The Right Technology for Your Aging Parent, Not the Most Technology
Dignity-centered guidance from a gerontologist for families navigating aging technology at home. Based in Houston, serving families nationwide by video.
"Every situation is different. Let’s start with a conversation.” Schedule a Free 30-Minute Call.
What working with GTG looks like
Eleanor, 87 -Aging Well at Home
Heart disease, fall risk, medication complexity, isolation
“Eleanor’s daughter called me not after a crisis, but because she could feel one coming.
After spending time with Eleanor in her home, watching how she moved, where she held
on, how she managed her medications, I put together a plan built around her life, not a
checklist.”
What we put in place:
- Medical Guardian (www.medicalguardian.com) - Alert device with automatic fall
detection she never had to think about - Hero smart dispenser (herohealth.com) - Took the guesswork out of medications and
sent her daughter a quiet alert if a dose was missed - ViewClix frame (viewclix.com) - On her side table so a familiar face could check in
every day without Eleanor navigating any technology - Smart home sensors gave her family quiet visibility without making her feel watched
- Targeted home safety modifications addressing exactly where her fall risk was highest
Six months later Eleanor was still home. Her daughter told me she sleeps through the night for the first time in years.
No crisis. No fall. No ambulance in the driveway.
GTG does not endorse specific products. All recommendations are based on individual assessment.
Before the Device
Most families come to us ready to buy something. We start somewhere else. A device is the last resort, not the first move. Every engagement follows the same five steps, in the same order, and the person it is for stays at the center of every one of them.
What brought this up now
Every conversation starts with the real reason, which is often not the stated one. A fall. A missed medication. A phone call that went unanswered.
What is already working
Before anything new, we look at what is already in the home and what the smallest change would be. Sometimes the answer is a lamp on a timer, not a monitoring system.
The people around the decision
Who lives there, who visits, who helps, and who the person it is for trusts when something breaks. Including the pets.
What good looks like
Staying home, feeling safer, staying connected, keeping the dog, keeping the garden. The person it is for ranks what matters, not the family and not us.
The decision, made together
One clear choice, in the family's own words, with the next step already in motion before we hang up. Nothing is handed over as a list of things to do later.
Underneath all five steps runs one check we never skip. Is the person present in their own decision? Is what they want at the center? Is their preference honored over what the family, or we, would choose by default? If the answer slips at any step, we stop and go back.
The person it is for has used it themselves.
Not a plan delivered. Not a promise to set it up this weekend. The technology is chosen, working, and used once by the person it is for while we are still on the call. That is the moment the work is done, and it is the only moment we invoice against.
Decided Together. Set Up. Working.
Three ways to work together, depending on how much is on your plate right now. Delivered virtually, anywhere in the country, with in person visits in the Houston area on request. We start with your story, not a product list, and nothing is left for you to figure out after we hang up.
Technology Triage Call
Start here if you have one pressing question
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- 60 minute video or phone call with Dr. Mansfield
- One page written action summary within 2 business days
- Specific product and resource recommendations where they fit
OFFER 02
One Need, Set Up and Working
Start here if one thing needs solving now
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- A working session with Dr. Mansfield, your family, and the person it is for
- One decision, made together, on the call
- The technology chosen, ordered, and set up while we are still on the line
- We are not finished until the person it is for has used it themselves
- 30 days of email support
Your Home, Set Up and Working
Start here if there is more than one moving part
WHAT IS INCLUDED
- In depth virtual assessment, the full GTG family intake
- Your Care Decision Plan, written in your own words, as the document we work from together
- Every recommendation explained, including what not to buy and why
- Everything sourced and set up with you, never handed over as a list of tasks
- Two training sessions for the person it is for and the family
- 90 days of follow up support: email any time, plus up to three short calls whenever you need them
Add on: Ongoing Support, $150 per month. Quarterly check ins, priority response, and an annual technology review.
Questions Families Ask
Not sure whether you need a gerontologist, a geriatrician, or a care manager? Start here: we wrote a plain-language guide to who does what.
A gerontologist reviews your parent's health, daily routines, home layout, and existing devices, then recommends a short list of technology that fits how they actually live. No product sales, no commissions.
Not Sure Which Service Is Right for You?
We are happy to talk through your situation and help you find the best fit.