technology, and that includes engaging seniors. Developing mobile applications with a purpose helps us meet the needs of a growing population who rely on mobile phones to access information." The Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing will work with Dr. Brooke Hollister, an assistant professor at the University of California San Francisco's Institute for Health and Aging, to develop an evaluation plan that will measure the outcomes of the project. "Poor prescription drug adherence can lead to unnecessary illnesses, disabilities, premature deaths, and estimated healthcare costs of $290 billion per year(5)," said Hollister. "The 'Minding Our Meds' project is an opportunity for researchers to work together with the Front Porch Center and the seniors they serve to potentially improve prescription drug adherence through the use of an innovative new technology. Should this study find drug adherence improved, the implications for the lives of those struggling with adhering to prescription drug regimens is great." "Minding Our Meds" is supported by a grant from The Center for Technology and Aging (CTA), based in Oakland, Calif. The Center for Technology and Aging (techandaging.org) is the national resource for expertise in the use of patient-centered technologies for older adults. CTA supports the adoption and diffusion of technology-enabled care that is patient-centered, coordinated, efficient and effective. CTA is focused on four areas of opportunity that can transform lives: medication optimization, remote patient monitoring, care transitions and mobile health. Established with funding from The SCAN Foundation (thescanfoundation.org), CTA is affiliated with the Public Health Institute (phi.org). About the Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing The Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing is part of Front Porch, one of Southern California's largest not-for-profit providers of retirement living communities and affordable housing. The Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing strives to harness technology solutions that support and enhance wellbeing in older adults. The Front Porch Center's core initiatives focus on how technology can: assist in maintaining brain health; enhance social connectedness; promote engagement and growth; empower control over health and wellness; prevent emergencies or serious events; and increase resources and support for formal and informal caregivers. More information is available at www.fpctiw.org. About Front Porch Front Porch is a not-for-profit support system for a family of companies that serve individuals and families through full-service retirement, active adult communities, affordable housing communities through CARING Housing Ministries and related management and development services. Front Porch active adult and full-service retirement communities offer a full range of options from independent living to continuing care, including memory support. Specialized programs like the Front Porch Center for Technology Innovation and Wellbeing, Front Porch Gallery and affiliated Centers for Spirituality and Aging support the Front Porch belief in understanding and meeting needs so that residents can live life their way. With innovative communities and programs that meet the changing needs of people as they age, Front Porch represents a leading-edge approach to wellness in aging. Front Porch is comprised of 10 full-service retirement communities in California and three adult living communities: one in Louisiana, one in Florida and one in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Front Porch also serves individuals and families through more than 20 affordable housing communities managed by Front Porch's affiliate, CARING Housing Ministries. Front Porch, based in Burbank, Calif. and founded in 1999, is a not-for-profit organization that gives back to its residents and the communities it serves. More information is available at www.frontporch.net. (1) Senior Care Pharmacist, 2005 (2) Bootman, 1997 (3) Lazarou, 1998 (4) Hanlon, 1997 (5) 2009, National Network for Health Innovation For more information contact: Adam Landres-Schnur or Catherine Duyn Email Contact (415) 986-7212 SOURCE: Front Porch http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=D088A6CA598067EF |