Danville Support Services isn’t alone in helping Utah’s seniors remain independent and in their own homes. We sometimes compete with other service providers, but now technology companies are working to gain a share of the market for in-home care, as well.

Salt Lake City-based, ActiveCare, is one such company. Their Personal Assistance Link — a hand-held or wearable device — incorporates enhanced GPS combined with cellular triangulation to help locate a customer 24 hours per day, 7 days a week in case of an emergency.

ActiveCare claims to provide an “Affordable Alternative To Assisted Living,” and while there is value in their service, we like to think our in-home caretakers — who can be scheduled for as little as a few hours a week — provide a real alternative to assisted living. Our staff also offers something no machine ever will, caring human beings eager to listen and support your aging parents.

It’s not that communications technology can’t help. A monitoring device can help, and we can see where some of our clients might want ActiveCare’s OnStar-like solution. Our perspective is that a monitoring device works best when it’s part of a routine that includes in-home help.