InnovAge PACE in Action

InnovAge PACE has centers located in California, Colorado, New Mexico and Virginia. For more information, visit our website at www.myinnovage.org.

from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXbgwNtPFcQ

Six Tech and Aging Blog Posts -- September, 2017

It was the autumn of disaster.  As summer waned, a series of storms (and oddly-off forecasts about path) wreaked havoc across a vast area, with terrorized older adults left sitting in water or trapped on highways --stuck in interminable traffic, sweltering heat or homes crushed and no place to go. Hurricane Harvey assaulted Houston, then Hurricane Irma pummeled multiple areas of Florida and Caribbean islands, there were earthquakes and aftershocks in Mexico, followed by a mind-boggling crisis from Maria in Puerto Rico. Throughout all of these, people were heroic. But technology failed or disappointed in almost every way -- from cell phone batteries to power companies, from internet availability, to forecasting of storm paths. If one were to look back a year later, it will almost be too much to be believed. Here are six blog posts from the month of September, most prior to Hurricane Irma:

Irma: hurricanes, tech and older adults – what can be learned? First there was too much information.  At the forecasters became more insistent that Irma would hit Florida – the state with the highest percentage of older adults -- as a Category 5 hurricane, many of the possibly 4 million older adult residents appeared to leave first – when the highways were still passable. Then more tried to leave and were stuck in monumental traffic jams.  Finally, there were the stalwarts determined to stay, in the Keys, in Miami, in Bonita Springs, in Jacksonville. And for senior living communities, evacuation seemed near-impossible. Ultimately for some with no place to go – and no help – they died due to neglect and lack of followup by a state agency.

Wearable tech for older adults -- but what's after Medical Alarms?  Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS or Medical Alarms) -- a long-standing $3+ billion market (30+ years!) that has evolved only slightly from its fear-inspiring origins. The 'I’ve Fallen' message is still 'inspiring' families and seniors to acquire one.  But 30% of the market’s sales are for mobile devices. This makes sense in this time of substantial life expectancy at age 65, that 46% of women aged 75+ live alone; and now we can add older adults’ newly-discovered extended middle age.  Mobility demands mobile devices which in turn boost confidence to be out-and-about. Consider walking the dog -- since one third of the 65+ population has one. 

Working Past 70 -- What are the Reasons and Tech Implications? Trends come and trends go – but some trends generate their own trends.  No doubt you saw the news that one-fifth of individuals aged 65+ (as officially counted by someone) are still working at least part time -- some past the age of 70.  In fact, this is the highest rate of employment level of older adults in 55 years.  Perhaps this trend is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Apparently 79% of US workers expect to supplement retirement income by working for pay.  Maybe they read about the recent assertion that the definitional age of 'old' is moving up to 73 for women and 70 for men. Are older workers concerned about life expectancy? Do they know that if they live to age 65, life expectancy is anticipated to be 88.8 for women and 86.6 for men? Are they worried about outliving their money (aka plummeting retirement income)? It used to be that older adults feared nursing homes worse than death. That was in 2007.  Now the worry is outliving their money.

Five Technology Innovations to Help Older Adults. As August winds down, startups wind up. For some, maybe they still think that summer is winding down and all is quiet in business and beyond. But no -- back to school, back to work, and back to starting companies.  Aging 2.0 finalists have been announced, conference media organizations are ramping up, and a few leaves begin to turn – fall is in clearly the air and around the corner.  Before August disappears altogether and the media engines shift into gear, here are five announcements of new technologies designed to help older adults and/or their caregivers.  All material is derived from the websites of the firms.

What’s new in technology for individuals with impaired vision? Lots of talk about technology talking to us.  We are in a 'voice-first-this' and 'voice-first-that' that moment in technology history.  So much buzz, that even Apple thinks Siri may need to wise up and consider the competition – which is speaking to us from everywhere, and has even (in research) reduced the error rate down to 5.1%.   Of course, when you imagine that voice tech is used for in-car navigation systems (Drive to Western Avenue – no not cistern, I said Western!) and may be driving home automation systems, alerting to falls, and assisting home health aides, it’s important to have very high expectations for very low error rates.

What is virtual reality and why should seniors care? Emerging from the gaming world, virtual reality technology and content is beginning to deliver in healthcare and senior settings. The strict definition, "computer technology that delivers an experience through headsets” is terse. But for multiple firms, from CDW Healthcare and Morning Pointe Memory Care to Cedars Sinai Hospital -- these organizations see an opportunity to use the technology in interesting and beneficial ways.

NOTE: If you read via a Feedburner email, also click on the blog source, Aging in Place Technology Watch. 

 

category tags: 

cell phones, smartphones, computers, internet and social networking, wearables, smart watch, Seniors

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/six-tech-and-aging-blog-posts-september-2017

Five VR offerings for Older Adults and Patients in 2017

What is virtual reality and why should seniors care? Emerging from the gaming world, virtual reality technology and content is beginning to deliver in healthcare and senior settings. The strict definition, "computer technology that delivers an experience through headsets” is terse. But for multiple firms, from CDW Healthcare and Morning Pointe Memory Care to Cedars Sinai Hospital -- these organizations see an opportunity to use the technology in interesting and beneficial ways.

From motivating seniors to exercise to mitigating pain (video), applications for stroke rehab, to Medical VR events, to enabling hospice patients to ‘visit’ faraway places. So while 2017 may not be the year of its full potential, technology is smaller and cheaper; more content is being created or customized for individuals; applications have been created  for stroke rehab; devices are more easily distributed in senior living communities, so there is great potential. Here are a few examples of many.

Rendever. Started by two MIT students. "Assisted living facility residents, frequently restricted by a lack of mobility, often have to pass on attending their relatives’ distant weddings or traveling the world they had planned to explore later in life. Rendever, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology startup, is endeavoring to change that. Co-founded by Reed Hayes, Dennis Lally and Tom Neumann, Rendever is a startup that strives to bring virtual technology to older adults. The co-founders explained that they hope to not only give the elderly virtual experiences they might be incapable of having in reality, but also give them a better quality of life." Learn more at Rendever.com.

Firsthand for VR Pain Relief.   Building a bibliography of research, Firsthand offers 'medical grade VR' for "helping patients cope with pain and reduce dependency on addictive drugs. "Many Americans suffer from chronic pain, and the epidemic over prescription and misuse of opioids is daily national news. VR has emerged as an effective approach to help relieve pain with less reliance on drugs. The evidence for VR pain relief with high levels of acute pain in hospital procedures is well established with hundreds of studies. VR for chronic pain relief is the new frontier, and recent studies are showing very promising results."  Learn more at Firsthand Technology.

BettVR With Age. Jake Kahana, a NY filmmaker, has directed 10 films that make up this series. "In one, a pair of violinists play a cozy apartment concert for friends. In another, viewers experience a concert at an LA bar today where patrons and performers are still clad in World War II-era clothing. There's a tour and concert at a Lower East Side museum; a peek into a dance rehearsal; a guided mediation and chorus. Hoping to avoid the motion sickness that can affect VR users, Kahana's shots are mostly from a stationary standpoint, surrounded by movement that isn't too jarring or sudden. They're simple, yet powerful in concept and execution, highlighting elements of a experience many take for granted while creating a sense of intimacy. The technology and films will be donated to DOROT to use for senior programming—and Kahana is already training nursing home staff how to use the headsets on their own." Learn more at BettVR With Age.

One Caring Team’s Aloha VR.  One Caring Team, based in San Carlos, Calif., "is exploring a different kind of therapeutic relief with Aloha VR, a non-invasive program designed to reduce stress and anxiety. Aloha VR can enrich seniors’ lives by surrounding them in an immersive, relaxing environment. Based on GPU technology, Aloha VR can help seniors avoid regular trips to the hospital and expensive medical bills. The more patients engage in their virtual world, the less time they spend experiencing, thinking and worrying about pain." Learn more at One Caring Team.

Google Earth With Street View.  Enabling seniors to view street-level detail of places they grew up or places they would like to visit. "With Google Earth VR, you can go anywhere in virtual reality. Whether you want to stroll along the canals of Venice, stand at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro or soar through the sky faster than a speeding bullet, there’s no shortage of things to do or ways to explore. We love this sense of possibility, so we’re bringing Street View to Earth VR to make it easier for you to see and experience the world." Learn more at Google Earth With Street View. 

 

category tags: 

VR/AR technology, Seniors, healthcare

• 

from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/five-vr-offerings-older-adults-and-patients-2017

VR offerings for Older Adults and Patients in 2017

What is virtual reality and why should seniors care? Emerging from the gaming world, virtual reality technology and content is beginning to deliver in healthcare and senior settings.  The strict definition, computer technology that delivers an experience through headsets” is terse. But multiple firms, from CDW Healthcare and Morning Pointe Memory Care to Cedars Sinai Hospital -- organizations see an opportunity to use the technology in interesting and beneficial ways.

From motivating seniors to exercise to mitigating pain (video), applications for stroke rehab, to Medical VR events, to enabling hospice patients to ‘visit’ faraway places. So while 2017 may not be the year of its full potential, technology is smaller, cheaper; more content is being created or customized for individuals; used for stroke rehab; devices are easily distributed in senior living communities, there is great potential. Here are a few examples of many.

Rendever. Started by two MIT students, “Assisted living facility residents, frequently restricted by a lack of mobility, often have to pass on attending their relatives’ distant weddings or traveling the world they had planned to explore later in life. Rendever, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology startup, is endeavoring to change that. Co-founded by Reed Hayes, Dennis Lally and Tom Neumann, Rendever is a startup that strives to bring virtual technology to older adults. The co-founders explained that they hope to not only give the elderly virtual experiences they might be incapable of having in reality, but also give them a better quality of life.” Learn more at Rendever.com.

Firsthand for VR Pain Relief.   Building a bibliography of research, Firsthand offers ‘medical grade VR” for helping patients cope with pain and reduce dependency on opiods. “Many Americans suffer from chronic pain, and the epidemic over prescription and misuse of opioids is daily national news. VR has emerged as an effective approach to help relieve pain with less reliance on drugs. The evidence for VR pain relief with high levels of acute pain in hospital procedures is well established with hundreds of studies. VR for chronic pain relief is the new frontier, and recent studies are showing very promising results.”  Learn more at Firsthand Technology.

BettVR With Age. Jake Kahana, a NY filmmaker, directed 10 films that make up this series. In one, a pair of violinists play a cozy apartment concert for friends. In another, viewers experience a concert at an LA bar today where patrons and performers are still clad in World War II-era clothing. There's a tour and concert at a Lower East Side museum; a peek into a dance rehearsal; a guided mediation and chorus. Hoping to avoid the motion sickness that can affect VR users, Kahana's shots are mostly from a stationary standpoint, surrounded by movement that isn't too jarring or sudden. They're simple, yet powerful in concept and execution, highlighting elements of a experience many take for granted while creating a sense of intimacy. The technology and films will be donated to DOROT to use for senior programming—and Kahana is already training nursing home staff how to use the headsets on their own. Learn more at BettVR With Age.

One Caring Team’s Aloha VR.  One Caring Team, based in San Carlos, Calif., is exploring a different kind of therapeutic relief with Aloha VR, a non-invasive program designed to reduce stress and anxiety. Aloha VR can enrich seniors’ lives by surrounding them in an immersive, relaxing environment. Based on GPU technology, Aloha VR can help seniors avoid regular trips to the hospital and expensive medical bills. The more patients engage in their virtual world, the less time they spend experiencing, thinking and worrying about pain.” Learn more at One Caring Team.

Google Earth With Street View.  Enabling seniors to view places they grew up or places they would like to visit. "With Google Earth VR, you can go anywhere in virtual reality. Whether you want to stroll along the canals of Venice, stand at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro or soar through the sky faster than a speeding bullet, there’s no shortage of things to do or ways to explore. We love this sense of possibility, so we’re bringing Street View to Earth VR to make it easier for you to see and experience the world." Learn more at Google Earth With Street View. 

 

category tags: 

VR/AR technology, Seniors, healthcare

• 

from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/vr-offerings-older-adults-and-patients-2017

Irma: hurricanes, tech and older adults – what can be learned?

First there was too much information.  At the forecasters became more insistent that Irma would hit Florida – the state with the highest percentage of older adults -- as a Category 5 hurricane, many of the possibly 4 million older adult residents appeared to leave first – when the highways were still passable. Then more tried to leave and were stuck in monumental traffic jams.  Finally, there were the stalwarts determined to stay, in the Keys, in Miami, in Bonita Springs, in Jacksonville. And for senior living communities, evacuation seemed near-impossible. Ultimately for some with no place to go – and no help – they died. 

Then there was not enough information.  As the hurricane roared in, even the charged cell phone batteries (4-5 days typical time) began to die. Perhaps the smartphone users followed all of the pre-Hurricane tips and they were well-connected at all times.  But news reports showed numerous elderly with no place to go – and no power.  And families unable to reach them. In sweltering temperatures, in 15,000 communities of elderly no working elevators, no power for electric wheelchairs or oxygen machines – not just nursing homes, but so-called 55+ (active adult!) communities like Century Village.   And worse in areas of flooding, badly damaged property, or inaccessible homes.

For the elderly, more tech could have been useful. Monday-morning quarterbacks will have lots advice.  Generators for backup power  -- it seems like it will be tough to market without one to prospects of senior living communities.  Land lines, rapidly disappearing, should rapidly reappear and be offered at low cost for all older adults – during power outages they mostly work.  For individuals, external phone batteries and connectors, Not just a phone, a tablet, chargers, but how about a charged (even an old one) laptop with 12 hours of remaining battery after the power goes out. And medication reminder/dispenser technology? Hmmm.

Looking ahead – cool innovations need some hurricane context.  We all should be looking ahead – given Harvey and Irma, although Amazon has likely spent no time thinking about its Echo line and power outages, how about that 18-Hour Boot Battery for the Echo? Okay, Google, how about something similar for Google Home? Or let’s see more vendors surpass the 22-hour battery pack capacity for cell/smart phones.  And while we’re at it, tech training programs on the use of cell phones and smartphones need to amp up the focus on keeping them charged, but also about higher horsepower phones and the need to own and carry battery packs for unlikely but possible emergencies – like evacuations.  Even with the smartest phone and cautious user, a 24-hour day without charging is still a dream.  Thoughts welcome.

category tags: 

Seniors, cell phones, smartphones, IoT and home monitoring

• 

from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/irma-hurricanes-tech-and-older-adults-what-can-be-learned

What’s new in technology for individuals with impaired vision?

Lots of talk about technology talking to us.  We are in a voice-this and voice-first that time.  So much buzz, that even Apple thinks that Siri may need to wise up and consider the competition – which is speaking to us from everywhere, and has even (in research) reduced the error rate down to 5.1%.   Of course, when you imagine that voice tech is used for in-car navigation systems (Drive to Western Avenue – no not cistern, I said Western!) and may be driving home automation systems, alerting to falls, and assisting home health aides, it’s important to have very high expectations for very low error rates.

Vision loss in older adults – a problem worth speaking about and assisting.  As many as 11 million older adults have age-related macular degeneration (the leading cause of vision loss among people aged 60+), expected to reach 22 million by 2050.  Given long life expectancy, 30% of the population aged 75+ may have advanced macular degeneration, which results in vision loss and possible blindness. Beyond macular degeneration, other causes of vision loss for one in three older adults include glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. Among the most likely to be affected? Non-hispanic white women – and will include 2.5 million by 2050, 610,000 of whom will be blind. To put that in perspective, today there might be 1.3 million in the US who are legally blind and 5.5 million seniors today who are either blind or visually impaired. The data on this is not consistent – it is surveyed and counted differently by disparate sources.

Do organizations that help the blind reference tools for age-related vision loss?  Yes: the American Foundation for the Blind has a section for seniors and also a fairly robust section for technology – including specifics on capabilities of smartphones, tablets and cell phones. Ditto for the National Federation for the Blind – resources for seniors losing their vision, and considered separately, technology.  However, the most current writing about advancements in technology, for example, the National Eye Institute, either envision a future when they’ll really be ready or describe a technology like eSight that is breathtakingly expensive (as in $9,995) – or Orcam MyEye $3500 from the founder of MobileEye (which he sold to Intel for $15 billion) – which can recognize known faces or read printed text in real-time.

Consulting with a master at mastering technology for the blind.  Myra Ross is a long-time blind friend who searches for and figures out what technology can improve her quality of life.  Her suggestions included: audio descriptions of movies on Netflix, the X1 remote from Comcast, and VFO Optilec for magnifiers and optical readers. She notes the emergence of free real-time assistance apps, include TapTapSee (takes a picture of an object and says what it is) for iPhone or Android, Prizmo Go (capturing printed text with a camera) for iPhone, and a new service called Aira with a tiny camera mountable on a wearable device.  Agents respond to a tap and provide instant guidance no matter where you are -- $199/month for unlimited access.

category tags: 

vision technology, Seniors

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from Tips For Aging In Place https://www.ageinplacetech.com/blog/what-s-new-technology-individuals-impaired-vision