AtHoc Launches Emergency Alert System For Home Health Caregivers

A company with a background in emergency alerts and crisis communications is entering the commercial healthcare market by adapting a system previously designed for government operations and by introducing a safety app for home health workers.

AtHoc, of San Mateo, California, this week launched AtHoc Home Care Alerts, a system for monitoring the whereabouts and safety of home caregivers and the patients they serve. The mobile app, available for Apple iOS and Android devices, lets caregivers report when they arrive and depart patient homes and optionally send their location to supervisors if they feel they might be in danger.

The app features a duress button for home health workers to summon help, either for themselves or for their patients. “This gives them a mechanism to have a companion with them,” AtHoc’s senior director of healthcare operations and marketing, John Tempesco, told MobiHealthNews.