Laurie Orlov

About

Laurie M. Orlov is a certified Florida long-term care ombudsman and the author of When Your Parents Need Elder Care: Lessons from the Front Lines[amazon.com]. As the owner of Aging in Place Technology Watch[ageinplacetech.com], Orlov analyzes research and trends in the aging-in-place technology market, which includes technologies that help the elderly remain in their home of choice. Orlov has 34 years of experience in the technology and market research industry, including nine years as an analyst, and she has been research director at Forrester Research.

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Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Monday April 04, 2011

    1. Is there a computer or software that would be easy for my mother-in-law to understand?

      Answer - That computer is from a company called Telekin (http://www.slashgear.com/telekin-pc-alternative-unveiled-at-ces-2011-04122843/) and was launched at CES 2011. FirstSTREET has given it the name WOW.

  2. Wednesday January 12, 2011

    1. Where can I find the computer software that will allow me to check on seniors via the telephone?

      Answer - In terms of the ability to have computer software check on seniors, take a look at FineThanx, MagnoliaPrime, Sentry Telecare, Call-Reassurance, and Justacallaway.

  3. Thursday December 16, 2010

    1. How can we help Mom stay safe in her home?

      Answer - You are in a very difficult situation, but to be clear, the hospital is not the best way to assess your mother, nor are they going to be particularly good at helping keep a dementia patient safe at home. Your mother needs a complete physical exam and she will also likely need a professional assessment from a neurologist...

  4. Thursday November 11, 2010

    1. Is there a computer or software that would be easy for my mother-in-law to understand?

      Answer - I assume that she does not have a laptop -- most seniors do not and there would be no need for one. So in terms of an easy to understand computer for seniors like your mother-in-law needs, my suggestion is to buy an inexpensive Windows machine, use the same keyboard and mouse that she already uses, and...

  5. Sunday March 21, 2010

    1. Which bed alarms are the best?

      Answer - Bed alarms are mats that can be placed under the mattress pad that can transmit an audible alert when a person gets up from the bed. The Alzheimer's Store sells a wireless one with the following instructions: "Place this pad underneath your loved one in bed and set the alarm...

  6. Friday March 05, 2010

    1. Is there a gadget to help Mom keep better track of her medications?

      Answer - To answer your question, yes, a gadget for medication management exists, but they range in how comprehensive a problem they are trying to solve. It sounds like your mother would not benefit from a simple reminder call, but might do better with a pre-loaded canister of pills like her current weekly pill box...

  7. Sunday January 10, 2010

    1. What could help my mom make phone calls more easily?

      Answer - As your mom recovers her speech and writing ability after her stroke, she may still need some assistance. One way to help make phone calls, is a picture phone - in which pictures of her friends or relatives are on the front of the telephone, associated with their phone numbers...

    2. Which type of music player would be easiest for my mom to control?

      Answer - It's so great that you want to provide music for your mom to listen to in her assisted living bedroom -- numerous studies have shown that music can have a positive impact on the quality of life of the elderly (http://www.caregivershome.com/Spiritual/spiritual.cfm?UID=64).