With aging population wants to stay in their own homes, elder care is a growing problem in the United States. Whether people are facing chronic illness, dementia or simply find it more difficult to go to the shops, we are all likely to need some help for the rest of our lives. . Even older adults with paid caregivers still need support from their families, and those who cannot afford care need twice as much.
But you probably have children to care for, a spouse to support, and a demanding career. If you don’t live close to your parents, you may not always be able to visit, and even if you do, your busy life can still get in the way. You’ll worry about whether they’re taking their medications, eating properly, and avoiding the rising tide of illness. predatory scam. If you cannot reach them by phone, the fear that they may fall and not be able to get up is immense.
JubileeTV is part of a new wave of products and services that aim to give you some insight into the lives of your aging loved ones and empower you to help from the comfort of your own home. It’s a package that includes a box designed to sit on top of a TV to enable video calling, sharing of photos and family videos, and reminders about medications, appointments, and other important events. For those who need it, JubileeTV can track activity and presence, and let you control your TV from anywhere on your phone.
I’ve been testing JubileeTV for the past few weeks. It feels a bit cluttered, requires an expensive subscription, and raises privacy concerns. But it makes staying in touch easy, has some useful features, and can simplify the lives of many families by easing the burden of caring for the elderly.
High-level setup
Installing JubileeTV is a challenge, and you’ll want to do it for your senior (there’s the option to sign up for direct installation for $99 or free video call support). Everything is color coded and the instructions are pretty good but set aside at least half an hour. A TV with an HDMI port and Wi-Fi network is required.
Photo: Simon Hill
JubileeTV looks like a large set-top box and is designed to work with your loved one’s existing TVs and services. To be clear, it doesn’t provide any content, so you still need it Sign up for Netflix or cable service. For all the features to work, you must plug your TV and cable, set-top box, or streaming player into the JubileeTV box (you can connect up to three devices via HDMI). I tested with one Rokubut please check Celebration website for a list of supported devices before purchasing. There’s also a special split power cable and smart plug so you can connect the TV and box to the same outlet and control them remotely.
