So many posts, 2011 was such a short year. For those of you news junkies or folks with too many Google alerts, like me you must be drowning in recaps of the 2011 best movies, worst mistakes, top tech this, worst tech that. So as the year rapidly slips to a close, I thought I'd recap the most read posts from Aging in Place Technology Watch written during 2011, beginning, not so cleverly, from the beginning of the year: >>> Read more . . .

Last year's list of tech gifts that keep on giving is still pretty accurate in terms of categories -- eReaders and eBooks, video communication devices, game-related and music-related.  But be thankful, tech time marches on, and there are more variants of each, plus some new items to consider -- if you're in aging services or senior housing, pass some ideas along to residents or clients: >>> Read more . . .

Home health hub will support personal emergency response in the home.

GreatCall's 5Star Responder mobile PERS device is positively reviewed in the Wall Street Journal.

MobileHelp, the leader in M-PERS (mobile-personal emergency response system) technology, today announced that Dennis V. Boyle has been named to the position of Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Boyle will be responsible for the oversight of sales, marketing, customer service, technical support and provisioning. In addition, Joel Richardson has been named Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Richardson’s primary responsibilities include planning, implementing and managing all financial related activities of MobileHelp and oversight of the accounting department. >>> Read more . . .

LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Medical Alert Corp (Nasdaq: AMAC), a leading provider of remote health monitoring and 24/7 communication services that enhances care, accelerates response times, improves operational effectiveness and delivers sustainable patient services, has announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Tunstall Healthcare Group Limited, a leading telehealth and telecare provider. >>> Read more . . .

Lifespire, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping developmentally disabled individuals reach their life’s aspirations, is working to release a new version of the Code Amber Alertag which will help accelerate the treatment and care of those in need, and potentially save hundreds of lives. >>> Read more . . .

Elder care, housing and aging – the present is not like the past. We are entering the patchwork quilt era of senior housing that reflects lengthening life expectancy and a stretched economy: steady-state occupancy in assisted living at around 2.1 million for- and non-profit, a lot (1000) fewer nursing homes in the last decade. So what else is out there besides caring for an aging parent in your guest room? Quite a bit, actually. There are national networks and websites today that describe NORCs (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities); there are Virtual Villages, there is the Maine Approach (building a grass-roots volunteer network shored up with video monitoring), and now there is a national Co-housing Network. Meanwhile, over in China, the land of supposed taking care of aging parents in the home, check out all the senior group homes forming. >>> Read more . . .

CAMPBELL, CA (August 3, 2011) - Nuvel, developer of vSOS(tm), the industry's
leading personal emergency response application for smartphones, announced today
that it has entered into an agreement with GEOS Alliance, the world leader in
emergency monitoring and response services.  Under the agreement, Nuvel's vSOS
is using GEOS emergency response services to provide people of all ages with
24/7/365 response to any emergency-health, accident, assault-with one touch on
their smartphone.

"The world-class emergency response features that GEOS provides, as well as the
mobility and simplicity that vSOS delivers make the market for this application
virtually unlimited," said Randy Hagin, Nuvel Senior Vice President of Sales.
"According to a recent IDC report, smartphone sales will increase from about >>> Read more . . .