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

Seminar Series: Technologies for Aging in Place

Wondering which products and services can help an older adult live independently, with autonomy, as long as possible? Sign up for this seminar series to learn the answers.

Together with a community of older adults called the Longevity Explorers, Tech-enhanced Life has spent the last 8 years exploring the intersection of aging and technology, and evaluating a wide range of products and services designed to help people live independently for as long as possible. In this seminar series, we synthesize what we have learned.

Read: "Seminar Series: Technologies for Aging in Place"

Featured

Alzheimer's Thermostat Design: Jeeves vs. Nurse Ratched

Thoughts about thermostats and people with dementia. Remember Jeeves, and Nurse Ratched? Imagine they were in charge of designing products for older adults. I wish we had the sort of products I imagine Jeeves would have designed for Bertie Wooster. Unfortunately, we seem to get the products Nurse Ratched might have dreamed up for the unfortunate inmates of "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest".

Read: "Alzheimer's Thermostat Design: Jeeves vs. Nurse Ratched"

Recent Analysis and Exploration

How to Use Amazon Omni Fire TV for Video Calls

Amazon recently announced a Fire TV Omni Series that features Alexa Calling & Zoom Meetings built-in…. no need to add a Fire TV Cube! Longevity Explorer Frank Engelman has tried it out, and shows how to set it up for one of his "older adult" relatives.

Read: "How to Use Amazon Omni Fire TV for Video Calls"

Mobile Phone Update: Google Pixel 5 and Samsung Z Flip 3

Here are my experiences with two mobile phones I have used over the last 6 months. From my perspective (a tech-savvy older adult), one was really bad. The other was "OK", but definitely not "for everyone". Read about my experiences below.

Read: "Mobile Phone Update: Google Pixel 5 and Samsung Z Flip 3"

Best Fall Detection Watch: Hands-on Evaluation

Which is the best fall detection watch, many older adults and their families are wondering? We look at how to choose the best fall alert watch for a given individual. The evaluations described here include actual hands-on testing, done by technologists who also happen to be older adults.

Read: "Best Fall Detection Watch: Hands-on Evaluation"

Smart Living Room Features for Older Adults

This article covers several smart living room features that author Frank Engelman has found useful for family members or friends — and that focus on challenges of particular relevance to people as they age.

This is part of our Smart Home Features for Older Adults series, in which we share specific recipes and kit lists for individual smart home features — organized on a room by room basis.

Read: "Smart Living Room Features for Older Adults"

Active Aging: Rethinking the Use of Everyday Objects

As our bodies change with age, we are often advised by well-meaning health providers, family and friends to relinquish the activities we value and that give our lives meaning. We prefer the process of rethinking and repurposing everyday, affordable objects — so we can keep doing the "things we love".

We discuss and provide examples of how to rethink outdoor activities such as gardening, animal care, and even simple farming. The principles can be adapted to many other hobbies and interests you may.......

Read: "Active Aging: Rethinking the Use of Everyday Objects "

Smart Kitchen Features for Older Adults

This article covers several smart kitchen features that author Frank Engelman has found useful for family members or friends — and that focus on challenges of particular relevance to people as they age.

This is part of our Smart Home Features for Older Adults series, in which we share specific recipes and kit lists for individual smart home features — organized on a room by room basis.

Read: "Smart Kitchen Features for Older Adults"

Smart Bedroom Features for Older Adults

This article covers several smart bedroom features that author Frank Engelman has found useful for family members or friends — and that focus on challenges of particular relevance to people as they age.

This is part of our Smart Home Features for Older Adults series, in which we share specific recipes and kit lists for individual smart home features — organized on a room by room basis.

Read: "Smart Bedroom Features for Older Adults"

Hearables: Better Hearing, Less Stigma?

Hearables, which include smart wireless earbuds and some types of hearing aids, have the potential to deliver the benefits of better hearing to a far broader segment of the population than is served by today's hearing aid industry. This includes people with quite modest hearing loss, and people who are put off by the perceived stigma or cost of conventional hearing aids. This article explains exactly what hearables are; who they are good for; and why they are important.

Read: "Hearables: Better Hearing, Less Stigma?"

Hearing the TV Better: Older Adults Explore

The community of Longevity Explorers are exploring different hearing gadgets — to see which ones help in various situations, and to share products individual explorers have used and wish to recommend. This article summarizes what we learned thus far about gadgets that can help people hear better while watching TV and movies.

Read: "Hearing the TV Better: Older Adults Explore"

Robotic Pets for Dementia Patients: Our Experiences

Wondering if Robotic Pets for Seniors are a good idea? Here is a real world report of the author's experience deploying robotic pets for dementia patients in an assisted living and memory care facility in San Francisco. Learn what the reactions were to the robot stuffed animals, and what some of the issues were to make sure they were a benefit to the patients.

Read: "Robotic Pets for Dementia Patients: Our Experiences "

Aging in Place: Why Technology & Gadgets Matter

In my mind, there is a compelling argument that the right gadgets and technology can make aging in place more successful and less expensive. And by more successful, I am thinking in particular of higher quality of life, more autonomy, and less dependence on the kindness of strangers. I don't think this argument gets made much in the media or by the aging services industry though. So here it is.

Read: "Aging in Place: Why Technology & Gadgets Matter"

Smart Bathroom Features for Older Adults

This article covers several smart bathroom features that author Frank Engelman has found useful for family members or friends — and that focus on challenges of particular relevance to people as they age.

This is part of our Smart Home Features for Older Adults series, in which we share specific recipes and kit lists for individual smart home features — organized on a room by room basis.

Read: "Smart Bathroom Features for Older Adults"

Passive Monitoring: Better Care For My 96-yr-old Aunt

I am the primary caregiver for my 96-year old Aunt who lives alone, a 10-minute drive from my home. I am always looking for ways to help her more, while maintaining a balance between her independence and her “safety”.

I have been trying out a new product that provides “passive monitoring” to help watch over her when I am not there. I liked the product, and this report is to share how I used it, and why it was helpful.

Read: "Passive Monitoring: Better Care For My 96-yr-old Aunt"

Smart Home for Seniors: What, Why?

What is a "Smart Home for Seniors", we wondered? And how is it different from a normal smart home? And who would want one, and why? And, can you just get some specific smart home features relevant to you — in your current house? Or do you need a whole new house?

This article explores these questions.

Read: "Smart Home for Seniors: What, Why?"

Tech Support: Older Adults Explore

The good thing about modern technological innovations — like smart phones, smart homes, computers, video call technology, or telehealth — is that they can improve quality of life in a variety of ways. But tech gadgets are only useful if you keep them working. And today's gadgets often need quite a lot of tech support for that to happen.

In 2020, the Longevity Explorers explored the different approaches to keeping all your gadgets running — especially during the COVID pandemic, when face to face visits are hard or impossible. Here is what we learned.

Read: "Tech Support: Older Adults Explore"

Low Vision Products: Older Adults Explore

The community of Longevity Explorers are exploring different "low vision products" to see which ones help in various situations, and to share products individual explorers have used and wish to recommend. Ever have difficulty reading menus in a dim restaurant, or the fine print on a pill bottle? Or maybe you or a friend have more significant visual issues — like cataracts or macular degeneration — that get in the way of living life as you wish? If so, this article is for you.

Read: "Low Vision Products: Older Adults Explore"

Gerontech Products We Wish Existed

Here are some high-impact, gerontechnology product concepts that do not yet exist as commercially available products — although the technology to enable them already largely exists. Our hope for products like these: to significantly postpone the time at which frailty and functional disability get in the way of "living life".

Read: "Gerontech Products We Wish Existed"

Technology for Older Adults: Notable from 2020

As far as Technology for Older Adults goes, we saw some positive developments emerging in 2020, despite the pandemic, and some promising products gaining traction. Here are trends and products we think are notable from 2020.

Read: "Technology for Older Adults: Notable from 2020"

Exploring Grandparent Apps

“Once you are a grandparent, almost nothing seems as important as interacting with your grandkids, and helping them and their parents as much as you can.” But, if you can’t visit, or live a long way away, how do you maintain the sorts of deep interactions you long for?

This group of four older adults from the Longevity Explorers thought “there should be an App for that”, and set out to explore the space of “Grandparenting Apps”.

Read: "Exploring Grandparent Apps"

View all our Analysis and Explorations

Featured Research

Medical Alert Systems: Help

We 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

Unlock 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

Read 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

Avoid Social Isolation & Loneliness

isolation and loneliness Our community is exploring ways to avoid becoming isolated and lonely as we grow older. See what we are discovering — including one group of older adult's "recipe" for overcoming loneliness.

View: Isolation & Loneliness Hub

Medication Management Tools

medication management tools Poor medication management is one of the key reasons people are forced to stop living independently. There are a wide range of tools that can help you manage your medications — and avoid, or at least postpone, that fate. We have researched which products work best for different types of people, ranging from simple inexpensive pill boxes and reminders to complex "automated" pill dispensers.

View: Medication Management Hub

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