Co-creating the Future of Aging: First Steps
Written by: Richard Caro. Posted: February 13, 2014.
Last night we held the second "Maker Meetup" of the group called "Aging in Place technologies: collaboratively co-creating the future of aging". We were hoping to attract people who wanted to roll up their sleeves and collaborate and actually work together on solving the challenges of aging, and that's exactly who came along. It was quite exciting.
What happened:
The evening was in three parts:
A. We spent time discussing the idea of a co-creation community; exploring some possible business models that involved all the participants sharing in the upside of our hard work; and interacting to find out why we were all there, and whether we had aligned hopes and goals for the future of the meetup group.
B. Unplanned, three individuals brought along products they were working on. There was a brief show and tell.
C. We spent the last hour in an "unconference" format in small groups brainstorming a list of actual topics we think might be interesting to work on together. I will report on the results of this separately in due course when I have collated them and done some tidying up. [You can see the topic list, and add more topics you like here].
There were about 40-50 people who attended.
Below are some things we learned as a group about each other.
What do we want to accomplish?
Here is the picture that's worth more than words. We want to find ways to get to market new products and services that improve the quality of life of people as we age, and find ways technology can be used to "stave off functional decline".
Why were people there?
Are people happy to share ideas and IP?
Will people spend real time on this project?
Last Updated: May 13, 2020.
More like this
Topic Hub
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.
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
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
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
Discuss, Comment, Ask Questions