Smoke from the Chimney: The QuietCare Story

Professor Anthony P. Glascock, a leading sociologist and gerontologist at Drexel University, was traveling the world collecting information on how elders are cared for in different cultures. In rural Ireland, one man, Seamus, described his daily ritual for checking on his elderly father's health.

Every morning when he awoke, Seamus gazed across the valley to his father's house. If he saw smoke rising from the chimney, Seamus knew his father had gotten up from bed and was going about his routine. On mornings when there was no smoke, Seamus would pedal his bicycle around the valley to check on his father.

Seamus' story stayed with Dr. Glascock. Dr. Glascock's mother lived 1,000 miles away and was healing from a broken hip. He wanted to call her, but worried that at the first ring, Mrs. Glascock would leap to her feet and hurry to run to the phone, risking re-injury. If he didn't, how would he know she was alright? What Dr. Glascock needed was smoke from his mother's chimney.

Returning to Philadelphia, this is what he set out to create. Dr. Glascock turned to his colleague, fellow elder living expert David M. Kutzik, to help him create a system for caregivers to discreetly check in on seniors and weigh any emerging health risks.