As we celebrate our holidays (or don't) -- maybe surrounded by our aging parents (or maybe not) -- let's give some thought to how older people connect with others, stay safe and well, and keep on contributing to the world around them. Here are five reminders about care about our older relatives, things we can all initiate, that have some technology elements. This advice is, of course, easier to give than it is to follow. And the technology is insufficient without the involvement of people.  But take a  look and observe older family members and think -- is there a way to enhance quality of life? >>> Read more . . .

This has been going on for some time -- the slow or no growth in the home security industry -- and the potential for expanding into a new line of business offering Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS), aka 'medical alarms'. This security industry article outlines the great opportunity for home security providers and their 'rapid response' (RMR) call center vendors. These paragraphs from the article about the anticipated boom (11.6% annual growth) caught my eye - and particular items are here in bold: >>> Read more . . .

November is National Caregivers Awareness Month -- and with those 85+ turning out to be the fastest growing population in the US, we know there are many stressed caregivers out there. And more to come, with 65% of those over 65 will require some long-term care during their lives. So author and AgeWave founder Ken Dychtwald wrote a Huffington Post column,that is really an argument that in order to help your frail and illness-plagued aging parents in their own homes, buy long-term care insurance now before they become frail and ill (or for yourself, before you become frail and ill). >>> Read more . . .

Another day, another misleading article. Call me amazed reading today's NY Times article on Oregon Health and Science University research (funded by Intel) about fall prevention promoting their work. The implication: there are no sensor-based monitoring products already in the market.  Interviewees observed that a research project was beginning to make progress in this area, noting  motion sensing and pattern detection to help alert to changes in walking patterns (for example, frequency of bathroom visits) and that this research was helping the cause of preventing falls among seniors. The article quotes Intel's Eric Dishman: “The independent-living industry could have a huge payoff in innovation, jobs and competitiveness,” said Eric Dishman, an Intel research fellow and director of strategy for the company’s digital health group." >>> Read more . . .

Internet use reduces depression in the elderly by 20%.  Whew. I've got to read those news alerts more carefully -- looks like I missed quite a bit of press about the October 15 announcement of a Phoenix Center Policy Paper of data analysis and conclusion by George Ford and Sherry Ford.  The news articles about the study are quite confusing -- mixing up terminology (elderly? seniors?)  so let's look more closely at the process that produced the conclusion. >>> Read more . . .