New tech, new vision: Greatorex helps push for smarter home access

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In his new gig as a strategic advisor for DwellSafe, Jim Greatorex aims to help the company expand the customer base for its virtual home safety platform to home access and other professionals. 

“We’re looking at educating them on it,” he said. “Those that have tried it are getting positive results. Once it takes hold, it will take home access to a different level.” 

Greatorex was previously vice president of VGM Live at Home, where he grew a large national network of home access companies and vendors. 

HME News: What’s the need in the market for a platform like this? 

Jim Greatorex: The physician who is the primary driver behind DwellSafe is an oncologist. What he found was that the treatments for cancer – radiation and chemotherapy – weakened his patients, sometimes causing them to fall and have to go to the hospital. That made them miss their next treatment. He also knew that the timing of that treatment is connected to the mortality of the patient. He saw this time and time again. He thought there should be something that could prevent some of this. 

HME: What impressed you about the platform? 

Greatorex: This is a tool that can be used by anybody – the consumer, their family, the home access professional. You put in their diagnosis and any medical conditions, medications and mobility devices, and you scan the rooms of the house they use with your phone. It comes back with a report, including a percentage of their fall risk. 

HME: What measures are in place to make sure what’s recommended is appropriate? 

Greatorex: Every report has an occupational therapist behind the scenes to oversee it to make sure the AI is in line with what it should be. Everything is signed off on. 

HME: What’s the roadmap for increasing use of the platform in the market? 

Greatorex: What we’re hoping is health systems could order or suggest this be used at discharge. Eighty percent of the time there is a medical condition that requires a home safety upgrade. In addition to home access companies, there are real estate agents and firemen looking at using it. Firemen are called to the home all the time for people who have fallen. 

HME: What’s the ideal use case for the platform by home access companies, specifically? 

Greatorex: They can use this as part of their service to the client. They come into the home and use the platform to assess the environment and provide a complete overview of what they need. Then it becomes more of an educational tool vs. a sales tool. It results in sales, but it’s not really a sales tool. It clearly shows, backed by clinical and medical data, what the situation is. It provides transparency.