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Home » Monthly blog archive

February 2025

Help needs help – let’s improve the tech experience for older adults

Thu, 02/27/2025 - 09:23 - Laurie Orlov

The gap between some older adults and the devices/software they need does not narrow. As AARP responders noted in their survey, tech products do not seem to be designed with them in mind.  There are many indicators of this, but it was reinforced on a flight recently.  An older woman nearby struggles to access Wi-Fi, which is, uh, not that obvious. After a while, even with help, she gave up and read a book. She was not unlike the responders aged 70+ in the AARP survey who did not believe that tech could enable a healthy life. So how can this gap be closed? 

category tags: 
AgeTech, Technology - AARP, smartphones
»

The Timelessness of strategies for dementia technology

Tue, 02/18/2025 - 15:59 - Laurie Orlov

Five years ago -- this site looked at the state of dementia-related technologies.  The more things (the tech offerings) change, the more their purpose and function remain the same.  Today there are websites that list gadgetry for managing and living with dementia.  There are research reports about technology for dementia care that include social robots, apps, or GPS locators. There are thoughts about implementation factors, articles from AARP, books about dementia care and many other knowledgeable observations and sources of guidance. Today 6.9 million Americans have dementia, slightly fewer than the 7 million estimated in 2020, though growth projections about dementia through 2030 were large and lon longer timeframe ones are even larger.  So what are the general tech categories that can help at the various stages?

category tags: 
dementia care, cognitive decline, baby boomers, digital health
»

The Future of AI and Home Care - launching a new report

Wed, 02/12/2025 - 15:57 - Laurie Orlov

Home care is a labor-intensive business. And as everyone can see, labor is increasingly a scarce resource, likely to seem ever more scarce -- as the boomers age into their 80’s and beyond, their population outpacing the growth of the care workforce. While there are many articles that will describe the 'aging tsunami' and worrisome lack of workers to care for the oldest, few technology solutions have entered this market up to now. How can AI tools participate appropriately in home care and home healthcare?  What are some of the circumstances that make this the right time to consider? And what are examples that indicate potential?  Suggestions of offerings and interviewees are welcome.

category tags: 
Home Care, home health care, tech-enabled home care, AI and machine learning
»

As Boomers age, marketers' interest in their tech adoption will grow

Thu, 02/06/2025 - 09:17 - Laurie Orlov

Tech adoption for older adults is growing... The surveyed ubiquity of technology has led to a belief that it is everywhere it needs to be, with media assumptions about the benefit of smartphones and online tools, ownership of devices, or access to broadband speeds. The majority of older adults now own smartphones and smart TVs. Why? To access digital services. And, of course, to connect with families. But it is past time to make smartphone user interfaces more usable (accessible even) and make sure that if it’s the only phone an older adult owns, it supports sharing tools like FaceTime, text chatting, or YouTube. 

category tags: 
AI and machine learning, fall prevention, fall detection, senior living
»

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