Tinley Park attorney Robert R. Salus and his family know first-hand the chilling effect an unwelcome phone call can have. Especially when the call is from an 88-year-old grandmother who says she was being held hostage in her home.

Salus' mother took such a call and wasn't sure if she should go to her mother's house or call for help. She knew her mother suffered from dementia.

Instead, she went online. Via cameras in her mother's house, she was able to see that grandma was alone and well. The cameras brought calmness to what started as a tense situation.

The online system that verified all was well was invented by elder law practitioner Bob Salus, a partner in Cossidente, Salus & Toolis, real estate broker and certified public accountant.

When his grandmother became sick, the Salus family feared that she would have to be removed from her home. Frequent visits by family members weren't possible.

Salus knew that his grandmother was a candidate for in-home monitoring, but he couldn't find a company to do it. Nor could he even find a system that met his requirements.

So he and his paralegal, Theresa Taccola, came up with “Senior Cam” late last year. It's a simple system that allows a caregiver to monitor an elderly adult by camera.

Senior Cam utilizes three cameras, but up to 12 can be accommodated. A password is required to monitor the system, which is Internet-based.

“This system can be accessed from any computer that has the Internet or even a cell phone with an Internet connection,” Salus said.

Additionally, a button on each camera allows for deactivatation of the system if the elderly person desires total privacy. The system can be reactivated remotely, however, if a caregiver thinks it has been off for too long.

Customers buy the system outright for $750 to $1,500 with no additional costs, except for the Internet connection. The system also can be leased for those who require short-term usage.

Salus said the main difference between his system and others is that most require computers in the homes of the monitored people. His doesn't.

“Only our cameras are in the house, along with a wireless router,” he explained. “They're very seamless and uncomplicated. The person being monitored doesn't have to do anything.”

Salus said some of the reasons why this type of system wasn't available before is simply a matter of advances in technology and people's lifespans.

“This type of technology wasn't available in years past,” he noted, “and it's only going to get better.

“We also know that age 80-plus is the fastest growing demographic. And 50 percent of those people in this age bracket are dealing with some form of dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

“So when I started Senior Cam, I thought about how much of a problem this is now and how much bigger of a problem it will be five years from now. And I kept coming back to the fact that it's only going to get worse.”

Salus and Taccola, who also used the system for her ailing father, understand the privacy concerns people may have regarding this system, but they offer the alternatives.

“You can have complete strangers living in your loved one's homes,” Salus said, “or you can send them to nursing homes where they'll have no privacy whatsoever.”

Attached to Senior Cam sales contracts are copies of privacy statutes about monitoring and video.

“Whoever buys our system has to let others in the monitored home know that cameras are present,” Salus pointed out, “so we're doing what we can to let the customer know what the laws are.”

Taccola adds, “The point of this system is to help, not to spy. Until you find yourself in this position, you just don't know how overwhelming it is.

“A parent or grandparent doesn't want to be placed in assisted living unless it's absolutely necessary. They want to stay home with their stuff and where they're comfortable.

“Certainly you want to do everything you can to honor their wishes and provide them with the best quality of life for as long as possible.”

Senior Cam allows a caregiver to be in two places at once. “It is as much for the well-being of the kids as for the parents,” Salus said. “Someone will get killed rushing to their parents house because they don't know what's going on.”

Feedback from those who have used the system has been glowing, he said, but he hasn't had much time to advertise or actively promote it. The word is slowly getting out, and he has a Web site, www.senior-cam.com.

“Our intention is to franchise it,” Salus said, “because this isn't just needed locally, but nationwide.” Some people have already contacted him about franchises, and others have inquired about becoming representatives.

Salus is now developing another system, called Home Cam. “This system will be geared toward people who have babysitters in their homes,” he said.

“Now parents will have the best babysitters in the world, because they will never know when you're watching.”