How a CT family-owned homecare company became a trailblazer in using tech to keep seniors safe

Imagine living in another town or state and being able to monitor your elderly or disabled loved one’s key movements in their house.

You’ll know when they open and close the refrigerator, when a door or window is opened, whether they get out of bed at night and, if so, when they return.

Medication taking a worry? You’ll know if that’s being done correctly too.

Technology being offered by a Connecticut home care company can do all that and more.

Assisted Living Technologies is a fast-growing component of Assisted Living Services, a family-owned, non-medical home care services company founded in 1996.

The family’s original Assisted Living Services, remains in the industry of pairing caregivers with clients, many of them seniors, who need help with daily living such as meal prep, mobility, light housekeeping, transportation, medication reminders, bathing, abd dressing.

For some clients, the state-of-the-art technology is enough. For others, a combination works the best.

All of it can now be monitored remotely by loved ones at as many intervals as they choose.

“They’re very grateful when we connect them with technology,” said Nick D’Aquila, chief information officer for the company and son of the founders. “I like that seniors give straightforward, truthful, authentic feedback. They’re not afraid to let us know what’s going on.”

Ron and Sharon D’Aquila founded Assisted Living Services in 1996 after they were frustrated finding the right home care for Sharon’s elderly grandfather who had Alzheimer’s disease.

The couple launched the non-medical homecare services company out of room in their home.

In on the beginning of a trend toward homecare assistance, the couple’s business grew “exponentially,” Ron D’Aquila said. A registered nurse, Ron D’Aquila left his hospital job to further the company.

Today the business serves thousands, both in person and through technology out of two office buildings in Cheshire of about 5,000-square-feet each and two others in Putnam and Westport.

When the D’Aquilas two adult sons, both with technology savvy, joined the business over a decade ago, the technology component began.

They found themselves on the ground floor of something big yet again.

Sons, Mario, now 36 and Nick, now 32, were youngsters when the business was founded and neither of them dreamed when they were younger that they would work there.

Mario D’Aquila is chief operating officer, running the day to day business and helping to further the technology branch.

“I love it,” Mario D’Aquila said. “I come to work every day with a mission to help people and grow our company culture though Connecticut and beyond.”

Mario said he and his brother have been around seniors their whole lives and he feels like they have hundreds of grandparents and great-grandparents filled with wisdom.

Nick D’Aquila oversees numerous components of the businesses as well.

Both hold bachelor’s degrees in construction management and master’s degrees in business administration.

Their fast-growing Assisted Living Technologies started with 26 customers and today they have thousands throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Ron D’Aquila said he feels “motivated” and “satisfied” when clients and their families say things like, “we gave them their life back.”

Although what they do with technology and homecare isn’t “health care,” it has an impact on health, he said.

“We’re driven by the fact that we have this responsibility to the community,” Ron D’Aquila said. “The boys (sons) are very in tune with what we do.”

He said the company strives to keep people in the homes where they’ve lived decades, rather than in nursing homes.

Ron D’Aquila said they have brought use of technology to “the next level” in the industry and, “We’re proud of that.”

Monitoring the refrigerator can create an indicator of eating habits and monitoring movements with a GPS tracker can tell how active the person is or where they are, he said, as examples.

There’s even the ability to monitor toilet use, which could give clues to all kinds of things, including the possible existence of a urinary tract infection.

Nick D’Aquila said their most popular products are those that provide medical alert in case of a fall or other predicament.

Remotely monitored technology can also tell a caregiver or concerned loved one when a door or window is opened or closed.

They also have a device that “looks like a round laptop.” Ron D’Aquila said, that beeps if medication isn’t taken, then follows up with a phone call to the home and to a loved one or caregiver.

Mario said they’re ready for the “ silver tsunami ” expected to hit in 10 years when baby boomers will reach ages 75 to 90.

The challenges, they said, are finding enough caregivers and getting Medicare to increase Medicare reimbursement for home services, as people are outliving their savings.

Mario D’Aquila has testified before the legislature in favor of increasing benefits for homecare.