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.
Recent Analysis and Exploration
Surf the Web Like a Pro
There is an infinite cache of brilliant essays, news articles, scientific reports, and books available on the Internet, but you cannot access much of it without giving the website owners something of value in return, unless you master a few simple “surfing techniques”.
Internet Feeds: How to Set Them Up & Use Them
This page contains some detailed instructions for how to set up Internet feeds so they stream useful articles and other content to the home page of your browser — so you don’t have to go searching for them.
This continues the article “Surf the Web Like a Pro“, in which you can read more — including what exactly “Feeds” are and why you might want them, and is part of the series “An Internet Enabled Life“.
My Favorite Browser Extensions
I find having the right “Browser Extensions” installed on my browser makes a huge different to how easily I can surf the web, and avoid popups and paywalls, and find what I want to read easily and quickly.
Here is the list of my personal “Favorite Browser Extensions”.
Virtual Connections to the Tech-Challenged
How do you have rich and engaging interactions with your parent who you can’t visit in person? Especially if they cannot, or will not, adopt mainstream consumer technologies.
That’s the challenge we are exploring in this article.
How to Set Up Alexa Calling for a Loved One
Are you looking for a way to setup video chats with your loved one who lives independently or in a facility? This article tells you how to do that, using the Echo Show, without requiring your loved one to do any of the “setting up”.
Magic Carpet Apps for That
As I mentioned in the introduction to “My Internet Enabled Life, you can see the world while sitting at your PC in your own house or apartment. Here is a list of websites that offer an amazing assortment of places to visit, theater performances to watch, TV series, and movies.
The Email
For as long as I can remember, my late mom, who passed away at 96, used to call the PC that sat on their desk “The Email.” This segment of “My Internet enabled Life” talks about “The Email”.
The Internet
This segment of “My Internet Enabled Life” talks about the evolution of the Internet and about how it works.
How to Find “Whatsername” After All These Years?
Peter Paul and Mary had a hit single decades ago called “Whats-her-name.” The chorus goes: “I wonder whatever happened to whatshername.” Your PC might help you find not only whatshername, but also whatshisname too. Here is how to do it.
An Internet Enabled Life
Having used technology all my working life, and now being retired, I notice that many of my peers are missing out on some of the benefits that come with appropriate use of the latest technology.
Computers and Me, Since 1968!
Unlike many of my age peers, I have been using computers since before they became small enough to become the popular tools that took us from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age. Now that I am retired they are still an essential part of my life. Here is a brief history of my life using computers, highlighting some of the ways they have made my life more interesting and enriching.
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”, and to compare notes about technologies they are finding useful.
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.
Automatic Pill Dispenser Evaluations: Hands-on
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.
Best Automatic Pill Dispenser for You
While it is too simplistic to talk of the “best automatic pill dispenser“, it is definitely appropriate to talk about the “best medication dispenser for a specific individual or life situation“. We describe the different life situations, and make specific automatic pill dispenser recommendations for each one.
CompuMed Medication Dispenser
The CompuMed is designed to help you improve your adherence to the medication regimen prescribed by your healthcare providers. It does that by helping to organize your medication; and remind you which pills to take and when to take them.
Tabsafe Medication Dispenser
The Tabsafe is designed to help you improve your adherence to the medication regimen prescribed by your healthcare providers. It does that by helping to organize your medication; and remind you which pills to take and when to take them.
MedReady Medication Dispenser
The MedReady Medication Dispenser is designed to help you improve your adherence to the medication regimen prescribed by your healthcare providers. It does that by helping to organize your medication; and remind you which pills to take and when to take them.
GMS Automatic Pill Dispenser
The GMS (Group Medical Supply) Pill Dispenser is designed to help you improve your adherence to the medication regimen prescribed by your healthcare providers. It does that by helping to organize your medication; and remind you which pills to take and when to take them.
Black & Decker, Pria
The Pria “Smart Healthcare Companion” is a swiss army knife type of product — incorporating an automatic pill dispenser; an artifical intelligence that can talk to you and answer questions; a “check in” capability to engage with you on a daily basis; and the ability to hold video chats with your friends, family, and caregivers.