Latest news with #elderlycare
CNET
3 hours ago
- Climate
- CNET
My Favorite Ways to Cool Your Home Down In a Heat Wave
Did you know that heat waves kill more Americans than any other major weather event, including floods and fires? The human body can really struggle to stay hydrated and deal with suddenly high temperatures -- and the same is true of our pets as well. Fortunately, working with smart thermostats, air purifiers, air quality sensors, smart shades and a variety of other home products has taught me a lot about quickly cooling a place down without skyrocketing your energy bills. When the worst heat strikes, here's what I recommend doing to stay healthy and cool. And if you have any elderly family nearby, make sure they're following tips like these too. 1. Use a portable air conditioner and monitor room temperature carefully Arlo sensors can do nearly anything and are easy to move whenever you want. Arlo Whole-house air conditioners remain very important in heat waves, especially when combined with other cooling methods. But not all homes have whole-house AC, and in severe heat waves, they may not be enough. Another option is a smart portable air conditioner that you can plug in and move from room to room, depending on where you're spending time. Take a look at our list of the top portable air conditioners, and you'll find models with remotes, voice assistant support, timers, dehumidifier functions and much more. Expect to spend around $400 for a good model that you can use for summers to come. Important note: Once temperatures start rising well above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, basic ceiling fans don't really make a difference, especially when addressing health issues. It's important to focus more on home insulation and air conditioning. In many homes, some rooms can get much hotter than others, which doesn't really help central thermostats do their job. Consider home monitoring devices that can sense temperature, like these all-in-one Arlo security sensors we tested. That way you can constantly monitoring the temperature in a particular spot (sitting room, bedroom, baby's room, etc.) and take action if it gets too high. 2. Set a strict curtain schedule for your windows Sunlight streaming through your windows can heat up objects and air inside your home, making a heat wave worse. Close your blinds completely during the hottest temperatures for better protection. You can also search for smart blinds and curtain retrofits to let you set automatic schedules to make this process easier. Once the outside temperature drops significantly below indoor temps, your insulation starts working against you. So, if your region experiences cooler nights, wait for the temperature difference and open windows around your home to create cool air flow. 3. Replace your HVAC filter and order an inspection Kangaroo includes a climate sensor, aka leak detector, in its expanded eight-piece home monitoring kit. Kangaroo To prepare for a heat wave, you'll want to replace your home HVAC filter, which is typically located right at the fan system that pushes air around your house. It's a good idea to keep several properly sized filters nearby so you can switch them out a couple of times a year, or when you really need efficient airflow. If you have time, you should also schedule a maintenance visit from a professional HVAC contractor. Among other things, they can test the refrigerant levels in your AC system. Refrigerant can leak out over time and make your air conditioning less efficient. Making sure you have the proper levels is important ahead of a hot period. Read more: HVAC Maintenance Guide: What to DIY and When to Call a Pro 4. Install leak detectors and monitor for leaks Home leaks are often associated with freezing temperatures when pipes crack in the dead of winter. But heat waves can cause an opposite, yet similar, problem: Pipes can expand and damage their valves and other components, which also leads to leaks. Also, AC units can go into overdrive and may leak more than usual in your basement or garage. Most home security systems, like Abode, offer leak detector add-ons that you can place in susceptible areas to get alerts or alarms when water on the floor is detected. You can also find standalone units from Eufy and other brands. 5. Keep your outdoor home devices out of direct sunlight Cutting down on drafts helps keep the cool air inside. BanksPhotos via Getty Shade is your friend when placing outdoor electrics like home security cameras or outside sensors -- even robot lawnmowers. High temps can wreak havoc on batteries, make sensitive electronics overheat and may even cause plastics to melt. So when the temperature start shooting up, bring your electronics inside or into the shade until the hot spell is over. And please watch where you install your home cameras. 6. Check and replace your weather stripping Weather stripping refers to those small strips of felt and rubber at the edges of windows and doors. They play a vital role in home insulation: When they wear down or get ripped off, the gaps notoriously cause drafts. That's unpleasant in wintertime, but during a heat wave it can sap all the cool air that your AC has created, keeping your home from cooling down fully and increasing the risk of heat-related health problems. Prep for heat waves by checking weatherstripping and blocking any drafts from worn materials. You can find weather stripping yourself for a DIY project, but it's important to get the right kind to match your doors and windows. 7. Find cooler alternatives for cooking Keep kitchens calm and cool during a heat wave. Brothers91 via Getty Cooking and baking produce a lot of heat in the kitchen, so you may want to reduce those activities during a heat wave. That's why we have an entire guide on how to keep your kitchen cool when temperatures rise, including prepping meals beforehand or cooking late in the evening. Also, this may be a great time to check out meal delivery services. Read more: Don't Turn Your Oven on During a Heat Wave. Do This Instead 8. Search for electronics to unplug and stop using Large electronics can produce a lot of background heat even when they're in standby mode. When the heat gets really bad, try unplugging larger electronics entirely. That can include A/V receivers, game consoles, desktop computers and televisions -- depending on what you plan to use that day. On that note, refrain from running heat-producing appliances like dishwashers and dryers, or at least wait until nighttime when temperature drops. Read more: Heat Wave: Keep Your Phone From Overheating in Record Temps 9. Replace your lighting with smart lights Alexa Emergency Assist replaced Alexa Guard. Amazon There's one other surprising part of the home that produces a lot of heat -- your incandescent lights, which are terribly inefficient at using energy (touch one to find out). Newer LEDs (light-emitting diodes) found in smart lights create almost no heat and tend to last much longer. The key is finding high-quality, affordable smart lights, which is why you should head over to our list of the best smart lights available. Switch out those sweaty lights with LEDs and your house will start feeling cooler. 10. Create easy access to emergency medical services An Echo can help during a heat wave emergency. Amazon If it looks like someone is suffering from heatstroke or a similar condition, it's important to get medical attention immediately to help them out. Signs include lots of sweating accompanied by headache, nausea and disorientation. If someone shows problems like these, get them in a cool spot and contact emergency services. You can also bathe their feet in cool water to help them get relief. Some home security plans can make this easier. The Alexa Emergency Assist plan ($6 per month) is a good option, since it works with existing Alexa speakers and lets you immediately call for help and notify family emergency contacts with a command. That can be especially important for elderly relatives who may live alone and are more susceptible to heat-related conditions. For more temperature management choices, visit our guide to the best smart thermostats and look at the top DIY security monitoring systems. It's also a good idea to brush up on heatstroke safety and how to stay safe when air quality is really bad.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
RTÉ nursing homes exposé uncovers elderly residents being ‘manhandled', ignored and left in room for hours
A healthcare assistant working in a north Dublin nursing home described conditions there as 'sh*t', adding they would not place their mother there 'even if it's my last breath', an investigation to be broadcast on RTÉ television on Wednesday shows. The Beneavin House nursing home is one of two featured in an RTÉ Investigates programme where instances of alleged abuse and neglect of frail, elderly residents are shown. The faces of residents and staff are blurred in the programme, though voices are audible. Both Beneavin House and The Residence, Portlaoise, are operated by Emeis, the largest provider of private nursing home beds in the State. READ MORE Following concerns by a whistleblower, RTÉ sent an undercover reporter to work in the featured homes, to conduct concealed filming over eight weeks, until April. Emeis runs 27 nursing homes across the State, with more than 2,400 beds. The programme includes distressing scenes of frail, older people, some of whom had dementia, allegedly being manhandled, 'forced' down into chairs, being left in chairs for hours, being left in incontinence pads for so long their clothes were soaked, being ignored when they plead for help to go to the toilet and requests for simple activities like going for a walk being fobbed off. Footage from the RTE Investigates programme about the nursing homes. Image: RTÉ Footage appears to show chronic staff shortages, undertrained staff as well as shortages of basic equipment such as incontinence pads, sterile wipes and latex gloves. At The Residence, which can accommodate up to 101 residents and which costs €1,232 a week under the Fair Deal scheme, staff were told to restrict their use of incontinence pads, it is claimed. Due to staff shortages 22 residents were left crowded in a day room for hours, it is alleged, a situation described as keeping them in a 'holding area' and a 'deprivation of liberty' by experts interviewed. In an upsetting sequence at Beneavin House, which can accommodate up to 115 residents and costs €1,419 a week under the Fair Deal scheme, an elderly man was apparently forcibly directed into his bedroom and allegedly pushed down into a chair. He is heard calling 'help me, help me, help me' as the healthcare assistant says, 'keep walking'. He protests, saying: 'Stop making me. You don't know me.' After he is allegedly pushed into the chair, footage appears to show his trousers being pulled down and his incontinence pad being pulled from his groin area. One healthcare assistant, filmed speaking to the undercover reporter, says: 'I know you feel sorry and I feel sorry for everybody who are here. They don't go out. The activities is sh*t. All this system is sh*t, you understand? 'But this is how it is, you know. Ours is just to do our job and go home ... I wouldn't put my mother here, even if it's my last breath.' In a series of statements to RTÉ, Emeis Ireland said: 'The evidence of poor care delivery, improper moving and handling of residents, and a lack of dignity and breaches of residents' rights are deeply distressing. 'We have not and we do not tolerate any individual or systemic neglect or practices that compromise resident safety, rights or dignity. 'We are fully committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that these failings do not recur in our nursing homes.' It said it had 'launched a dedicated team to complete an in-depth review ... to immediately address' any identified failings. According to RTÉ, Emeis a French-based company, has more than 1,000 facilities, including nursing homes, across 20 countries. Its revenue was more than €5.6 billion globally last year. The Irish Times has asked Emeis Ireland for a response.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Water Tower Research Highlights Ainos' AI Nose Accuracy Breakthrough in Elderly Care Monitoring: SmellTech Gets Smarter
PRESS RELEASE: Paid Content from ACCESS Newswire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation. AI Nose accuracy in elderly care improved to 85% with additional Smell ID training AI-friendly healthcare policies to provide tailwinds for commercial rollout SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / June 3, 2025 / Ainos, Inc. (NASDAQ:AIMD)(NASDAQ:AIMDW) ... Published [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] AI Nose accuracy in elderly care improved to 85% with additional Smell ID training AI-friendly healthcare policies to provide tailwinds for commercial rollout SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA / ACCESS Newswire / June 3, 2025 / Ainos, Inc. (NASDAQ:AIMD)(NASDAQ:AIMDW) ('Ainos' or the 'Company'), a leader in AI-powered scent digitization, today announced that Water Tower Research ('WTR') has published a report highlighting a significant milestone in the Company's AI Nose project for elderly care. AI Nose has reached approximately 85% accuracy in excretion odor detection-improving over the recently met internal milestone of 80%. Key Highlights from the Report: AI Nose Accuracy enhanced through machine learning at scale: The improved accuracy is based on 254 subject events and 2,119 sample entries in Japan and Taiwan. WTR estimates AI Nose achieved ~92% sensitivity, supporting the platform's reliability for real-time hygiene monitoring in long-term care environments. Data-driven machine learning and AI model training contribute to the improved accuracy, underscoring AI Nose's ability to enhance detection with increased data input. Addressing aging population challenges in Japan and Taiwan: AI Nose offers a timely and scalable solution to the rising demand for senior care driven by the aging populations of Japan and Taiwan. In Japan, nearly 30% of the population is aged 65 or older, a figure projected to rise to 35% by 2040-creating an anticipated shortfall of ~570,000 caregivers. In Taiwan, the elderly population is expected to exceed 20% by 2025, with one of the world's lowest birthrates. AI-integrated healthcare policy tailwinds support AI Nose adoption: AI Nose is strategically aligned with major AI-friendly healthcare digital transformation initiatives, including Japan's Society 5.0 and HealthcareDX frameworks and Taiwan's long-term care programs. These policy tailwinds are expected to accelerate commercialization pathways and generate scalable demand for AI Nose in high-need healthcare settings. Commercial rollout targeted for 2026, with scalable Asia-Pacific growth potential: Ainos is advancing toward commercial deployment of AI Nose in long-term care facilities in 2026, following pilot testing through the second half of 2025. This timeline positions Ainos to capture early-mover advantage in Japan's aging population segment, with expansion opportunities in other Asian regions, reflecting AI Nose's scalability and regional relevance in addressing healthcare labor shortages and chronic care demands. Pioneering SmellTech in $29.8-billion E-nose market: Ainos is positioning AI Nose as a category-defining SmellTech platform at the leading edge of the $29.8 billion global electronic nose market in 2025. By combining proprietary AI models with advanced gas sensor arrays, AI Nose is designed to unlock new, data-driven applications across healthcare, industrial, and robotics sectors. This differentiated approach positions Ainos as a potential first mover in digitized scent detection, with scalable upside across high-growth verticals. Read the Full Water Tower Research Report Here: About Ainos, Inc. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Ainos, Inc. develops disruptive medical and healthcare solutions based on its proprietary AI Nose and VELDONA® technologies. The name 'Ainos' combines 'AI' and 'Nose' to signify the Company's commitment to enabling AI with the ability to smell and individuals to live healthier. The Company's clinical-stage product pipeline includes AI-driven, telehealth-friendly POCT solutions powered by AI Nose, VELDONA® human and animal oral therapeutics, and human orphan drugs. To learn more, visit . Follow Ainos on X, formerly known as Twitter, ( @AinosInc ) and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current assumptions and expectations of future events and trends, which affect or may affect the Company's business, strategy, operations or financial performance, and actual results and other events may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results, developments, business decisions or other events to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements in this press release. These factors include, among other things, our expectation that we will incur net losses for the foreseeable future; our ability to become profitable; our ability to raise additional capital to continue our product development; our ability to accurately predict our future operating results; our ability to advance our current or future product candidates through clinical trials, obtain marketing approval and ultimately commercialize any product candidates we develop; the ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates; delays in completing the development and commercialization of our current and future product candidates; developing and commercializing additional products, including diagnostic testing devices; our ability to compete in the marketplace; compliance with applicable laws, regulations and tariffs, and factors described in the Risk Factors section of our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and, except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of any new information, future events and developments or otherwise. Contact Information Feifei Shen [email protected] SOURCE: Ainos, Inc. press release
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Missing Person: Have you seen Jimmie C. Wraggs?
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Greece Police Department is asking the public for help in finding a 79-year-old man with dementia. Jimmie C. Wraggs of Greece was last seen leaving his residence at 8:05 a.m. on Monday, June 2. Wraggs is described as a 6'1″ Black man with salt and pepper short-length hair and a beard. He reportedly weighs 176 pounds and was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and a baseball cap. He was recently diagnosed with dementia and may be confused or disoriented. Officials say he is likely using his walker. Anyone with information on his whereabouts or sightings of Wraggs is asked to contact 911. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Three dead after fire in elderly ward at Hamburg hospital
Three people have died after a fire broke out overnight at a hospital ward caring for elderly people in north German city's fire brigade said they were unable to reach the three victims during the rescue effort. They died at the fire at the Marienkrankenhaus was reported shortly after 220 emergency workers were dispatched to tackle the blaze and treat patients. More than 35 people were injured. Two people were taken to another hospital in the city for treatment. One person has life-threatening injuries, said the fire added 18 others had suffered serious injuries and another 15 people had minor of the injured were treated in the Marienkrankenhaus's emergency room by hospital the first firefighters arrived, a ground floor room at the hospital was already ablaze and the fire was threatening to spread to the room in other rooms came to their windows to tell firefighters they were unable to leave due to the smoke. The building has four fire brigade said they used turntable and portable ladders to rescue patients, several of whom were elderly and had mobility patients were helped out through corridors with the aid of fire escape hoods, a breathing apparatus used by fire brigades in smoke-filled were able to stop the flames spreading to other rooms in the hospital. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
