Elite Care, based in Portland, Oregon, is an elderly care company that operates assisted living facilities in the Pacific Northwest. Their corporate offices are located in Tigard, OR, and they employ over 120 employees. As of July 2013 they house over 110 total residents. Elite Care currently operates three communities: Elite Care at Oatfield Estates, in Milwaukie, OR, opened in 2000; Elite Care at Fanno Creek, in Tigard, OR, opened in 2008; and Sylvan Park in Vancouver, WA, opened in 2013.
Communities
Elite Care currently "operates: three communities in Milwaukie, Tigard
Oatfield Estates
Elite Care at Oatfield Estates is a Residential Care Facility built in 2000 that specializes in memory and independent care. Located at 4444 SE Oatfield Hill Rd in Milwaukie, OR. Oatfield Estates provides care for a total of 72 Residents in 8 houses with conditions such as Parkinson’s, all dementia spectrum disorders including Alzheimer’s, and victims of stroke.
Fanno Creek
Elite Care at Fanno Creek is a Residential care facility built in 2008 that specializes in memory and heavy needs care. Located at 12353 SW Grant Ave, Tigard, OR, Fanno Creek provides care for a total of 24 Residents with conditions such as Parkinson’s, all dementia spectrum disorders including Alzheimer’s, victims of stroke, etc.
Sylvan Park
The newest addition to Elite Care’s properties, Sylvan Park’s 53,312 square foot Vancouver residential community, located at 2400 NE 112th Avenue, Vancouver, WA, includes 48 suites, with 12–15 residents in each of the community’s four houses. The construction project received a Platinum LEED rating and incorporates many "green" building concepts, including rainwater collection, zero migration site drainage, advanced interior environment, and energy management systems. The completed campus added approximately 50 jobs to Washington’s Clark County. The facility offers the same amenities as the other two.
Technology
Elite Care’s patented tracking technology is accessed via "Portals," and allows for Elite Care staff to locate and check on residents from afar. In each of Elite Care’s communities, pervasive sensors and staff assist residents in maintaining their independence, offering assistance as necessary and using sensors to monitor vital signs and health indicators. The facility’s networked sensors let staff identify residents who might need immediate care. Databases that monitor trends over time also reduce stress on staff members who must track the details of vital signs and medication status in delivering quality care. These sensors and databases also help residents integrate into the cluster’s social environment. The environment includes actuators that can respond to the activities and whereabouts of residents. Elite Care developed all aspects of their technology, including construction, care giving, and pervasive computing. Design goals included low-cost integration of technologies, unobtrusiveness, and an elder friendly software interface. The company’s advisory committee included representatives from the Mayo Clinic, Harvard University, Providence Health System, Intel, University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, Oregon Health Sciences University, Eindhoven University of Technology, and Sandia National Laboratory. Six primary stakeholder groups at Elite Care, each with its own set of needs and responsibilities, use the computing environments:
The Elite Care management team that monitors the staff and residents
The system has bolstered national media attention for the company.
Awards and recognition
Elite Care’s approach to resident housing, nutrition, staffing, activities, and technology has been nationally recognized by MSNBC, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. The latter writing that Elite Care is "One of the best examples of applied technology in U.S. long-term elder care" in their July 25 publication in 2002, and received positive attention as well from the Chicago Tribune and Wired magazine. Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News described Elite Care as "The model for the future of caring for aging parents." In 2001 Elite Care received one of 10 Computerworld Honors Program 21st Century Achievement Awards for their "smart home health care system" in 2001. They have also garnered attention from local media sources: The Oregonian applauded their "innovative blend of high technology and old fashioned family ties" in an article written on May 28, 2008.
