Meet or hear Laurie in one of the following:

Washington DC March 23.

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From 101,000 to 422,000 -- mostly women.

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October 2009

The oldest and technology access -- getting it right

Woohoo -- Internet usage is up. Those of us who are technology enthusiasts get all excited with this sort of data (from Pew Research, January, 2009): "The biggest increase in internet use since 2005 can be seen in the 70-75 year-old age group. While just over one-fourth (26%) of 70-75 year olds were online in 2005, 45% of that age group is currently online." And 24% of those age 75-84 are online.

Connected Health Symposium -- Patients, Doctors -- People and Aging

Reimbursement pain is so last-year. The 2008 Connected Health Symposium was, I thought, a somewhat gloomy affair -- gnashing of teeth and hand wringing over government and insurer footdragging, limited market penetration, and still no reimbursement for remote monitoring and other telehealth technologies. This year, despite a worsening economy, the mood was much perkier.

The MMI report on retirees and working -- let's move on

Another rant. So you have to read the report but you don't have to like it. That's the MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMI) report on retirees and the gap between wanting to work and actually finding work.

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Training value chain participants to incorporate technology into their work

In the previous blog post, I talked about process and systems (versus gadget) approaches to promoting technologies for aging in place -- the example used was 'alerting' technologies. Marketing any system, however, must overcome the twin barriers of lack of awareness and inexperience with:

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Senior value chain -- revisited

"The more things change the more they remain the same." It's been over a year since I posted a criticism of the 'gadget' approach to technologies for aging in place.  Rather than randomly selected gadgets and gizmos, I suggested a more structured way of thinking about the market -- I referred to as 'the senior value chain'. Let's recap from 9/23/08 with a few additions:

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The FloH Club -- Tech support for older adults (Yay)

You know and I know that all older adults do not love and relate to their computers. And their computers are not loveable. I will spare you a rant this time and not count the ways.

Classifying caregiver portals is a challenge

At least with directory sites -- you basically know where you stand -- somewhere in them is a business model for listing long-term care housing and service directory entries, referring and being compensated for leads about those entries, and advertising. Not so with caregiving portals. Here, if there is a business motive, it's about advertising and a cut of the commerce, if any, on the site.

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What's it mean -- Caring.com acquires Gilbert Guide?

Recently Caring.com (targeting family caregivers) acquired Gilbert Guide (a senior care directory, also aimed at family caregivers) -- combined firm gets more critical mass and content than either had separately. What happens now and is it significant? I talked with Caring.com's CEO Andy Cohen and Gilbert Guide's CEO Jill Gilbert to try to figure it out.

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Did seniors and their TVs become disconnected in the analog-digital switch?

I tend not to write about gadgets -- but the TV remote has bugged me for a while -- since the analog-digital switch, my mother-in-law struggles to use the remote control of her new digital TV.  Sometimes she gets it by reading printed directions. Sometimes she just yanks the cord out of the wall to turn it off. Somehow, I don't think she is the only one who used to have an older-style dial TV that you walked up to and switched on. From an e-mail I received recently: "When we gave the new TV to my husband's mother, she said, "what's with all the buttons? Up, down, off, on.

A call for recent launch info -- prior to leaf and launch season

It's only early October -- many trade shows and events ahead. Prior to attending any of the fall and winter product launching events, I wanted to let you know of some companies I've heard from in recent months -- and invite those in the aging technology, caregiver website/directory business, and telehealth arena to send me your press releases (now posted on the site). And if you know of someone I should know about, let me know.

Reaching an older audience -- indirectly but effectively

Simplicity. Recently I ranted about Apple and their non-recognition of the age 50+ market. And of course, Amazon doesn't really acknowledge how much boomers and seniors love the Kindle.

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