NEW AND FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES

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Can wearables help you be healthier and safer? You are increasingly likely to have a wearable — around your neck or on your wrist. You may collect your own data for your own tracking and use.  – Aging and Health Technology Watch

Would You Let a Robot Take Care of Your Mother?An aging population is fueling the rise of the robot caregiver, as the devices moving into the homes and hearts of the aging and sick offer new forms of friendship and aid.  – NYTimes.com

Older Adults, Fake News & Technology Older Americans have vastly improved their digital savviness in the last two decades but there is a wide range of skill levels within these populations. And most programs teaching digital literacy to combat fake news are aimed at students and their teachers. – Stanford Center on Longevity

Tech Support Takedown People 60 and over were about five times more likely than younger people to report they lost money on this scam, even though they were less likely than younger people to say they lost money to many other types of scams.. – SeniorPlanet.com

Apple is in talks with private Medicare plans about bringing its watch to at-risk seniors Apple has previously signed a deal with insurance giants Aetna and United Healthcare about subsidizing the cost of the watch. – CNBC.com

Meet Addison, A Full-Time Virtual Caregiver This conversational speech interface has a face and its own personality. Developed by Electronic Caregiver, a division of SameDay Security Inc, Addison Care converts the home into a full-time healthcare center through its use of Addison Rose, a brand new voice-based virtual assistant that employs a combination of artificial intelligence and augmented reality to provide more intimate, comfortable care to “her” patients. – vrscout.com

Apple’s Newest Watch Features Will Transform Heart Health This is a significant Apple Watch update for health  – Wired.com

Tech Can Turn an Extra Room into Extra $$ It’s time to use take advantage of what technology offers. And meet some new people, too.  – SeniorPlanet.org

Meet ‘Jimmy’ the robot, new friend for senior California couple Would you want a robot in your home to help you age in place? – San Diego Tribune

Wearables, Voice Assistants Nearly Ready for Primetime in Senior Living From the Apple Watch to the Fitbit, wearable technology, or “wearables,” are becoming more and more commonplace in American society. The number of wearable devices is expected to jump to roughly 504 million in 2021, up from 260 million in 2016  – SeniorHousingNews.com

With Fewer Family Caregivers, What’s the (Tech-Enabled) Plan? Multiple robotics initiatives involving personal care have all failed… Family caregivers benefit from access to tools within software platforms (offered through provider organizations), but themselves are unlikely to buy them. Tech-enabled home care was a venture capital bust — but imagine, turning to one failure and giving them more money to manage tech for the rest… – Aging In Place Technology Watch

More Reasons to Get Tech Savvy Learning new technologies can be daunting, and at times may seem like more trouble than it’s worth. But as members of the Baby Boomer generation reach retirement age, there are plenty of good reasons to make sure they’re up to date on the latest technology. – Senior Planet

Alexa? How Voice-First Technology Helps Older Adults Old folks just don’t like technology. That’s been the conventional wisdom for years, particularly as smartphones became a hub of daily life. Slick handheld devices were seen as too expensive and complicated for them. But Davis Park is a big believer that innovations in what’s known as voice-first technology — best exemplified by smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and its voice, Alexa — could make a big difference in letting older adults age in place and avoid social isolation. – Next Avenue

Virtual village gives seniors what they need to stay in their homes TrueNeighbors Village is not defined so much by geography but by the needs and wants of the older adults who become members. The goal is to help keep people in their own homes as they age by providing an easily accessed network of activities and services. – The Orange County Register

Innovating technology for the needs and health of elders (video) There’s a multi-billion-dollar market that has been largely overlooked by Silicon Valley. But a new wave of tech startups have begun developing products for seniors and their caregivers, from redesigning canes and pillboxes, to a web-based app that helps keep an eye on elderly relatives. – PBS

Assistive Technology Helps People Age in Place For many seniors, assistive technology makes the difference between being able to live independently and having to get long-term nursing or home health care. For others, it’s critical to the ability to perform simple activities of daily living, like bathing and going to the bathroom. Many of those who use some form of assistive technology find they are able to reduce their dependence on others and continue to live independently.— Next Avenue

Nielsen Finds Older Adults Are Embracing Digital Video People 50 to 64 years old watched an average of 19 minutes a day of digital video during the second quarter of 2014, up from 11 minutes a day during the same period last year, according to a Nielsen report being released on Monday. — New York Times

American retirees use virtual retirement networks to stay supported (video) It’s a fact of American life, the baby boomer generation, born right after World War Two, is hitting retirement age.  And it’s putting resources to the test. But that generation armed with technology and knowledge of a shared economy, is coming up with innovative ideas to maintain their independence.— CCTV.com 

About Aging in Place Technology  Laurie M. Orlov, a tech industry veteran, writer, speaker and elder care advocate, is the founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch — market research that provides thought leadership, analysis, and guidance about technologies and services that enable boomers and seniors to remain longer in their home of choice. – Aging in Place Technology Watch

Introducing the Mabu Personal Healthcare Companion (video) Mabu the personal healthcare companion is the face of Catalia Health’s platform for patient engagement. She’s designed to help patients with the myriad challenges of chronic disease management and will be first rolled out this year to help a particular group of patients manage the medication portion of their treatment. – Catalia Health

Tablet for Seniors The essential apps and services on the GrandPad eliminate the clutter, distractions, and complications of other devices. This simple tablet for seniors enables users to view family photos and videos, call loved ones, send voice emails, play classic games, and listen to their favorite tunes with the touch of a button to instantly start making and sharing memories.— GrandPad.net

Tools in aging Japan: Robotic spines & Segway-like stools While so much consumer technology caters to the needs, wants and whims of the young, Japanese companies are exploring ways tech can aid the old. They include devices that enable retirees to maintain their independence by helping them move around the home or performing chores. Some even see the creation of humanoid robots — a dream actively pursued by many Japanese engineers — as a way to care for the elderly, providing artificial household servants. — San Francisco Chronical

 Cyber Seniors Documentary (film) A humorous and heartwarming feature documentary, CYBER-SENIORS adds to the important international conversation about the growing generation gap. Focusing on a group of senior citizens who take their first steps into cyber-space under the tutelage of teenage mentors, the film expertly renders a thought-provoking look at a spirited group of men and women who are enriched by digitally re-connecting with their families and each other. Finding their footing rather quickly, the group moves on to compete for the most YouTube views while swiftly building their online inventory of friends.—Cyber Seniors