Devices, Tools, Objects relating to better quality life as grow older.
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.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robots — and their potential future roles in aging — are topics of great interest to our community of Longevity Explorers. 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 … Read more
Learn about Low Vision Aids & Adaptations in this detailed overview by Dr Marlena Chu. For people with low vision, these tools can make a big difference to the ability to live independently, and to quality of life.
Recent Ithaca College Occupational Therapy Student Rebecca Helbraun discovers the challenge that toenail cutting poses for older adults; does some research; and invents, designs and prototypes a new solution. She shares her journey here.
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 they explore Amazon Echo for the Elderly. Amazon Echo & Alexa: What Older Adults Think Our community of older adult Longevity Explorers has had a number of group discussions about the … Read more
“Good” medication management is widely believed to be desirable, by older adults as well as by clinicians. This article is about what factors make medication management systems useful for a given person, and outlines a series of circumstances for which specific features of these products can be helpful. Think of this as a “how to get started” guide to the topic of medication management systems.
Learn what older adults themselves think about the challenges of medication management. The Voices of Older Adults: Managing Medications There has been a lot written about medication management for older adults. But it is rare to hear from older adults themselves. In this synthesis of explorer discussions, you can hear medication management tips … Read more
Using a handful of simple, non-intrusive sensors, retired engineer Bob Glicksman has been able to learn all sorts of important things about the daily routine of an elderly person, who has cognitive impairment, and for whom he cares. He has been able to make multiple successful interventions to stave off what might have otherwise been serious adverse events. In fact, this simple sensor setup has worked better than he expected, and he shares his experiences, as an example of a real world use case in which a small addition of technology can accomplish a lot.
We set out to pick the best pill reminder app to share with the explorers in our Useful Apps Club. We found two apps we want to recommend, each of which is good for a slightly different life situation. This article describes which features we selected as important and why; summarizes the results of our … Read more
Tech-enhanced Life released the beta version of its Guide to Personal Emergency Response Systems.