Verizon, Healthsense Team to Bring Home-Health Solutions to FiOS-Equipped Senior- and Assisted-Living Communities

NEW YORK, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon and Healthsense will help bring cost-effective wellness and health monitoring services to planned senior-living communities, under an agreement announced Wednesday (April 27).

The new services will be offered to senior- and assisted-living housing developments utilizing Verizon's advanced FiOS all-fiber-optic network.  Healthsense's Wi-Fi based technology systems will provide increased independence for residents and added assurance that they are safe.

(Note: Go here to view interviews with Verizon and Healthsense executives discussing the alliance and how it will help meet a growing need for wellness and health monitoring services in planned communities.)

With Verizon's help, Healthsense will market its home health-monitoring and response systems to those senior-living communities currently served by Verizon's FiOS network, as well as to prospective FiOS-served communities.  Healthsense will be responsible for installing and maintaining its systems.

"We look forward to the opportunity to introduce Healthsense to our multihousing communities currently without a home health care solution or without cost-effective systems," said Eric Cevis, vice president for Verizon Enhanced Communities, a strategic unit of Verizon that delivers FiOS to multidwelling facilities and new developments.  "Healthsense's nationally recognized wellness-delivery programs and devices are an ideal match for those communities that also have chosen to enable Verizon's FiOS network."

Under terms of the agreement, senior-living communities that are served by Verizon's FiOS broadband connectivity and are interested in installing or upgrading a home health care solution will be referred to Healthsense.  Healthsense will provide the monitoring devices and equipment, Wi-Fi technology, and 24-hour monitoring and maintenance services directly to the participating communities.

"The opportunity to partner with a company like Verizon, which is delivering its all-fiber-optic network to multihousing communities, gives our home health care technologies a high-performance and reliable broadband resource unmatched by other providers," said Brian J. Bischoff, president and CEO of Healthsense.  "The reliability of FiOS and the network's ability to accommodate future home health care applications attracted Healthsense to collaborate with Verizon."

The Healthsense services will be marketed to senior-living property managers and owners, beginning in May.

Among the technologies offered by Healthsense are:

• Health care alert systems to notify caregivers of emergency medical needs.
• Electronic health monitoring and medication prompts.
• Remote vital-sign monitoring systems.

The vast capacity of the Verizon FiOS network and the adaptability of the Healthsense Wi-Fi based technology allow the provision of the health monitoring response systems on either an apartment-by-apartment basis or over an entire community, regardless of size.

By enabling seniors to remain in their homes longer, while also enabling loved ones and caregivers to keep track of their day-to-day health needs, Verizon and Healthsense seek to give residents of participating communities more independence and an enhanced quality of life.  

Healthsense offers a variety of Wi-Fi based aging services solutions that are designed to lower the cost of care, increase the independence of seniors, and improve the experience of care providers and seniors and their families.

The Healthsense technology solutions enhance communities by giving care providers a flexible and scalable solution to deliver quality care.

The Healthsense systems can be expanded and adapted to the personal needs of individual residents of the communities or as they transition to higher levels of assisted living.

"Senior living communities continue to develop and expand in response to our nation's growing population of senior citizens," Cevis added.  "When coupled with their need for faster, more reliable broadband service, it only makes sense for Verizon to help these communities by joining them with Healthsense to secure a unique health care complement to their already diverse lineup of FiOS services."

Verizon Enhanced Communities provides developers, owners, managers and residents of multifamily and multihome planned communities with Internet, TV and voice services delivered over the Verizon FiOS network.  Verizon also offers these communities its FiOS-powered Concierge service.  Verizon Concierge allows residents to communicate with each other to set up carpools or clubs; quickly and easily schedule access to property amenities; set up services from local businesses such as dry cleaners and taxis; and make reservations or place a takeout order at a local restaurant.

About Healthsense

Healthsense Inc., based in Mendota Heights, MN, is a market leader in providing technology solutions for the future of aging services. Healthsense offers completely integrated solutions based on a standard Wi-Fi platform for Personal Emergency Response Systems, Wi-Fi wireless nurse call and remote safety and wellness monitoring. These systems are scalable, flexible and are proven across a broad base of installations. The flagship Healthsense product is the eNeighbor® system. The eNeighbor remote monitoring system utilizes a series of wireless sensors, placed throughout a residence, that learn a resident's daily routine and automatically call for help if the system does not detect the expected routine of daily activities.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 104 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon