Explorations

The collective wisdom of our community of Longevity Explorers.

After multiple Longevity Explorer circles explore a specific topic in depth, often over many months, we synthesize the key learnings from the entire community and summarize them in these “Exploration Syntheses”.

Featured Explorations

Watching TV

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.


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.


low vision products for seniors

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.


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”, and to compare notes about technologies they are finding useful.


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.


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.


Social Isolation Circle Discussion- July 2014

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.


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?

 


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.


Artificial Intelligence and Robots: What Older Adults Want

While there has been lots written by academics, companies, and futurists about the potential of robots and AI in aged care, the voice of the older adult is generally absent from these discussions. Here are the opinions of the Longevity Explorers as to problems they wish a robot, smarthome, or Artifical Intelligence could solve for them.


Safety vs autonomy. Independence.

Staying Independent as an Older Adult: The Challenges

Staying “Independent” as long as possible is one of the most important priorities for many people as they age. But what do older adults really mean when they talk of being “independent”, and what are the obstacles to staying independent?


Amazon Echo (Alexa) for seniors and the elderly, brainstorming session by older adults

Amazon Echo and Alexa for the Elderly

The older adults in our explorer groups have recently become interested in a relatively new product: the Amazon Echo and its artificial intelligence Alexa. Here are their thoughts on topics like: do we want one; why would we want one; what do we use it for; and wouldn’t it be great if it could also do …”.


Older Adult Perspectives on Managing Medications

Learn what older adults themselves think about the challenges of medication management. Listen to discussions about the things our explorers care about; how they approach managing their medications; which products they prefer (the best pill organizers, and most successful pill reminder techniques); and what problems they face.


Getting around apps for seniors and older adults

Driving, Ride-Hailing, & Transportation Apps

Getting Around” is the first theme we are exploring in our “Useful Apps for Older Adults” initiative. Being free to get from one place to another when you want is a very important ingredient of an independent life. Here are Driving Apps, Ride-hailing Apps, and Transportation Apps that can make that easier and more convenient. 


swivel car seat exploration

Getting In and Out of Cars: Gadgets that Help

Our explorers have been trying out various gadgets that let them get in and out of cars more easily. So far we have focused on two types of products. The first is a swivel car seat, and the second is a sort of extra “car handle for the elderly”.


where and how do boomers retire

Where & How We Want to Live

Where and how we want to live as we age has been the subject of quite a few of our Longevity Explorer discussions, especially in those circles made up of Boomers. We Boomers wonder: should we move, and to which type of living situation? Listen to the audio of real people discussing these topics.


Best Jar Opener for Older Adults

Our explorer circles of older adults evaluated a range of jar openers, and found big differences between them. If you need a jar opener to help open jars for whatever reason, this synthesis will tell you which ones our Longevity Explorers liked and why they liked them.


Retirement Living: Comparison Matrix & Talk

Retirement Living expert John Milford has created this talk and comparison matrix of pros and cons of different retirement living alternatives, using San Francisco Bay Area examples to illustrate the comparison process. Details include entry fee sizes, ongoing financial obligations, application requirements, and which entities oversee the different housing types.


Best Lighted Cane

Our Explorer circles of older adults wanted a walking cane with a light that would help make getting out at night safer. The Explorers found some promising lighted canes online, purchased a few that looked especially good, tried them out, and decided on one which was “the best”. 


toenail clippers for elderly

Toenail Clippers for Elderly People

Our circles of older adults have been exploring toenail clippers for elderly people. They explain that older adults often have nails that are hard to cut or hard to reach. The explorers are especially interested in toenail clippers for thick toenails, and toenail clippers that will work when a person has arthritis, and thus can not exert a strong grip on the nail clipper.


Best Rollator (Walker): Older Adults Explore

When acquiring a Rollator or Walker, which features matter for a given individual? And how does one decide which is the best walker or rollator to get for yourself, or a parent or spouse? The Longevity Explorer community explored questions like these.