CU Boulder Graduate finds an Innovative Way to Care for the Elderly
Marlo Vernon, CEO & Founder
Marlo Vernon, a Colorado University Boulder alumnus, discovered a common thread of concern for senior citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic. She recognized a need for a peace of mind from families who could not necessarily see their elderly family members as often as they would have liked to. Marlo relates an all too real scenario where loved ones would make daily phone calls to the elderly simply to see if they were still alive; this was a terrifying situation that she found a simple solution to, because “that’s not a conversation anyone wants to have.” Driven by her own concern for her grandparents while she was away at college and during the pandemic, Marlo, together with her father Todd Vernon, created CarePenguin (Home – CarePenguin).
CarePenguin is a noninvasive hot water sensor. No one wants a camera on in their house watching their every move; this hot water sensor shows activity in a house without that feeling of invasion of privacy. This mechanism detects every day procedures such as washing hands, brushing teeth, doing the dishes, watering the garden, etc.. By knowing that their loved ones are up and moving, families can go throughout their day with peace of mind. Marlo demonstrates an eye for a need in the community along with a solution to the problem. The CarePenguin app is simple and easy to use. By looking at an app on their phone, family members can see the last time a faucet was turned on. The app also senses lack of movement that alerts the user that it may be time to check in on their elderly.
Marlo’s mission to provide security within the home is inspiring to up and rising entrepreneurs like myself. She exemplifies the idea that you can help others and make money at the same time. At first thought, CarePenguin, didn’t make sense to me; but after further research, I saw how helpful the device really is. This shows me ideas that may seem “silly” or unhelpful at first, may have a different angle. Marlo and her father inspire me to reconsider ideas that I have downplayed in the past, and take a look at them from a different perspective.
Young Colorado entrepreneur dives into senior care with water sensor (thedenverchannel.com)About Us – CarePenguinHome – CarePenguin
This is such a great idea since it provides families with peace of mind while also not taking away too much privacy from grandparents. I can especially see a family with grandparents who live far away buying this product since visiting would be difficult and limited. Overall, I think it’s an interesting story and a good product.
What an interesting product to produce! I love that Marlo saw a problem and found a practical solution to it. I am curious what made her decide to monitor the faucets. I can see how it works, but what if you don’t use the faucet for a few hours? Like, you go take a nap or go outside? That might trigger concern for the family members, thinking they are not alright when they’re just taking a nap.
I love this idea, because it is such a non-invasive way of checking on elderly family members. The elderly family member gets to keep their privacy and independence, and the concerned relative gets peace of mind. This is a really innovative solution as it is a change from the usual way of monitoring through cameras or phone calls. I also like how it stemmed from personal experience with wanting to check on her own grandparents. Overall, I think she had a really innovative idea that could open up future ways of monitoring people for safety reasons.