An Interview with Patricia Brunn

Patricia Brunn, a leading expert with 22 years in the fall prevention and anti-wandering support industry and the General Manager of Smart Caregiver Corporation. 

Gary Barg: Patricia I’m so happy you’re here to discuss these extremely important issues that affect us and our loved ones.

So, let’s start with the tough stuff, some of the disturbing facts. How many falls happen in the US each year?

Patricia Brunn: Hi Gary, thank you for speaking with me today. Over twelve million seniors fall annually. And at six months, quite a few of those actually turn fatal from complications. It’s staggering.

Gary Barg: And I think falls are a major reason for long-term care placement.

Patricia Brunn: That would be correct. It certainly is one of the top and it is also a readmittance issue in hospitals costing hospitals $30,000 a visit for fall related injuries.

Gary Barg: What’s the most common time for someone to fall?

Patricia Brunn: Most falls occur in the dark, in the middle of the night when people are trying to get up and go to the restroom by themselves, when they really require assistance to be on their feet.

Gary Barg: What should we as caregivers know when we’re caring for a loved one with a fall risk?

Patricia Brunn: Primarily don’t let them walk alone. If you can get to them when they are attempting to get on their feet, you will be proactive.

Gary Barg: What is Smart Caregiver?

Patricia Brunn: Smart Caregiver manufactures and owns six US patents for fall prevention or mobility monitoring devices. We’ve been in business for over 20 years and it’s all we do. So our mission is to make a quality product that’s affordable for caregivers so that they can equip themselves with the necessary tools to take care of as many patients or residents that they need.

Gary Barg: You create what I call a transparent bubble of care around the house so you’d be alerted if they do fall.

Patricia Brunn: Your bubble around the house metaphor is good. Because it does allow a caregiver to have the mobility to do other tasks such as preparing meals or doing laundry or cleaning, while somebody is resting. But as soon as that high fall risk person attempts to get on their feet, the caregiver can get an early alert. Now, we have both passive and active devices depending on the needs of the client. Some people certainly will push a call button and ask for help, while others don’t think that they need help.

Gary Barg: I think the passive concept is extremely interesting. So that means you don’t need to have the fallen button, but it still alerts you as a caregiver that something has happened.

Patricia Brunn: Absolutely. As a matter of fact, our product is designed to get to them before they fall. We are not an “I’ve fallen and can’t get up.” We are “somebody has gotten on their feet that needs assistance. You need to get to them before they fall.”

Gary Barg: Is it easy to use?

Patricia Brunn: It’s very easy to use. All of our products are designed DIY out of the box.

Gary Barg: This seems to create quite a bit of peace of mind if you don’t have to worry, you know keep mom in your sight the entire day.

Patricia Brunn: I can tell you stories that I’ve had with end users fearful for bringing loved ones home from the hospital after something has happened. As a caregiver, if you are not rested and on your best game, you’re not going to be able to provide that quality help for your loved one either. So, peace of mind is critical and all of our alarms and alerts actually are remote. So, you can have a sensor pad on a bed, under a sheet and a passive, action of the person getting up out of their bed will actually alert the caregiver in another room. The person at risk, won’t even hear the alarm. The caregiver will simply show up to assist.

Gary Barg: This seems very respectful.

Patricia Brunn: I have a 90 year old mother myself, and keeping her dignity and quality of life is top priority for me right now. Absolutely, the alarm not startling them, not shrieking in their ear so that the caregiver down the hall or downstairs can hear is critical. The caregiver is carrying a pager or has an alert by their bedside or in the kitchen where they’re prepping food and are notified as soon as that person is attempting to get on their feet.

Gary Barg: I’m also wondering, because we have obviously as caregivers have physical challenges is this good for hard of hearing caregivers?

Patricia Brunn: We have an active alert that does go directly to a pager that vibrates. So, a caregiver that’s hard of hearing can certainly be notified that way. And we’re constantly listening to the end users for product improvement. In design right now is a pager that vibrates for some of our larger systems. So we have a very wide variety of products that start at under fifty dollars depending on the needs of the client and range up to a couple hundred dollars for anti-wandering systems for dementia or Alzheimer’s patients.

Gary Barg: I always think support is one of the most important aspects of partnering with the family caregiver. Do you offer support?

Patricia Brunn: Smart Caregiver was built on customer service. We are in our offices from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. We also have an array of YouTube troubleshooting videos. We will spend hours with somebody on the phone if need be to suit them with the right product and/or troubleshoot their product. It’s not about the money here; it’s about helping the end users care for their loved ones.

Gary Barg: How easy is it to get your product?

Patricia Brunn: Very easy. We have over 500 distributors throughout the nation and the world and we sell on Amazon. There is a wide variety of products depending on your needs, from chair sensor pads, bed sensor pads, call buttons, floor mats and anti-wandering systems for exit doors.

Gary Barg: What would be your most important single piece of advice for family caregivers?

Patricia Brunn: Don’t let them walk alone. Falls do not have to be a natural part of aging and yet, it seems like they are. If you can get to somebody who is not steady on their feet before they walk and assist them, you’re going to prevent falls. People attribute fall risks as somebody who is just getting old and unable to stand on their own. There are many more factors to falls that people don’t think about, such as medication. Somebody who can be very stable on their feet, but could have a medication that affects that stability. Their family or their caregivers need to be aware that fifteen minutes after this drug is taken, they get a little shaky on their feet. Diet and trip hazards in houses are things that can be prevented. Sleep deprivation can also attribute to falls.