Smart Home Devices for Aging in place, Massachusetts
October 5, 2025
7 Powerful Smart Home Devices for Safer Aging in Place Families are increasingly turning to
Epic Nursing Services Brings Awareness to Massachusetts Communities
High blood pressure (hypertension) is a silent condition – most people feel fine but their arteries are under too much pressure. In fact, about half of U.S. adults have hypertension, but only around 54% have it under control acc.org. Untreated high blood pressure “increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death” cdc.gov. It can quietly damage organs over time, leading to heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and more who.int. That’s why understanding hypertension and raising awareness is so important. Epic Nursing Services – with our dedicated epic nurses and home health services – is working in Massachusetts to educate families about hypertension and how to manage it.
Hypertension means the blood pressure in your arteries is too high. The World Health Organization explains that hypertension is when blood vessels are under persistently high pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher). It’s very common but often has no symptoms – you literally can’t feel it, so regular checks are the only way to know if you have it. Major risk factors include getting older, genetics, being overweight, a diet high in salt, lack of exercise, and heavy alcohol use who.int. Many people learn they have hypertension only during a routine check-up or when a doctor points it out. The good news is that hypertension can be managed with lifestyle changes and, if needed, medication.
Even without symptoms, high blood pressure strains the heart and blood vessels. Over time it “creates a sense of urgency” because it can quietly harm your body bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com. As the CDC notes, unchecked blood pressure damages your heart, brain and kidneys, raising your risk of heart attacks and strokes cdc.gov. For example, people with both diabetes and high blood pressure have a fourfold higher risk of serious heart events. With nearly 1 in 2 adults in the U.S. having high blood pressure (and only about half of those keeping it controlled) acc.org, community education is critical. By understanding hypertension and its dangers, individuals can take steps to protect their health.
Teaching people about hypertension works. Research shows that education “increases patient understanding and self-management abilities,” helping people make healthy choices pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Community programs in other parts of the world confirm this: after attending local health education sessions, participants reported major lifestyle changes. One participant said the program “created a sense of urgency to take my BP more seriously”. Many attendees began eating healthier and exercising more after learning about blood pressure bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com. These examples show that when neighbors learn together – through workshops, support groups or community screenings – they gain the knowledge and motivation needed to fight hypertension.
Epic Nursing Services believes in education as prevention. Our team of epic nurses actively partners with local groups to spread the word about high blood pressure. For example, at the Brockton Council on Aging, Epic nurses host fun trivia games and information sessions – see “Jeopardy Trivia with Epic Nursing Services” in their event calendar container.mycommunityonline.com – and provide free blood pressure screenings. These community events make learning interactive and accessible, so people of all ages can understand why blood pressure matters and what they can do about it.
Epic Nursing Services offers a range of services to support individuals with hypertension, bringing education and care right to your community and home:
🏡 Personalized Home Health Services: Our licensed nurses and home health aides visit clients in Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Plymouth, Braintree, and surrounding areas. They perform regular health assessments (including blood pressure monitoring) and create individualized care plans. As our site explains, “We provide home health aides who are committed to providing compassionate care” with care plans tailored to each person epicnursingservices.com.
👩⚕️ Caregiver Homes (AFC/GAFC): Through Massachusetts’ Adult Foster Care programs, Epic places people in safe, family-style homes where they get daily support. Whether living with a trained caregiver (AFC) or in a group foster home (GAFC), clients maintain independence in a home-like setting. Best of all, these programs are fully funded by MassHealth. This means eligible families in Massachusetts can access these caregiver homes at no extra cost – a huge help for chronic conditions like hypertension.
❤️ Community Screenings & Events: We regularly offer free blood pressure clinics and health fairs in the communities we serve. Our nurses set up pop-up screenings at senior centers, churches, and local festivals, making it easy for residents to get their BP checked. As seen in the Brockton Council on Aging schedule, Epic Nursing led multiple “Blood Pressure” sessions – a model we use across Massachusetts. These events also include brief educational talks, so people learn about hypertension risk while getting a free checkup.
Through these efforts, Epic Nursing Services brings hypertension awareness directly into Massachusetts neighborhoods. Whether in urban Boston or small-town Plymouth, our epic nurses are local partners in health. We help patients navigate care programs (like GAFC), coordinate with doctors and social services epicnursingservices.com, and ensure every client has the support they need. Our goal is a well-informed community where no one is surprised by high blood pressure.
Preventing hypertension (or keeping it under control) often comes down to lifestyle. The CDC recommends these key habits for everyone:
Eat a healthy diet: Fill your plate with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and limit salt and saturated fats. A balanced diet – for example, the DASH eating plan – can significantly lower blood pressurecdc.gov.
Stay active and fit: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise (like walking, cycling or swimming) most days. Regular activity helps you maintain a healthy weight and lowers blood pressure.
Avoid tobacco and limit alcohol: Smoking raises blood pressure immediately and damages blood vessels; quitting is one of the best things you can do. Also, drink in moderation (no more than 1 drink/day for women, 2 for men) to avoid alcohol’s blood pressure effects.
Manage stress and sleep well: Chronic stress can keep your pressure high. Finding time to relax, sleep enough, and seek help for anxiety or depression can indirectly protect your heart.
We encourage everyone – patients, caregivers and neighbors – to practice these habits and get regular check-ups. Even simple steps like walking more or cutting back on salt can make a big difference over time.
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