Veterans Home Care Receives National Tech Award for SmartCompanion

Veterans Home Care awarded for bringing Alexa and IOT to older adults 65-100+ yrs old

ST. LOUIS, MO, USA, October 4, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Veterans Home Care (VHC) earned a Gold Award for first place in the 2022 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards. The awards represent the best of tech innovation in Home Care, Senior Living and Skilled Nursing.

A panel of expert judges, including 25 long-term care stakeholders, judged hundreds of nominations, assessing the programs for their overall value in improving resident care and services, impact, relevance, execution and creativity.

Veterans Home Care was recognized for its breakthrough technology called SmartCompanion. VHC took top honors in the Home Care Keep it Super Simple Category that highlights simple but effective applications of technology that improved the provision of care, services or operations.

Award winners were announced October 4, 2022 during the second annual McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit online event. The winning companies will also be feted at an in-person event October 17, 2022 in Denver, CO.

VHC and the SmartCompanion product stand out for the ability to replace outdated medical alert devices with an advanced voice-activated, Alexa powered medical alert system offering hands-free phone calls, video calls, virtual assistance, and entertainment. It enhances in-home care, reduces older adult isolation and delivers peace of mind to family members.

“We are humbled and excited to be recognized by McKnight’s for this special award,” said David Laiderman, CEO of Veterans Home Care. “SmartCompanion is designed to address ongoing caregiver shortages and increased demand from a growing older population. The system is pre-programed and tailored for each individual. Internet isn’t a problem. It comes with the appropriate connectivity for the home. To install, just plug it in and play. With this platform in homes, we’re now piloting added services such as our VoiceHealth app for remote patient monitoring.”

Friendship Village, a St. Louis area senior living community who piloted the SmartCompanion system, also received a Gold and Silver Award from McKnight's. The latter was for their adoption of SmartCompanion.

VHC first launched the product to their existing client base as part of their VetAssist Program. These are veterans or their surviving spouses who qualify for the Aid and Attendance VA benefit. For them, the product is branded VetAssist Companion and is covered by the VA benefit. The VetAssist Program clients receive an array of services including VetAssist Companion with no out-of-pocket costs. For all others who don’t qualify for VetAssist, the system is called SmartCompanion.

“Adding SmartCompanion LLC to the Veterans Home Care family of companies tremendously extends our footprint in senior care,” Laiderman said. “We can re-imagine home care by adding virtual components to increase affordable care options in a much broader market. We’re now marketing beyond our narrow niche of veteran families and have set the groundwork for a future move toward telemedicine and therapeutic care. VHC has several new and exciting products on the horizon which will be available to all seniors.”

ABOUT VETERANS HOME CARE
Veterans Home Care LLC, a woman-owned business headquartered in St. Louis, was founded in 2003 by Bonnie Laiderman to help qualified wartime veterans and their surviving spouses, apply for a non-service connected disability pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which can pay for assistance with activities of daily living in their homes. VHC’s VetAssist^® Program utilizes a network of more than 4,000 home care agencies to provide home care, matches them with caregivers and follows up to assure that the veteran or spouse remains in compliance with VA guidelines to continue receiving the pension. Veterans Home Care has helped more than 20,000 veterans or their surviving spouses to access VA benefits for the care they need. Veterans Home Care is not a government agency and is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs. For more information: https://veteranshomecare.com, 314-514-2444, info@veteranshomecare.com

ABOUT SMARTCOMPANION CARE
SmartCompanion Care LLC was launched in 2020 by the same senior care experts who founded Veterans Home Care to bring cutting edge technology and software solutions to disabled and older adults. The SmartCompanion system is a breakthrough hands-free phone and video calling system, a voice-activated medical alert device and a virtual SmartCompanion powered by Alexa. It reduces isolation keeping older adults engaged and enabling easy access to the internet. Each SmartCompanion system is pre-programmed and customized for each user. The identical system is branded VetAssist Companion for certain wartime veterans or their surviving spouses who qualify for the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit who can receive the Alexa-powered system with no out-of-pocket costs. For more information: https://www.smartcompanion.care, https://veteranshomecare.com/companion 855-488-1081 info@smartcompanion.care

Janet Jennewein
Veterans Home Care
+1 314-514-2444
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