Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Many vendors serving the eldercare field have failed to embrace blogging, pay-per-click advertising and other Internet-based marketing tools, a new report finds. Many cash-strapped marketers still rely heavily on trade shows, press releases and direct marketing, according to Trends in Senior Care Marketing: Where Suppliers Spent Marketing and PR Dollars in 2007, and What's Ahead in 2008. However, the authors do see a gradual shift in the coming years. Many suppliers will increase their budgets for search engine optimization, webcasts, direct email marketing and other "Web 2.0 tactics," the report predicts.

Bridge Medical has released a Telescoping Grip Bar, which can help prevent resident falls in showers and other high-risk areas. The device uses suction technology, and offers an ideal substitute when permanent installation is not an option, according to the firm. The telescoping grip bar is available in two size ranges: 19-24 inches, and 24-29 inches.

Q3 Innovations recently release the UV Hawk. The device measures the intensity of ultraviolet light, and helps protect residents' skin from potentially damaging sunlight. The product offers adjustable SPF and skin tone settings, as well as a sun-exposure alarm.

Panasonic announced announced that its web-enabled PZ850 series of Viera Plasma HDTV's will be available in mid-June. The television provides access to some of the most popular content sites on the Internet today -- YouTube, Google's Picasa Web Album and Bloomberg. The Viera line was initially previewed at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Lintech's newly revised Comet Business Intelligence Dashboard helps firms better monitor, analyze and manage their operations, according to the firm. The application gives managers up-to-date operational, utilization, financial and clinical performance information. The firm is also changing its address and phone number. Lintech can now be reached at (201) 478-7848.

Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing a sensor-equipped necklace to help residents take their medication on time. "MagneTrace" uses magnetic sensors embedded in pills to detect when a pill is ingested. The sensors pass through the patient's digestive system. If a pill is not taken at the correct time, the necklace sends a signal to a smart phone that alerts the resident or caregiver.

If it seems there are already a profusion of companies that offer monitoring-related products, just wait. Increased use will spur more vendors to enter this growing field, a new report from Reportlinker.com predicts.The study notes that demand for patient monitoring systems is expected to rise by 5.9% each year through 2012, and become a $12 billion market along the way. Advances in wireless and sensor technologies will help drive growth and fuel the introduction of new equipment and accessories with enhanced performance capabilities, authors note.