Care Connect FAQ

Care Connect is a discrete cloud based monitoring and support service especially designed for those living, working, studying or travelling alone.

It monitors activities and events to notify contacts when help may be needed. This provides peace of mind for those monitored and their loved ones. It allows many to be both safer and more independent.

Anyone living or travelling alone or who has or is likely to have: a medical episode, fallen, tripped or fainted, an accident especially when alone, etc, should seriously consider this service.

Users register as a VIP to be monitored or as a contact for one or more VIPs. VIPs include seniors, farmers, students and people living independently. Contacts include family, friends, neighbours and carers, either nearby or further afield.

• • Contact alerts and review.

• Panic alerts from VIPs

• Overdue check-in alerts
  An expected check-in schedule can be used to reminds VIPs when check-ins are due, and alert contacts if check-ins are missed.
• Ad-hoc check-ins
  VIPs may check-in as OK at any time, or request an extra check-in if starting to feel unwell or vulnerable.
• Serious fall detection
  A waterproof pendant/clip/watchstrap is available to detect a serious fall and provide mobile hands free operation.
• Region based check-ins and alerts
  This detects if a VIP arrives at or leaves a region, or is at a region longer than expected.
• Status, location and battery level
• Contact availability and location with simultaneous or sequential alerts.
• Land-line, voice prompt operation if mobile is not used, flat or off-line.
• Built-in Group SMS
• Event logging for alert co-ordination, support and review.

A check-in schedule specifies the days and times when check-in are expected. It allows:

• VIPs to be reminded when check-ins are due, and
• contacts to be alerted if check-ins are missed.

The standard schedule is easily changed for regular outings or appointments, or temporarily varied with two taps. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]

Each schedule should consider the specific requirements of the person being monitored.
One of several preset schedules can be selected or customised with up to 24 check-ins each day.

Examples:

1. Active people living independently may check-in between 5pm and 7pm each day.
2. Seniors or less active people may check-in at 9 or 10am after a morning shower, etc and 6 or 7pm each evening,
3. Seniors or less active people or those requiring regular medication may check-in each meal time or when medications are due.
4. Workers in rural or isolated locations may setup automatic region based check-ins for the normal places they frequent, and a region or time based check-in at home at the end of the day. If they have an accident this may identify the location and facilitate assistance rather than being left unattended overnight.
5. Seniors in self care may faint or fall and not be found for days. Their check-in schedule could be each 2 or 3 hours during the day, with some times varied, delayed or cleared to cater for regular appointments.
6. Anyone with a medical condition may have a periodic check-in and also wear the push button for use if a medical incident occurrs.
7. School or uni students may set region based check-ins for start and end of classes, and a region for leaving and returning home.
8. Anyone out and about may add a log entry at any time advising where they are going; eg to a friend, the library, the pool, the train station, etc, then do an ad-hoc check-in on arrival. Each message and check-in registers time and location for loved ones peace of mind without having to constantly message or call.
9. People on holidays or travelling may set safe regions and times they expect to be there. Alerts will be raised if they do not check-in or arrive when expected.

Friends, family and other contacts have peace of mind knowing that without constantly checking, they will be contacted if a loved one may require assistance.[/read]

A check-in melody reminder sounds 15 to 30 minutes before a check-in is due, and each few minutes until the check-in button is pressed. The melody starts quietly and gets louder.

There is no need to constantly check VIPs as contacts will be notified with a Help, Fall, Check-in Overdue, or region based alert if needed.

Initially view the Check-in screen for current status or the Log screen for recent activity, at least daily. Provide any assistance or revise the schedule as needed. As the VIP gains confidence you may check less often.

Use the Contacts screen to add or call contacts, set contact availability and view the status of other contacts.

1. Easy to use. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   We have listened to people with failing vision, hearing and dexterity; and used tap operation, large fonts, audible feedback, colour blind pallets and an optional push-button Bluetooth pendant with fall detection. All setup may be managed remotely by any contact.[/read]
2. Mobile support. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   With 88% of the community and 78% of seniors using smartphones in 2017, we use mobiles to address those living, working or travelling alone. We can use land lines for some in the group without a mobile. [/read]
3. Extensive monitoring. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   We include Help push-button, panic alarm, scheduled check-ins with overdue alerts, ad-hoc check-ins, serious fall detection, region based monitoring, quick group messaging and low battery warnings.[/read]</
4. Check-in Schedule. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   An expected check-in schedule reminds VIPs when check-ins are due and alerts contacts when missed. With only 2 taps, times may be temporarily varied for ad-hoc appointments or if feeling unwell. The weekly schedule may also be varied - even remotely by any contact.[/read]</
5. Contact Management. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   Unlike a simple SMS, alerts and responses are monitored and if unacknowledged, are escalated to the next contact or group of contacts. Contacts may quickly update their status as their availability to respond varies.[/read]
6. Multi band fallback. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   There are many reasons a message may not get to the desired party including failed internet connection, network congestion, do-not-disturb settings, flat battery, etc. Our backup system calls contacts on a mobile or land-line voice band if a transmission fails on the data band. [/read]
7. Audit logging. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   Extensive audit logs are maintained to track and report activity and events.[/read]
8. Affordable. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   Automating the process allows us to increase reliability while reducing costs. Subscriptions start from $7.90 per month.[/read]
9. Mum's the word. [read more="Read more" less="Read less"]
   If there was a service like Care Connect available for our mum we would have adopted it and not taken over 2 years to develop this service. No system came close to covering our needs, or was reliable enough. Nothing less was good enough for our mum. [/read]

For users with failing hearing, vision and dexterity, setup supports speech rate, font size and colour palettes including 3 for Colour Vision Deficiency.

To help with setup, any contact can configure their VIP's app settings remotely.[read more="Read more" less="Read less"]

A wearable waterproof push button pendant/clip is also available with built-in serious fall detection. In an alert situation contacts will be notified as if the help button in the app was pressed.

A quick "Group SMS" feature is built in especially for users with a hearing impairment. The main options have large fonts with speech feedback.

On both mobiles and bluetooth watches, consider vibrate and light flash options for call and message notifications. Low battery reminders will assist those who forget to charge regularly. [/read]

As a flat battery or lost connection is a highly likely reason for a missed check-in, a low battery will trigger a reminder to charge the device and log a low battery message. Contacts may check their VIP's last known status, location and battery level. They may also check-in for a VIP if satisfied the VIP is OK.

In case of missed VIP check-ins or contact responses, a backup phone service can ring with voice prompts and keyed or voice responses.

Currently Care Connect is in a trial stage with no charge for the first 100 invited users on any plan. This trial is open to iPhone users only.

After the trial, if you decide to continue the service, charges will depend on the plan you select.

After the trial:

Subscription charges and offers are subject to change at any time though prepaid plans will be honored at the rate when the payment was made until those funds are acquitted.

Use promo code "BASIC" for your first month free on the Basic Plan.

Further, if a VIP you introduce becomes a financial member, both your VIP's account and the new VIP will receive a 5% discount while both are financial. Up to 20 introductions provide you a 100% discount !

Currently Care Connect is in a trial stage with no charge for the first 100 invited trial users on any plan. This trial is currently open to iPhone users only. After the trial, if you decide to continue the service, charges will depend on the plan you select. You may change your plan at any time.

Basic - $2/week - $8/month

This plan includes one VIP with one check-in per day and 2 contacts.

Standard - $3/week - $12/month

This plan includes one VIP with up to 3 check-ins per day and up to 4 contacts.

Premium - $4/week - $16/month

This plan includes one VIP with up to 24 check-ins per day and up to 8 contacts.

Alternate phone service

If a mobile is flat or off-line, VIPs may miss a check-in or contacts miss an alert. As a backup or alternative, a voice prompt phone service can be setup to a land line or different mobile.

Even though this voice prompt service should be rare, usage will reduce your account balance by 10c each 30 seconds.

Account fees

Reminders are sent when your account balance is due for a top-up. Secure payments can be made via iTunes, Credit Card, eWay or direct debit.

Payments may be up to 1 year in advance and may be setup such that either the VIP or any contacts receive account reminders. The account may be cancelled at any time and any account balance will be returned.

A contact may fund the account as an annual birthday or Xmas present for their VIP.

Corporate Plan

Please use the feedback form below to advise your requirements.

1. Download and install CareConnect from the trial site. It will be in the App Store after the trial.
2. From the Home screen, register the person(s) to be monitored and one or more contact for each. More contacts are better though they may be added later from the Contacts screen.
3. Using the Care Connect setup screens:
   • review and update settings as required, and
   • activate the account with the required subscription plan and payment.
4. If you are a contact:
   • Assist your VIP so they become familiar with the system. Start by watching activity on the check-in screen and/or log screen.
   • Adjust the VIP's check-in schedule with more or less check-ins as required.
   • Practice Check-in and Help - see below.
   • Setup an action plan so all are familiar with a request for assistance. This will include knowing where a key is for access, understanding medications, and physical and medical conditions, etc.
5. Allow CareConnect to access the System Settings noted below.

• Allow access to Speaker, Location Services, and Notifications.
• Set the notification style to "Alert".
• Enable and configure Bluetooth if using the wearable push button.
• For use after hours, add the Care Connect Ph# to Contacts and Favorites, and allow Favorites to call during "do not disturb" times. Do not call this number as it is for outgoing voice prompt calls only; it is not monitored.