Nine Finalists from IAGG 2017 Tech Day Pitch Competition

Technology and Aging – One Full Day Component from IAGG 2017.    The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) held its World Congress symposia (73 member organizations from 65 countries) last week in San Francisco, "key opinion leaders in health & social services, housing & income support, research & education, public policy, administration & other areas, disciplines, and professions that impact older people and affect their quality of life." As part of the symposia (billed "as the largest world conference on aging"), July 26 was 'Tech Day' and included a pitch event from the following companies.  The winner of the pitch event was Kinesis Health Technologies, and the 'people’s choice' winner was Life Assist Technologies.  Descriptions are from the companies' websites.

• AgeWell Biometrics.  "AgeWell Biometric’s core product is Equilibrium™, a mobile software balance assessment application that allows healthcare professionals to quickly evaluate postural stability. Equilibrium™ is revolutionizing the way seniors are monitored for signs of musculoskeletal, neurological and vestibular dysfunction.”  Learn more at AgeWell Biometrics.

•  Braze Mobility. "Our passion to create accessible technologies began upon visiting a long-term care facility. We noticed that several residents had limited mobility due to physical impairments, and were being denied powered mobility devices due to safety concerns. We have developed an add-on system that can detect obstacles and provide feedback to you and to others in your environment." Learn more at Braze Mobility.

• Care.Coach. "Our specially-trained Health Advocate team provides 24x7 patient support, wellness coaching, and intelligent reporting through our award-winning, avatar-enhanced care platform. By engaging the highest risk patients, care.coach helps providers to achieve multiple clinical and strategic goals with a single, easy to implement system.” Learn more at CareCoach.

• Ceresti Health. “We offer a 12-week digital health program to train and support family caregivers to provide proven, effective and appropriate care for a person living with dementia at home. We provide caregivers with a personalized, pre-configured, senior-friendly Ceresti tablet that can be remotely accessed and controlled by a coach, without need for a WFfi connection."  Learn more at Ceresti Health.

• FallCall Solutions. "The mission of FallCall Solutions, LLC is to become the premier innovator in simplified communication solutions for the geriatric population and their caregivers. Through these solutions, we aim to maximize elder independence and caregiver peace of mind. By creating them on mobile platforms already widely adopted, our focus is on building software based solely on the needs of the consumer rather than the trying to create and introduce new ecosystems into our customers’ lives." Learn more at FallCall Solutions.

• Kinesis Health Technologies. “Kinesis, a spin-out from University College Dublin (UCD), develops products that help prevent falls in older adults using wearable sensor technologies. Kinesis QTUG™, a Class I medical device, based on 9 years of research, is used by healthcare professionals to improve their ability to identify those patients at risk of falls and to prescribe an intervention, to quantify a patient’s response to therapy and rehabilitation, and to assess patients for neurological disorders.” Learn more at Kinesis Health Technologies.

• Lava Group. "Lava’s Behavioural Analysis solution utilises sensor based technology for the identification management and predication of agitation in patients with dementia or autism.  It provides non-intrusive monitoring with a focus on improving peoples’ lives.  It empowers patients and carers by giving them more control over their own health." Learn more at Lava Group.

• Life Assist Technologies.   "We focus on simplifying your life. For home care agencies and senior housing operators, our enterprise SaaS care management platform, Circura, streamlines communication and collaboration between caregivers and families.    Rosie, our voice-controlled reminder device, is designed to solve the very real daily challenges of memory loss and provides a simple inexpensive solution to remembering medications, appointments, and every-day tasks." Learn more at Life Assist Technologies.

• SMART Brain Aging Inc. "SMART Brain Aging, Inc. is a healthcare technology company delivering research supported programs, in-person and virtually, that reduce cognitive decline in aging brains. We currently offer two programs: Brain U Clinic and Brain U Online. SMART Brain Aging, Inc. was incorporated in 2016 with the backing of over seven years of dementia research and many years of design and development. The inspiration for the products we provide comes from the research of Dr. John DenBoer, clinical neuropsychologist, and is further fueled by the personal family experiences with dementia of both Dr. DenBoer and other company staff." Learn more at Smart Brain Aging. 

category tags: 

fall prevention, fall detection, dementia care, Family caregivers, IoT and home monitoring, assisted living, assistive technologies

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/nine-finalists-iagg-2017-tech-day-pitch-competition

Mary Meeker’s 2017 report highlights the health tech distortion field

Health tech future: you have to love the wording – and this time, the press ate it up.  Apparently at the time no one really noticed the 2016 Rock Health report on ‘willingness’ to share health data.  But times have changed. So Mary Meeker’s report, which everyone now quotes, cites that data as though it were important input for brands.  And now it is really and inaccurately famous. She opines, that of the 'brands well-positioned for digital health’ – the leader is Google.  The oft-quoted answer (see Tech Crunch “Pretty neat” insight): "Meeker’s report says a full 60 percent of us were willing to share our health data with Google in 2016."  That does sound pretty neat, huh? 

Into the reality distortion field went Mary Meeker. So what WAS the question that produced the graph that she bundled into this 365-page snoozer of a report: "With which tech company would you be willing to share your data?"  Never mind that this does not say "do you share your data?" Also, she does not bother with the tiny note that goes with this slide in the Rock Health report: "This question was only asked to those who answer "Yes" to being willing to share their data with a tech company at all." So ya gotta ask: what percent of 4,015 responders said they were willing to share health data with a tech company at all? That was a mere 8% (321 people).  And as for what ranked higher than a tech company?  The government, insurance companies and bio pharma firms. So maybe don't bet your savings just yet.

This so-called data is used to describe the significance of Silicon Valley's role in healthcare.  Okay, no more self-fulfilling prophecies offered up by Kleiner Perkins - a magnet for, uh, fellows (no really!). For those of you who have not had the opportunity, consider before giving up your health data to any tech company. First read up on the biggest 2017 health data breaches (as of July). Then if you must pursue heatlh tech innovation, contemplate the parts of the health innovation world that are not Silicon Valley and may not be hitched at the neighborhood hip with Google. Is there no place else?  Really? How about New York, Boston, Durham, or Miami? 

Next, if you are writing for Tech Crunch, the Verge or similar, heads up.  Go back to the data sources of wild-eyed assertions. It may be that Digital Health is our future, and likely it is even our present.  Too bad our doctor doesn’t want our fitness band data.  But remain optimistic! Apple will no doubt reveal the next big thing in health tech innovation from Silicon Valley. So wait for it. On the other hand will the people who have the most significant health issues and account for the greatest percentage of overall health spending be of any interest to The Verge, Tech Crunch, or others in the'unstoppable rise of digital healthcare'? Let’s go ask Mary.

category tags: 

health care, digital health, mHealth-Digital Health-Telehealth, baby boomers

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/mary-meeker-s-2017-report-highlights-health-tech-distortion-field

Seven technology offerings from 2017 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit

Startups and pitches – for funding and more.  Last week was the start of a boomer-senior two week marathon – the 2017 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, Business Plan Competition and associated pre-conference Boot Camps – to be followed this week by TechDay at IAGG 2017.  Here are seven that played a role at the Silicon Valley event in Berkeley, some just (barely, and not yet) starting, some related to the needs, including manufacturing, for startups. The material is extracted from the content of these companies:

• Blue Willow Systems. "As a senior you deserve to maintain a quality of life that includes independence, socialization and mobility. More and more seniors are moving into assisted living facilities and care homes. You and your family will want to ensure you are being taken care of in a safe, comfortable environment. Three primary concerns of seniors and family members who consider assisted living are safety, independence and peace of mind. The BWS Blue System provides the confidence to ensure your safety and superior care as a resident." Learn more at Blue Willow Systems.

• Flex. "A Sketch to Scale™ Solutions provider, Collaborative innovation is key to success in today’s rapidly changing world. Flex has built a robust ecosystem of innovation partners, which includes technology manufacturers, startups, software and application providers, research institutions, universities and Flex innovation labs. Whether your idea is fully developed or simply a back-of-the-napkin sketch, our ecosystem of experts will work with you to realize the full potential of your product." Learn more at Flex.

• FallSAFETY App.  "FallSafety Pro leverages powerful technology in your phone to detect sudden movements that indicate a fall. Precise calibration and the ability to manually cancel an alarm minimize risk of false alarms. FallSafety Pro features two distinct alarms. The first countdown alarm lets you know you have 45 seconds to say you are ok. The second siren alarm helps rescuers find your exact location." Learn more at FallSafety.

• Kytera.  "An advanced remote monitoring system for seniors who live at home, that automatically detects emergency and distress situations as they happen. The system is based on Contextual Activity Analysis technology and it consists of a wristband and easy-to-install sensors." Not yet available. Learn more at KyteraTech.

• Memory Well.  "MemoryWell is an online media company telling the stories of aging family members — and they don’t necessarily have to be suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. They partner with different retirement homes to tell the stories of consenting members (and families), and they also offer a consumer-facing product for families who want their loved one remembered, even if their loved one isn’t in one of these partnering homes. The stories are aimed at not only helping a family member keep the memory of their loved ones alive, but they’re also meant to act as supplements to questionnaires.” Learn more at MemoryWell.

• Mentia/Deva. "D​​eva is a dementia-friendly world for you and your loved one to explore. It's especially designed to encourage people significantly challenged by dementia to express and connect using a touchscreen tablet. DEVA (Patent Pending) is designed for a player and a supporter. Play together and share the journey - or you may find that once started, players manage without assistance. Supporters will gauge how much help is needed as their players explore the Deva world." Not yet available.  Learn more at Mentia.

• Neurotrack.  "At Neurotrack, our neuroscientists, neuropsychologists and engineers have validated and adapted Dr. Zola's breakthrough research into a 5-minute online assessment. We use your computer’s camera (webcam) to track your eye movements and viewing patterns while you watch a series of images on your computer screen. We analyze that data to give you a baseline score of your brain health and then, through future tests, help you track it over time."  Learn more at Neurotrack.

category tags: 

dementia care, assisted living, fall prevention, fall detection

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/seven-technology-offerings-2017-silicon-valley-boomer-venture-summit

Seven technology offerings from 2017 What’s Next Boomer Venture Summit

Startups and pitches – for funding and more.  Last week was the start of a boomer-senior two week marathon – the 2017 Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, Business Plan Competition and associated pre-conference boot Camps – to be followed this week by TechDay held at IAGG 2017.  Here are seven that played a role at the Silicon Valley event in Berkeley, some just (barely, and not yet) starting, some related to the needs, including manufacturing, for startups. The material is extracted from the content of these companies:

• Blue Willow Systems. "As a senior you deserve to maintain a quality of life that includes independence, socialization and mobility. More and more seniors are moving into assisted living facilities and care homes. You and your family will want to ensure you are being taken care of in a safe, comfortable environment. Three primary concerns of seniors and family members who consider assisted living are safety, independence and peace of mind. The BWS Blue System provides the confidence to ensure your safety and superior care as a resident." Learn more at Blue Willow Systems.

• Flex. "A Sketch to Scale™ Solutions provider, Collaborative innovation is key to success in today’s rapidly changing world. Flex has built a robust ecosystem of innovation partners, which includes technology manufacturers, startups, software and application providers, research institutions, universities and Flex innovation labs. Whether your idea is fully developed or simply a back-of-the-napkin sketch, our ecosystem of experts will work with you to realize the full potential of your product." Learn more at Flex.

• FallSAFETY App.  "FallSafety Pro leverages powerful technology in your phone to detect sudden movements that indicate a fall. Precise calibration and the ability to manually cancel an alarm minimize risk of false alarms. FallSafety Pro features two distinct alarms. The first countdown alarm lets you know you have 45 seconds to say you are ok. The second siren alarm helps rescuers find your exact location." Learn more at FallSafety.

• Kytera.  "An advanced remote monitoring system for seniors who live at home, that automatically detects emergency & distress situations as they happen. The system is based on Contextual Activity Analysis technology and it consists of a wristband and easy-to-install sensors." Not yet available. Learn more at KyteraTech.

• Memory Well.  “MemoryWell is an online media company telling the stories of aging family members — and they don’t necessarily have to be suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia, Newton-Small said. They partner with different retirement homes to tell the stories of consenting members (and families), and they also offer a consumer-facing product for families who want their loved one remembered, even if their loved one isn’t in one of these partnering homes. The stories are aimed at not only helping a family member keep the memory of their loved ones alive, but they’re also meant to act as supplements to those arduous questionnaires Newton-Small experienced.” Learn more at MemoryWell.

• Mentia/Deva. “Deva is a dementia-friendly world for you and your loved one to explore. It's specially designed to encourage people significantly challenged by dementia to express and connect, using a touchscreen tablet. DEVA (Pat.Pend) is designed for a player and a supporter. Play together and share the journey - or you may find that once started, players manage without assistance. Supporters will gauge how much help is needed as their players explore the Deva world.” Not yet available.  Learn more at Mentia.

• Neurotrack.  "At Neurotrack, our neuroscientists, neuropsychologists and engineers have validated and adapted Dr. Zola’s breakthrough research into a 5-minute online assessment. We use your computer’s camera (webcam) to track your eye movements and viewing patterns while you watch a series of images on your computer screen. We analyze that data to give you a baseline score of your brain health and then, through future tests, help you track it over time."  Learn more at Neurotrack.

category tags: 

dementia care, assisted living, fall prevention, fall detection

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/seven-technology-offerings-2017-what-s-next-boomer-venture-summit

Ten Tips For Launching A Product or Service - Updated July, 2017

So you want to launch a boomer/senior, home health tech product, caregiving marketplace, or caregiver advisory service.   Or other.  As your new company gets ready to travel into battle at this week's lively Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit pitches, or the following week, or whenever, it is time to for you to revisit this guidance. Perhaps some time soon, your new or existing company will officially launch its product or service, or perhaps a long-awaited, over-described and much-anticipated offering will finally ship. First read the AARP-sponsored Challenging Innovators or Caregiving Innovation Frontiers research reports -- studying the example offerings and check out their staying power in the market. Then look over this updated checklist that continues to hold true – with a few links that are merely examples:

1) Is the website crisp and clear -- and appropriate? Start with the home page that has modest and friendly graphics and images (not a ransom note with 27 different font size and colors) to identify what the product or service does or is. Don't lead with fear-generating images or force the viewer to start with a video. If you want the reader to recognize that older adults are key to this market, don't limit the site to pictures of children (even if families could also benefit). Paragraphs of terminology seem to be a thing of the past, but the reverse doesn't make sense either -- a single graphic, no text, designed to be viewed on a smartphone. Make sure to specify how it works, for whom, with multiple tabs for multiple markets, and device-appropriate viewing. And what if anything is differentiating (mobile, self-install devices, no-install software, cloud-based, integrated with other health-related data, wearable or no-need-to-wear, works with any phone, leading call center supported, etc.).  To encapsulate the impact of a product, very short videos (< 30 seconds) are good, videos of actual use are best. Unless the customer is an IT buyer, forget about putting the architecture diagram near the home page.

2) With every new launch, is there a press release? A single release is inexpensive on Business Wire or PRNewsire -- content that will surface on newly-created Google alerts long after the launch date -- and may live on somewhere even after the company is long gone.  Not a PDF file attachment, not a Word file, but a viewable (online) press release with links, kept under 1 page, that is found under your website category of PRESS, MEDIA or NEWS. Ideally the date of this release is within the last year. Descriptive titles are a must -- multi-line titles are ridiculous. To be perceived as an ongoing concern and not have viewers speculate about whether the company is still in business, a press release should be issued for every significant business change, including new executives or customers, moves to new offices, etc., with at least one in the past 3-4 months. If the firm has exited from its previous or current business, please, please, PLEASE remove the website – or leave a placeholder saying the company is now part of another company (see Lively and Healthsense) and then redirect to the new site. Delete content announcing an upcoming presence at 'future' events that have happened long ago.  

3) Are executives identified in 'About' the company? What's the point of keeping the identities of founders and executives a secret unless there's something to hide? This is as true of offerings that sell through resellers as those that sell direct. (For an example, see an About Us that is not, uh, About Us.)  Everyone has a bio -- even or especially if prior experience comes from other industries. There is absolutely no reason to have to search Google or send e-mails to Info@XYZ - co.com in order to find out who is running the place or tease out that XYZ- co.com is actually a subsidiary of GIANT - CO.com or to call in order to find out that the real service is provided by another company, not identified on the website. If the executives or founders can't be found anywhere, can this be a reputable company?

4) Can you get even a short article in a local publication? You're launching a business -- and the local business press is looking for entrepreneurs to write about who can make the home town folks proud. This becomes Article-1 under the In the News/Media section of the website.  Article-2 will be a news item placed by others about your company and its partnerships;  article-3 will be about customers or presentations by executives at trade shows and how boomers-turning-senior will change the market landscape forever (or something similar). Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – so pick an approach of a company you admire – and follow their structure for news and media updates. And finally, don't forget about this section a few months later -- it's not good to click and see rapidly aging news -- or search for the company and find that it is shutting down.

5) Is the actual product or service going to be available near term?  My definition: by the official launch date, some stages of evolution are complete or within a few weeks of completion. For example, there's a working prototype (i.e. no known installation or operational defects); there are identified manufacturers; committed partners; an initial pilot is completed to validate usefulness; the pricing is clear; power requirements are clear; the software works; the product registration and installation processes have been established and validated. It's not okay -- and I would argue a waste of money -- when the product or service can be described, you can do a demo, but resellers and customers won't be able to get their hands on it for 6, 9, or a number of months later -- only to see the vendors involved lose interest. This is particularly odd in the robotics space, where announcements long predate progress by many no-end-in-sight years.  Momentum is lost, especially if the reason for the delay is that it DOESN'T WORK!  Pre-orders seem to be all the (Indiegogo) rage as a marketing tactic -- hopefully the ultimate offering on whatever date doesn't result in the outrage of inappropriate expectations. 

6) Software vendors -- design with market input (not your grandmother's!). Prospective B2B buyers are jaded -- they've seen many variants of software, for example, for home care services, senior housing, or non-profit segments. Despite the fast-follower mania in home care marketplaces, these are not industries ready for 'if we build it, they will come'. And I hear too many entrepreneurs say the following: "In my personal experience, my family had issues with (fill in the blank) with my own (grand)parents, therefore my offering will address those issues by (fill in the blank)." For most participants in the aging-related industry, a personal experience underpins the enthusiasm to be in this emerging space. If that is a given for your company, shake it off -- validate prospective value through interviews, surveys, and follow with software design or website walkthroughs -- before casting the solution into the concrete of release-ready code.

7) Service providers -- what's different, who will buy, at what price, where do they live?  With an inbox filled with "we are introducing a new service for (pick one -- finding caregivers, housing, helping families, seniors) that will be the first comprehensive guide/service to (fill in blank)". But really, there is no need to do a nationwide media launch of a service that is initially only available within a single geographic region or has a come-on-in website but is not available. And don't be like the abruptly defunct and long-evaporated WellCore, a presumably consumer-oriented technology that could be pre-ordered before the bugs were debugged -- but launched at a long-ago CES with great fanfare. We should know better: if something sounds too cool to be true -- it could be just be a flutter of fluff - or a Best Buy reincarnation from a prior life.

8) What's that category -- and is it part of a larger home ecosystem?  If there is an ecosystem, is your offering part of it and can join the existing one, armed with new software? It helps press, analysts, investors, prospective partners and resellers understand the category placement and not have to inquire amid a sea of obfuscation and inappropriate terminology. Is this a home health care service or a companion care service? They are licensed differently -- does the firm offer both, at different prices? Is this a tool for chronic disease management (not exactly 'wellness') or is this one for tracking a fitness regimen (sounds like wellness)?  And medication (reminders? dispensers? advice on drug interactions?) management, compliance, adherence? These are all headed for the descriptor junk pile for lack of clarity. Finally, as with fall detection, is this product really a feature of other products or is it viable on its own as a solution? As with a new variant of sensor-based home (health) monitoring, is this a category, even if it is renamed IoT or Digital Health? And if this is the revival of a previous movement, like smart homes, or it fits into a larger ecosystem (Apple, Amazon, Google, etc.) are new-aged versions more intrusive, and are they worse at protecting privacy and your data?

9) PR team -- please do the research in case your clients don't tell you much.  In the category of baffling, I've received requests to tell me all about a vendor, an offering, a launch that I've already written about or mentioned for months (or is even one of my clients). Just because it's Day One for you, the PR firm, and you're really new to this space, doesn't mean that your client and offerings are heretofore completely unknown. Please search the Internet first. Perhaps you are helping to inform about a new release -- and the news is, actually, new. Or it is not new, just repackaged. Just know what has preceded it -- and build upon prior activity. Anything else reflects poorly on the company that hired you. 

10) As for the non-launch launch, what if market interest happens anyway? Occasionally it really is day 1 and you didn't do any of the above steps -- maybe because you just won a prize. You have no market visibility, no website presence, but you've networked at an event and may even be creating a category from scratch. Or suddenly you are called by a nationwide media outlet because a friend of a friend is friends with a reporter. Or your still-testing university research program -- like Jibo, for example -- is doing something interesting that may be ready for purchase, like a caregiving robot or a now-defunct avatar -- within another year or two or three. Can you offer up a customer or user to interview, can you say how your offering fits into the marketplace (current use of your product, who are other players, market size if available, and target audience)?  And most important, can someone in this very needy market actually buy that robotic cat? (Good answer: Yes).  If you're not ready, say you're not ready. You know that there is a gap in capability in your target market and your company is just the right company to fill that gap -- and even better, do it with software on an existing platform. No need to rush or launch too early -- because that's the thing about an emerging market to serve an aging population. The customer segment will be around for a very long time. This time, let's not disappoint them.

Hope to see you at the Silcon Valley Boomer Venture Summit in Berkeley this week!

category tags: 

IoT and home monitoring, voice technology, fall prevention, fall detection, Family caregivers

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/ten-tips-launching-product-or-service-updated-july-2017

Five Tech and Aging Blog Posts You May Have Missed

 It’s summer – and the reading is easy.  But there are many opportunities to fall out of touch with what’s happening in the world of tech and aging – for example, in the market innovation category, most recently there have been announcements about robot offerings for seniors, and some new capabilities for sharing photo content that can help record moments of our family lives that may soon be lost.  In the spirit of sharing, hoping that those who can are going to attend the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit next week, July 20, in Berkeley – if so, will see you there!  Meanwhile, here are five other blog posts from the past month that you may have missed:

Movin' up – so goes the definition of old age. Maybe this confirms what you have already observed, and the Society of Actuaries (which also uses Social Security Life Tables) has also calculated. According to Stanford economist John Shoven, the definition of "old" is rising, ridiculously compared to the 1920s, but very interesting, nonetheless. Says Shoven: For women, "old" is approximately age 73, with women transitioning out of middle age at 65. For men, he asserts that "old" is around age 70, with transitioning out of middle age at age 60.  The assumption underlying this are based on "risk of dying" within 1, 2 or 4 years. If it is 1% or less, a person is is middle-aged. Good graphic, and no surprise, it's another document in the litany of advice for deferring Social Security payments until late, late, late, despite the actual behavior in which 42% of men and 48% of women are claiming it at age 62.

New York: Largest city in the US shows a path for an aging society.  New York has long been a host and leader in supporting older adults, from being a WHO Age Friendly City, to acknowledging the presence of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) starting in 1994, to being the home of the first Virtual Senior Center (VSC). In addition, technology leadership initiatives have been offered via SelfHelp in Queens, and Senior Planet, a technology exploration center that offers tech training for adults 60+. So many people aging, many needing the skills to find and keep jobs. So they utilize services like OATS and Senior Planet, or senior centers, training in libraries, carrier stores and online sites like AARP TeK Academy.  

Boomers and technology – it’s a given.  Yesterday yet another baby boomer reporter asserted what is believed by many to be the obvious.  Baby boomers will not be tech-phobic (presumably like their parents) – but will be willing and able to use the newest technology in their later years.  What’s the proof?  They use it now – for example, 83% are using the Internet, look at Facebook pages for health information, form social connections, research online, etc.  And baby boomers, many of whom are now ‘seniors’, expect technology to help them remain independent as they age. This is such a significant possibility that tech designers are actually encouraged to consider them when designing a new product.

Dial-up lives on -- and not necessarily out of preference. You may have read this last week: Rural America is stranded in the dial-up age.  That was disturbing on multiple levels, starting with the obvious.  Even people who could afford better access can’t get it – they drive to a gas station parking lot to obtain Internet speeds fast enough to do online business. Study the map in the article and ponder the status of elderly who live in these low-bandwidth locations. The article notes 23 million people (39% living in rural areas) who lack access to any type of broadband. Older adults make up a larger percentage of rural Americans, 16% than in the US as a whole and “people aged 75+ are more likely to have chronic diseases and disabilities."

Technology gadgets – ecosystem incompatibility.  Look around a very digital home filled with parallel and incompatible ecosystems – and sigh.  So many parts, so little integration – it seems vendors compete to death to NOT work together. Consider iMessage – like insider trading, it works well for iPhone execs and phone owners. Consider Bluetooth – it must be turned on so a device can pair with that cool in-room speaker, but turned off to save energy.  Really. A smartphone isn't witty enough to know that it is in the room with a Bluetooth-compatible speaker or fitness band and perhaps should be enabled? And not smart enough to turn bluetooth off when the phone departs the room? But the device is now smart enough to suggest a WiFi network to pick -- in fact every time your car passes a location that has WiFi enabled.

category tags: 

baby boomers, Aging, cell phones, smartphones, computers, internet and social networking

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/five-tech-and-aging-blog-posts-you-may-have-missed

Robotics and older adults – in 2017, are we there yet?

Investor money has forever flowed to innovation in robotics. Robots on the Digital Health at CES offered a view of what was new then in human-like robots, the most charming was Anybots QB, now QB2 – which would ‘go to the office for you.’   In fact, this ‘telepresence’ robot begs the question, what’s a robot anyway – is it a ‘machine controlled device through an external or (usually internal) computer, often equipped with audio, visual, and/or tactile sensors as well as other devices and tools to perform one or several programmed jobs.’  Oh yeah.  They can be autonomous, like the iRobot one for the military – working on their own.  Like Anybots, they could be a telepresence robot – a “remote controlled, wheeled device that has wireless internet connectivity.”   And the market for all types in healthcare globally some say is $2.8 billion.

But what about seniors – have they benefited from well-funded robotics’ innovations?  Not so much, and not yet. The question might be, will they? It is certainly not for lack of trying, and not for lack of need. Each of the attempted applications have been focused on solving a real problem, whether it is remote consultation with a physician or caregiver, providing emotional support and companionship, or assisting a senior with an otherwise impossible task.  There have been a number of senior-focused initiatives in the past decade -- from Japan’s Paro the Seal (initially $6000), Cyberdine’s HAL to Softbank’s very charming NAO, under development since 2006 and a great hit at summits. There have been a few publicized senior-related use of robots, including used for telepresence in a senior living community, a great use to connect seniors to long distance family. 

How do smarter table-top devices impact the table-top robot?  Consider the Amazon Echo Show – a tabletop unit that enables speaking to, i.e. dropping in on, long distance family without typing or swiping.  Now consider that it is $299.  The Kubi robotic swivel stand, used for remote directional positioning, was offered in 2016 with grandPad, is currently priced at $699. Oops, and that’s without the tablet, and Revolve Robotics seems to have, uh, repositioned into telehealth. Meanwhile, several well-funded initiatives seem to have focused on the table-top version. The most notable of these are Jibo, recipient of $72 million (!) of funding to date, and Intuition Robotics’ ElliQ, recipient of $14 million Series A funding, announced July 11.

For seniors and those who serve them, what makes sense moving, uh, forward?  Remote control navigation of tele-presence robots (essentially video conferencing on a remote-controlled stand) seems to make sense in hospitals, where remote consultation/sharing is a necessity. Possibly useful in senior living communities with the right tech support from staff.  Perhaps useful for physical therapy rehabilitation (post stroke, for example). As for the social robot, like ElliQ and Jibo, it would make sense to leverage that investment in software, now that Amazon’s Echo Show has reduced the utility of a tabletop robot, into migrating it to interactive and mobile robots that can help and interact with various seniors in resource-constrained areas, like senior Emergency Rooms, Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Assisted Living Memory care units.  How they are managed, administered, charged up, stored, safely navigated – all that remains to be revealed.

category tags: 

robotics, Boomer-Senior Tech Business, Seniors, assisted living

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/robotics-and-older-adults-2017-are-we-there-yet

Healthy Lifestyle Tips for Adults

If you’ve been dealing with aches and pain for any time, you may need to look at your overall lifestyle and how you’re eating. Everyday habits of living have a huge impact on how we feel day to day and your health in general.

We’ve all heard it before but, for many, attention is not paid to the little things in life. These are probably some of the same things you hear in the back of your mind (in your mother’s voice no doubt) about how to stay healthy and happy.

Have a look at the following stories and don’t skip the video at the end. Start with one or two things you read or hear and try to work them into your daily routine. It may take a week or so, but, you’ll feel better that you started.

 

Tips To Stay Healthy Throughout Your Life

 

George Jedenoff can’t believe he’s 100 years old and if you watch his birthday party, you’ll agree. He marked the big day this month by skiing in the summer snow.

“I couldn’t find a better present on my 100th birthday,” Jedenoff, who has been whooshing down mountains for 57 years, told a crowd of fans gathered on the slopes of the Snowbird ski resort in Utah.

Born in Russia on July 5, 1917, Jedenoff came to the U.S. in 1923 after his family fled the Russian Revolution and settled on the West Coast. He graduated from Stanford University, where he met his wife, “the most important thing in my life,” he said. They married in 1943.

What keeps him going? Here are his four rules for a good, long, healthy life:

Jedenoff and his wife have been married for 74 years. “She is the best thing that ever happened to me in my whole life,” he said.

For the last 30 years, Jedenoff has made it a priority to exercise every single morning.

He uses some “junky equipment” in his home to work out, but it’s not important what kind of equipment you have — the main goal is to work your muscles with resistance training, he said. Jedenoff does exercises for his legs, arms, abs and back. He also gets his heart pumping with the help of a few cardio machines or by jogging on his patio. His daily routine takes about 45 minutes.

Make sure to balance your life and include meaning as well as pleasure, Jedenoff advised.

Read more…

 

A Few Very Simple Steps Can Lead To A Healthier Lifestyle

More than ever people are choosing healthier lifestyles, and why wouldn’t they when it’s something we should all be aiming for in order to look, feel and be as good as we can.

And it’s not too difficult to do.

Incorporating simple health-supporting habits into your daily routine will assist you with prevention, so Skin Online pointed out five routines to get you started:

– Put sugar on hold “forever”

Simply put, sugar is as toxic as poison to the body, it undermines all the bodies natural processes and raises the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Sugar is the number one cause of inflammation in the body and as such should be avoided at all costs. The challenge is finding foods that exclude sugar, mainly because it’s a key ingredient in just about every processed food imaginable.

Healthy lifestyles include whole foods, as in that which grows in the ground, goes bad if not refrigerated, or has a limited shelf life—so, yes, not those foods which are so man-made that they do not perish. Instead of worrying about food labels and all the unpronounceable ingredients on them, rather choose fresh and organic produce. Make your own soups and sauces, so that you can control the ingredients and avoid any packaged foods.

Modern life and office jobs make for a sedentary lifestyle, making exercise a vital part of a healthy lifestyle. If you’re a beginner, why not hit the gym, or even better hit the great outdoors and start by walking at lunchtime or after dinner? At the office, commit to moving five minutes out of every hour, be it a lap around the office, a bathroom break or even fetching your favourite drink of choice.

– Sleep a little longer

Sleep is not overrated. In fact, studies now show that proper sleep is more important than ever before. It’s time to relearn and re-implement what was once the norm – in other words, a minimum of eight hours sleep per day.

Via 2oceansvibe.com

 

Healthy Eating Tips For Adults

 

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from Back Pain Relief, http://www.xbackpain.com/healthy-lifestyle-tips-adults/

Prolonged Sitting Can Ruin All Your Gains In The Gym

We all know the harmful effects of sitting for long and is not good for our health. People with desk jobs often suffer from upper back issues. But a new research now shows that sitting for long at one place is harmful even if you exercise regularly.

Regular exercise, particularly higher levels of physical activity, appears to blunt these harmful effects somewhat but may not eliminate them entirely. An analysis of more than a dozen studies concluded that we need at least 60 minutes a day of moderately intense exercise (such as brisk walking, doubles tennis or ballroom dancing) to counter the increased risk of premature death due to prolonged sitting.

But another study found that the same amount of exercise which is more than most physically active people get doesn’t undo the negative effects of sitting on insulin levels and blood fats. The damage from prolonged sitting is thought to be due to reduced muscle activity, especially in the large muscles of the legs and back, which can decrease the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and remove harmful blood fats.

see more: Prolonged Sitting Can Ruin All Your Gains In The Gym

How You Can Prevent Lower Back Pain This Year

…
2. Take breaks from sitting.

Between long car trips and watching the kids at the pool, summer can be a season of prolonged sitting. According to a 2015 study, there is a significant relationship between total sitting time and low back pain. The researchers included sitting for recreational and leisure purposes in their study.
…
4. Stretching
Stretching has been shown to be an effective method to prevent low back pain. Regular stretching works by increasing flexibility and thereby decreasing pressure on the back, especially uneven pressure resulting from poor flexibility. Developing the right stretching program will help you to build strong and flexible muscles that will help to prevent injury.

See More: https://www.healthcentral.com/article/ways-to-prevent-low-back-pain

See original post here: Prolonged Sitting Can Ruin All Your Gains In The Gym

from Back Pain Relief, http://www.xbackpain.com/prolonged-sitting-can-ruin-gains-gym/

Independence Day – How Old Age is a (New) Number

Movin' up – so goes the definition of old age. Maybe this confirms what you have already observed, and the Society of Actuaries (which also uses Social Security Life Tables) has also calculated. According to Stanford economist John Shoven, the definition of "old" is rising, ridiculously compared to the 1920s, but very interesting, nonetheless. Says Shoven: For women, "old" is approximately age 73, with women transitioning out of middle age at 65. For men, he asserts that "old" is around age 70, with transitioning out of middle age at age 60.  The assumption underlying this are based on "risk of dying" within 1, 2 or 4 years. If it is 1% or less, a person is is middle-aged. Good graphic, and no surprise, it's another document in the litany of advice for deferring Social Security payments until late, late, late, despite the actual behavior in which 42% of men and 48% of women are claiming it at age 62.

Living and working longer.  How long do people work?  In Japan, a very long time, including working at age 85. The country is now subsidizing companies to hire older workers – a change from its previous push-them-out rigidity – turning workers into contractors at age 60. In fact 23% of Japanese aged 65+ were working as of 2016, though many of those jobs were low-waged. In the US, according to Pew Research in 2016, the percentage was 18.8% (or nearly 9 million people) were working -- could that percentage rise in times of high employment and lengthening lifespan? Unlike the Japanese, the Pew stats show that older workers, with the exception of home care/personal care work, are likely to have better jobs than the older Japanese.

So what work are real people doing? What jobs are recommended for older workers?  For those looking for work, here is one not-too-creative list suggesting jobs like bridge tender (!), tailor, and messenger.  For those contemplating their current career future, some folks will stay at their jobs and/or have found job flexibility that keeps them in the workforce – consider that one in four doctors is Medicare-eligible. For others, they worry about being pushed out of the workforce. Maybe that is because of perceived age discrimination in the workplace – only Digital Natives need apply? Uh, wasn't that a term coined in 2001 and as obsolete definitions go, perhaps a bit long in the tooth?

Prediction – the definition of old is maturing, right along with the population.  Most Americans think they want to live to 100 (at least).  Not caring too much about their health or financial future, perhaps makes them overly optimistic. But there are well-publicized role models (have good grandparents!) and some famous folk. Maybe it’s good genetics or plenty of money and good self or home care – Kirk Douglas is 100, Betty White and Carl Reiner are 95. Will technology help us in our advanced age? How about those drone ambulances? Maybe a few innovations we have today could benefit us in our older years – like sensors and voice-enabled technologies that set up instantly, easily playing our best music and favorite books. Or wearables that are priced right, have customizable and useful functions for the 46% of women aged 75+ who live alone, or hearing/vision technologies that work well and fit in the price tolerance of seniors.  

NOTE 1: If you read via feedburner, also click on the blog source, Aging in Place Technology Watch.

NOTE 2: If you are attending, look forward to seeing you at the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit July 19-21

 

category tags: 

Aging, baby boomers, elderly, Boomer-Senior Tech Business, IoT and home monitoring

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/independence-day-how-old-age-new-number