Brian and Mark Johnson have officially launched StayHomeNY.com, a start-up business focused on providing remote monitoring technology to home care agencies, independent, assisted living and memory care facilities.
Using 4D thermal imaging technology, nurses, staff and family members can remotely monitor a senior living at home or in a residential care community 24 hours per day, according to the owners, who are brothers.
The senior is not required to wear a bracelet or lanyard there is no video monitoring, ensuring the senior’s privacy. The technology detects all types of falls (gradual, fast and concealed) and recognizes activity of daily living patterns, such bathroom use, in bed sleeping, or wandering in the middle of the night, they said.
Fall detection technology allows for quicker response times by family members and/or staff and the behavior pattern detection can help uncover if a senior is having adverse reactions to medications, dietary complications or has a mental health concern, according to Johnson.
‘NBT Guided Investor’ Launched As Digital Investment Tool In Partnership With Schwab
NBT Capital Management, a business unit of NBT Bancorp Inc., has launched NBT Guided Investor, a new digital investment solution in partnership with Schwab Performance Technologies.
Guided Investor is a digital solution that offers fully-online investment management capabilities. According to bank officials, accounts can be opened in as little as 10 minutes and are supported by a dedicated financial advisor.
NYRA Calls 2020 Race Meet Without Fans A Success, With Handle Topping $700 Million

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) successfully concluded its 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course without interruption and with all-sources handle topping $700 million for the second consecutive year, officials said.
The meet was conducted without spectators and with only a limited number of essential personnel, horsemen and owners on-site due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NYRA said all-sources handle for the 2020 summer meet totaled $702,535,468 compared to $705,343,949 wagered from all sources on Saratoga in 2019.
Average daily handle for the 40-day meet was $17,563,387. The 2019 meet, which was run across 39 days due to the cancellation of a day of racing due to weather, generated average daily handle of $18,085,742.
Spectrum Store In Queensbury Offers Mobile Products As Well As Place To Manage Bills

Charter Communications Inc. has opened a new Spectrum store in Queensbury.
The Spectrum store gives consumers in the area a convenient option for adding or managing their internet, TV, mobile or voice services, company officials said.
The new Queensbury store at 894 Route 9 is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
“Our Spectrum team is here to help our local customers who need support in getting and staying connected during these uncertain times,” said Pattie Eliason, senior vice president, Spectrum Stores & Retail. “They are working to make our new store in Queensbury a safe, convenient environment to add or manage services, shop for devices and accessories or make payments, while ensuring we adhere to current local and state health and safety guidelines.”
SUNY Empire State Offers Its First Doctoral Degree: Educational Leadership And Change
SUNY Empire State College has launched its first doctoral program in the college’s nearly 50-year existence.
The Ed.D. in educational leadership and change will prepare current educational leaders to advance their education and careers while learning how to lead positive change in colleges, universities and communities, officials said om Aug. 27.
As educational systems face mounting challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and a rapidly changing workforce, the program will address both day-to-day and long-term issues confronting educators to prepare them for leadership positions in higher education institutions, college officials said.
Glens Falls Hospital Partners With Company For Rapid Access To Virtual Care System

Courtesy Glens Falls Hospital
Glens Falls Hospital and aptihealth, an intelligent integrated behavioral healthcare company, have partnered to deliver rapid access to virtual care.
In providing aptihealth’s innovative teletherapy program to patients, Glens Falls Hospital is addressing a critical community need that has been significantly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
All of the patients at Glens Falls Hospital’s seven primary care practices can now access integrated physical and behavioral care through the aptihealth platform within days. The supportive care team model and patient-driven 90-day care program has been shown to decrease symptom severity by over 50 percent, resulting in improved health outcomes and reduced care costs, according to the company.
Business Report: Healthy Habits Help People Do Their Best

By Lori VanderVeer
Chances are, if you are reading this newspaper, then you are someone who is driven and business oriented.
Probably somebody who is an entrepreneur or someone who is committed to achieving the highest levels in their profession. I understand that mindset completely. I am that person too.
That is why I am so passionate about helping people achieve their best selves. It all starts with your health.
Oftentimes, it is the most driven people who tend to be the most unhealthy. Working as a physical therapist for over 30 years has exposed me to disease and illnesses that result from poor nutrition, stress and unhealthy habits. Over the last 15-20 years, the population of people I treat has increasingly shifted from simple orthopedic injuries to more complicated cases of patients who are simply “sick” with obesity-related medical illnesses and physical dysfunctions.
After Initial Lull, HVAC Companies Are Busy Installing Systems That Filter The Air

By Christine Graf
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing businesses and homeowners to become increasingly concerned about indoor air quality and the spread of airborne infectious diseases. This concern is having a direct impact on the global HVAC industry.
Many Capital Region companies experienced a significant slowdown in business at the beginning of the pandemic. Some, including Superior Co-Op HVAC of Cambridge, closed during this period. According to owner Gerald Davis, his company was closed for two months but experienced a surge in business after they reopened. He hired an additional employee and added a truck to his fleet to keep up with demand.
“When the governor closed down March 23, we closed up,” said Davis. “I laid everybody off because I didn’t know what was going to happen. In May, we were able to open back up and the floodgates opened up on us.”
Homeowners And Businesses Are Changing Interior Design Goals Since COVID Pandemic

Courtesy Lake George Design
By Susan Elise Campbell
Interior design generally follows style trends, the dominant one today being: Form really does follow function as people repurpose and refurbish their homes for office spaces, schoolwork stations and staycations.
“Home is supposed to be a restful place, but now we are trying to cram an office into the same four walls,” said Katelyn Moskos, founder of both Lake George Design and Northern Living NY, a vacation rental management company.
“People don’t know how to solve their design issues,” said Moskos. “They just know they are stuck in a bubble and want to be inspired and comfortable in the spaces where they live and work.”
Moskos said her trademark is working with textures, “such as having a soft material next to a heavy or dense one just for change.”
Business Report: Avoiding Chimney Fires

By Jamie Wallace
Chimneys are like septic systems. No one thinks about them until there’s a problem.
They are especially ignored in second homes and rental properties. A chimney can be a dangerous thing to forget, one that can cost you the loss of property and/or life. There are some simple steps you can take to drastically reduce your chances of ever becoming a statistic.
Step 1: Have your chimney inspected every year, even if you hardly use it. Chimneys change like children grow. Water, settling, and time will continue to alter the flue system.
Having your chimney inspected annually, and swept when needed, is the requirement given by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 211, Standards Codes for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances.
Step 2: Hire a qualified company with certified employees from the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA). There is no regulation for the chimney trade in New York state. Anyone can go and buy some brushes from a hardware store and call themselves a chimney sweep.