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Research and Exploration (Overview and Recent)

Most of our research is designed to help older adults and their families make decisions and choices about topics that impact quality of life as we grow older — choices like which products and services can help older adults live independently for longer, and delay the time at which growing older gets in the way of living life to the full.

In addition, some of our work is designed to help innovators develop products and services that older adults like us will actually want and find useful.

Our recent work is below. To explore by topics, go to Topics & Things.

 

Most recent

Technology to shelter in place and stay home

Technology for Sheltering in Place

While staying at home for weeks or months on end is hard for everyone, older adults have some unique challenges. And as the enforced lockdown winds down eventually, those over 70 are likely to be the last to see a return to "normal" life. We created this page so members of the Tech-enhanced Life community have a place to share their learnings about how they are handling the challenges of "sheltering in place".

Read: "Technology for Sheltering in Place"

 

 

Featured

The Crowd

Intersection of Aging and Co-creation

I gave a talk on co-creation and the future of aging at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. You can view the entire talk below.

Read: "Intersection of Aging and Co-creation"

 

 

Recent Analysis and Exploration

 

Care Manager at work

Care Managers: What, Why, For Whom?

We have found that Care Managers can be exceptionally helpful when a sudden need to become an expert on helping aging parents is thrust upon family members. Yet many of the older adults and their families with whom we talk are unaware that this profession even exists. As part of our series on "getting expert help", we asked Kira Reginato to write this article about what Care Managers do, why you might want one, and how to find a good one.

Read: "Care Managers: What, Why, For Whom?"

 

 

Automatic Pill Dispensers under Evaluation

Automatic Pill Dispensers: Hands-on Evaluations

Automatic pill dispensers can help when a person has trouble adhering to their medication regimen, or when filling pill boxes with complex combinations of pills becomes a burden. Learn which products are best for various personas, life situations, and physical and cognitive conditions.

Read: "Automatic Pill Dispensers: Hands-on Evaluations"

 

 

Pill Box and Pill Organizer collection

Pill Boxes, Pill Organizers: Recommendations

There are many, many pill boxes and pill organizer solutions to choose from in your local drugstore or on Amazon. Unsurprisingly, not all of them are equally good. The Longevity Explorers have strong views about what to look for in a pill box. Here are their recommendations, and a list of the "things to watch for". 

Read: "Pill Boxes, Pill Organizers: Recommendations"

 

 

Advance Healthcare Directive Form

Advance Directive Forms, Apps, & Online Guides

Advance Healthcare Directives are a critical part of planning for end of life. In this article we dig into exactly what they are, how you use them, how you get help understanding them, and what we have learned about online resources and Apps for completing an Advance Directive Form.

Read: "Advance Directive Forms, Apps, & Online Guides"

 

 

End of Life Planning

End of Life Planning

End of Life Planning was the exploration of the month at several Longevity Explorer circles. Here is what we learned about end of life planning, including things like advance directives, healthcare powers of attorney, POLST forms, MOLST forms, and living wills. If you are thinking some end of life planning might be timely, either for you or for a family member, read this.

Read: "End of Life Planning"

 

 

Hoarder's desk: Fiduciary challenge

A Professional Fiduciary: What is it? Do you need one?

Wondering what a Professional Fiduciary is, when you might need one, and how you would find a good one? We asked professional fiduciary Kim Schwarcz to explain.

Read: "A Professional Fiduciary: What is it? Do you need one?"

 

 

Designing User Interfaces for an Aging Population

Designing for Older Adults: Interview with Dr Jeff Johnson

In this interview with Dr. Jeff Johnson — who with Dr. Kate Finn literally "wrote the book" on designing for older adults — Jeff discusses with Richard Caro a variety of topics relating to designing better products for older adults.

Read: "Designing for Older Adults: Interview with Dr Jeff Johnson"

 

 

Dr Bob Kolock and Alexa

From MD to Alexa Skills Developer: My Journey

Retired physician, Dr Bob Kolock, shares his new "hobby": Alexa Skills Developer. He describes how he came to be interested in Alexa, and describes some of the 13 skills he has developed. Many of these skills are useful for older adults, and Dr. Kolock's perspective from "both sides of the stethoscope" makes them especially intriguing.

Read: "From MD to Alexa Skills Developer: My Journey"

 

 

Longevity Explorer Workshop

Older Adults Online: Behavior, Trust, & Design

Our Longevity Explorers frequently comment on just how poorly they think most Apps and websites are designed — when viewed from the perspective of an older adult. So we were excited when a Silicon Valley startup enlisted our help to answer a variety of questions about how older adults really do interact online. 

Read: "Older Adults Online: Behavior, Trust, & Design"

 

 

Alexa: Tool to fight loneliness

Can Alexa Help Fight Loneliness and Isolation?

Perhaps it seems counterintuitive that an artificial intelligence(AI) might help combat loneliness and isolation. But as our Longevity Explorers evaluate the latest version of Alexa, paired with the Amazon Echo Show, which has an excellent video call capability, we are starting to see great potential for these products to do just that.

And while there are a variety of initiatives evaluating the potential of interactions between older adults and Alexa (Amazon's artifical intelligence) as a way to reduce loneliness, we think the communication capabilities of the Echo Show may make possible deeper human to human interactions (with friends and family for example) as well.

Read: "Can Alexa Help Fight Loneliness and Isolation?"

 

 

Alexa Calls, with Amazon Echo Show

Amazon Echo Show: Older Adults Explore

Our Longevity Explorers have been testing the Amazon Echo Show and exploring its capabilities. With the ability to make phone calls and video calls on request, Alexa and the Amazon Echo Show have added important capabilities since our community of older adults first explored Alexa back in 2017. Learn what these "seniors" think is (or is not) useful about it; what questions they have; and what they think needs improvement.

Read: "Amazon Echo Show: Older Adults Explore"

 

 

medical alert device recommendations

Medical Alerts: Just Tell Me What To Buy!

"I don't want to become an expert on medical alerts. Just tell me what to buy." is something we often hear. We've found the answer depends enormously on the specific lifestyle of the person enquiring.

Most people fit within one of a handful of broad "personas". Choose which persona best matches your lifestyle, then see which medical alert devices we recommend for that persona.

Read: "Medical Alerts: Just Tell Me What To Buy!"

 

 

Brainstorming an App for Loneliness

An App to Make New Friends: Intergenerational Brainstorming

Ever thought "I need to make new friends: There should be an app for that"? Longevity Explorers and design students brainstormed the features they would like to see in an "App to make new friends" at an intergenerational design workshop at the 2018 Stanford Centre on Longevity Design Challenge.

Read: "An App to Make New Friends: Intergenerational Brainstorming"

 

 

Smartwatch as medical alert device

Smartwatch as Medical Alert?

For years we have been hearing older adults complain about how ugly and stigmatizing medical alerts are. As one lady told us: "My medical alert button makes me look like I escaped from the Intensive Care Unit. So I hardly ever wear it". 

In 2018 a handful of products came to market that look like smart watches, and in some cases have some or all of the functionality of stylish smartwatches, but also work as medical alerts. We wanted to see how well they worked, and set out to test them — hoping they might change this dynamic. Here are the results.

Read: "Smartwatch as Medical Alert?"

 

 

Richard Caro talks at Commonwealth Club

Technology & the Future of Aging

This is a live recording (slides and audio) of a talk given by Richard Caro entitled "The Future of Aging, & the Intersection of Aging & Technology". This talk was given in March 2019, at the Commonwealth Club, San Francisco.

Read: "Technology & the Future of Aging"

 

 

Overcome loneliness and social isolation. Combat loneliness as we age

Isolated and Lonely: How Can We Avoid This?

How do you avoid becoming isolated and lonely as you get older?  Are there things you can do to help prevent this?

Isolation and loneliness is a very real fear for many older adults.  Many of us know of someone suffering from it, and it can be very sad.  Our Longevity Explorers came up with some practical tips to help avoid this problem.

Read: "Isolated and Lonely: How Can We Avoid This?"

 

 

when should seniors stop driving

When to Stop Driving: Who Decides, & How?

No-one wants to cause an accident. But for many older adults, being able to drive is a sign that they are still in control of their own destiny, and a strong symbol of liberty and freedom. So the question "When to stop driving?" is a thorny one. Equally important are the questions: "Who should decide it's time to stop driving?" and "How to decide?"

 

Read: "When to Stop Driving: Who Decides, & How?"

 

 

Intergenerational Design Explorers

Intergenerational Design Opinions

What happens when you bring together a group of older adult Longevity Explorers and the teams participating in the Stanford Longevity Design Challenge? You get some interesting and contrasting opinions about what the differences should be between designing for a 25 year old and designing for an 85 year old.

Read: "Intergenerational Design Opinions"

 

 

Technology they want vs technology you think they need

What They Want vs What You Think They Need

I've said it before. Most of the products for older adults that we see are frankly not very good. This article is about two especially common pitfalls. I think of them as the "eat your broccoli" error, and the "I know how to market to 40 year olds" issue.

Read: "What They Want vs What You Think They Need"

 

 

View all our Analysis and Explorations

 

 

Featured Research

 

Medical Alert Systems: Help

Medical Alert Systems GuideWe kept getting asked "which medical alert system is best?"; and "how do I choose the right medical alert system for me?". This independent, objective, hands-on research tries to answer those questions. If you are looking for a medical alert system, either for yourself or for an older adult such as a parent, this piece of research is for you.

Choose the Right Medical Alert System for YOU

 

Useful Apps Club

Useful Apps ClubUnlock the potential of your smartphone or tablet to improve your life. The Useful Apps Club is for older adults and Boomers who have a smartphone or tablet (or are thinking of getting one) and need help to turn it into a useful tool. We are focused on finding Apps that can change your life, and teaching you how to use them. 

View: The Useful Apps Club

 

Reduce Fall Risk

Avoid FallsRead the "best of the web" on: Avoiding Falling. Our team of clinicians and citizen analysts has scoured the web for the best available answers to a set of questions designed to help you make falling less likely, and make the consequences if you do fall less bad.

View: Avoid the Perils of Falling

 

Guide: Home Sensor Systems

Home Sensor SystemsRead our report on this new category of products, designed to help seniors stay at home longer, and to help their families worry about them less. There are important lessons to be learned about which ones work, and for which types of circumstance they are optimal.

View: Home Sensor System Guide

 

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