Hyderabad: Elderly care gets a tech push

Hyderabad: Some falls that the elderly suffer prove fatal to them as precious time is lost waiting for the help to come. That delay is attributed to the lack of communication. City-based Anvayaa Kin-Care, which provides elderly care services, is now working on an IoT-based smart emergency response system that will detect falls and also […]

Hyderabad: Some falls that the elderly suffer prove fatal to them as precious time is lost waiting for the help to come. That delay is attributed to the lack of communication. City-based Anvayaa Kin-Care, which provides elderly care services, is now working on an IoT-based smart emergency response system that will detect falls and also send the info to the concerned for immediate attention. It will also help in monitoring health vitals remotely, said Prashanth Reddy, Founder and Managing Director of Anvayaa Kin-Care.

“We now have a reactive care unit. Unless the information is given to us, we will not be able to help them. Soon, we will be a proactive care provider. We will have tools to sense and report the emergencies. Unlike other wearables, this device will not be linked to the smartwatch but will have an ‘SOS’ button. The device will be manufactured in Hyderabad. The data from it will be shareable to ensure that golden hour is not wasted waiting for and processing information,” he told ‘Telangana Today’.

---

Anvayaa has been offering elderly care since 2016. “We have handled about 350 emergencies. We successfully saved lives in about 97% of cases by getting them to the right hospital. However, we noticed some delay in communicating the emergency to us in some cases,” he said. This led the company to work on a proactive care tool that will help it handle the concerned family emergencies better.

It works with about 250 partners across healthcare services, diagnostics and pharmacy, home maintenance, libraries, grocery, surveillance and security, local travel, lawyers, and others. About 6,000 families have subscribed to Anvayaa’s services. It charges Rs 2,000 to Rs 12,000 per month (payable per annum). Its services are available in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Pune, and Mumbai.

“A lot of elderly are living independently. However, just about three per cent of them are open to the idea of being in an elderly care home or a senior community living. Living in one’s own home is a sentiment in India,” he said. Mostly, it is the kin who sign up for their parents but some elderly are also opting for the services for themselves.

Anvayaa assesses the health needs on joining and makes an appropriate emergency response plan including ambulance and hospital. It focuses on the daily health, emotional, and leisure needs of the elderly and also identifies daily needs including groceries. “Many elders complain about loneliness. We spend time with them and accompany them to local places. That gives them confidence that somebody will respond in emergencies. Also, some seek bedside assistance after surgeries,” said Reddy. Its apps and web portals are accessible by the kin, partners and employees and care coordinators. It does a background check of all the staff visiting the elderly. It now has 125 people working and the number will increase multifold as it plans to expand across India.