SAN DIEGO – July 19, 2017 – GreatCall Inc., the leader in connected health for active aging, in conjunction with Aging in Place Technology Watch, today released a whitepaper titled, “Connecting the Lonely: Making a Difference in the Well-Being of Older Adults,” discussing the growth of loneliness and feelings of isolation in the senior population.
It’s summer – and the reading is easy. But there are many opportunities to fall out of touch with what’s happening in the world of tech and aging – for example, in the market innovation category, most recently there have been announcements about robot offerings for seniors, and some new capabilities for sharing photo content that can help record moments of our family lives that may soon be lost. In the spirit of sharing, hoping that those who can are going to attend the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit next week, July 20, in Berkeley – if so, will see you there! Meanwhile, here are five other blog posts from the past month that you may have missed:
Boomers and technology – it’s a given. Yesterday yet another baby boomer reporter asserted what is believed by many to be the obvious. Baby boomers will not be tech-phobic (presumably like their parents) – but will be willing and able to use the newest technology in their later years. What’s the proof? They use it now – for example, 83% are using the Internet, look at Facebook pages for health information, form social connections, research online, etc. And baby boomers, many of whom are now ‘seniors’, expect technology to help them remain independent as they age. This is such a significant possibility that tech designers are actually encouraged to consider them when designing a new product.
Dial-up lives on -- and not necessarily out of preference. You may have read this last week: Rural America is stranded in the dial-up age. That was disturbing on multiple levels, starting with the obvious. Even people who could afford better access can’t get it – they drive to a gas station parking lot to obtain Internet speeds fast enough to do online business. Study the map in the article and ponder the status of elderly who live in these low-bandwidth locations. The article notes 23 million people (39% living in rural areas) who lack access to any type of broadband. Older adults make up a larger percentage of rural Americans, 16% than in the US as a whole and “people aged 75+ are more likely to have chronic diseases and disabilities."
It’s summer – and the reading is easy. But there are many opportunities to fall out of touch with what’s happening in the world of tech and aging – for example, in the market innovation category, most recently there have been 
Boomers and technology – it’s a given. Yesterday yet another baby boomer reporter asserted what is believed by many to be the obvious. Baby boomers will not be tech-phobic (presumably like their parents) – but will be willing and able to use the newest technology in their later years. What’s the proof? They use it now – for example, 
Dial-up lives on -- and not necessarily out of preference. You may have read this last week: 