MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

“I check on my parents any time and all the time. They make daily entries about how their day is going, what they did, and how they feel. I keep them updated with family pictures, messages, and how my day is going. We are building our virtual network of support.” - Dr. Annie Becker, assistant dean of research at Florida Tech’s College of Business and president of the school’s Women’s Business Center

OurVNS.com promotes health and wellness for families with members who are scattered all across the world

AFTER AN elderly Viera, Florida resident heard of Dr. Annie Becker’s research on using technology to assist caregivers of older adults, the man, who had been caring for his wife, approached the Florida Tech professor for help.

“He asked for a way to connect him to his  daughter-in-law to help with distance caregiving,” said Dr. Becker, assistant dean of research at Florida Tech’s College of Business and president of the school’s Women’s Business Center.

Becker knew what the man was going through, for she herself was geographically distant from a family growing increasingly frailer with each passing year.

As a Baby Boomer, she also realized that her health would soon require more of her attention.  “We’re at an age when we need to be proactive about our own health,” she said.

Like most families, Dr. Becker’s has its share of health conditions. Her aging parents both have health issues, yet phone calls back home  didn’t address those concerns. “Phone calls and e-mails to family back home are mostly about the weather, kids or birthdays,” said Becker.

Based On Years of Research
Moved by the man’s plight, Becker developed OurVSN.com, a free virtual support network site where family members and friends can track each other’s health.

DR. MARY BETH MINSER combined forces and research with her sister, Dr. Annie Becker, to bridge the technical divide that still exists with older adults. “It was designed with an aging population in mind.”

Becker combined her research on bridging the technical divide that still exists with older adults with the hands-on experience of her sister, Minnesota chiropractor Dr. Mary Beth Minser. “We joined forces to see how technology could be used for aging caregivers,” said Becker. “The idea for OurVSN.com is based on my years of research regarding technology for older adults. My sister urged me to take my ideas and turn them into a social network site so others could benefit from them.”

Anyone with a computer and Internet access can connect with the site to track aspects of their health, post pictures, blog on health issues and join community forums. “The basic idea is to let the user privately track personal health and wellness,” said Minser. “He or she decides what to share with others in a virtual support network.”

Users can be part of multiple networks that include immediate family, extended family and friends, as well as other individuals experiencing similar health issues.
The result is a site similar to Facebook or My Space, but focusing on promoting health and wellness for families whose members may be scattered across the world. “It connects families for their health and wellness,” said Dr. Becker. “It was designed with an aging population in mind.”

Site users can be caregivers or persons struggling with a health condition. It’s particularly useful for individuals suffering from chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia. “If you have a chronic health problem, this site is for you because you have to track so many things,” said Becker. “You are able to build a network.”

To assure the site’s ease of use, Dr. Becker used her own parents as test cases, since her father, a farmer, and her mom, a factory worker, were decidedly not techno groupies. “If my parents can use it, anyone can use it,” she said.

TO ASSURE the site’s ease of use, Dr. Becker used her own parents as test cases, since her father, a farmer, and her mom, a factory worker, were decidedly not techno groupies. “If my parents can use it, anyone can use it,” she said.

Her father, who suffers from advanced heart disease, records his blood pressure and pulse daily. Her mom discusses the quality of her day.  “It’s an opportunity for me to check on them,” said Dr. Becker. “If my mom rates her day as only fair, I can try to find out why.”

For Dr. Minser, who is her parent’s primary caregiver, the site offers support from siblings many miles away. “I’m starting to share in the caregiving,” said Becker. “I’m starting to share the load.”

Although she primarily intended the site for adult children with aging parents, Becker has discovered that OurVSN.com is also useful for younger families.

Becker’s teenage daughter, a freshman at the University of South Florida, suffers from chronic asthma. Through her daughter’s comments in the site, Becker learns how her daughter is coping with the disease. “I get to see her entries and they become a way of staying connected at all levels,” said Dr. Becker.

“I think there are a lot of parents out there who could use this. This is a unique opportunity to get involved and stay connected anytime, anywhere and for free. It does bring families together.”

To visit the site, log onto OurVSN.com

Related posts:

1. Scott Center at Florida Tech Probing the Mysteries of Autism
2. Florida Tech’s Rokach Receives Grant
3. Florida Tech To Host Autism Conference
4. Florida Tech Receives Grant For Alzheimer’s Disease Study
5. Radke Has the Tickets To Grow the “Network”