At least one-third of adults over 65 in North America fall each year and this is a serious issue that often leads to many other severe and chronic concerns for older adults.* To provide peace of mind for the elderly and their families, AT&T EverThere®, a small wearable device, can detect falls and quickly identify location.
Last year, CES in Pajamas, this year CES from the kitchen. Everyone who is anyone in the tech world wants to be at CES…well, almost everyone. Remember a 2012 health tech article called CES in Pajamas? Check out TelecareAware's analysis of write-ups in The CES of Health or MDDI's note about Aging in Place. And this year, the Forbes article, I, Robot Journalist: Beaming into CES 2014 was a great use of the Beam (from Suitable Technologies) telepresence device, "a motorized stand that looks like an iPad glued to a Segway." The Forbes writer 'wanders' around the International CES show and sort-of elbows her robotic way around to view various booths. The CEO of Suitable Technologies wants to see 10,000 Beams at CES 2015. Let’s try to imagine that scene -- I bet CES introduces a Beam registration limit to minimize violence on the show floor. (Seriously, you read it here first.)
LAS VEGAS, BOOTH 25521, SOUTH HALL 2, LVCC (January 7, 2014) – GreatCall Inc., the leader in providing solutions that enable independence for aging consumers and their family caregivers, today announced the launch of GreatCall Link. The smartphone app seamlessly connects GreatCall’s health and safety products with family caregivers, extending their ability to provide needed support.
CES, LAS VEGAS – Jan. 7, 2014 – Ooma®, Inc., the leader in smart home and business communication systems, introduces the Ooma Safety Phone, a new wearable phone that allows users to call for help during home emergency situations. This two-way communication device connects to the Ooma Telo and features two programmable speed-dial buttons that can be used to instantly call 911 emergency services and family members.
2013 was a year in which issues percolated all around the world of older adults – health insurance and Medicare media interest dominated, but senior housing also made the news, caregiving received some exposure, and new tech to mitigate hearing and vision loss emerged. In terms of trends that could, would, and should impact the technology worlds of older adults, much has happened and more is ahead. From specific initiatives to government policy implications, the markets (money, innovation, and consumer interest) show signs of aligning in ways that can only benefit boomers and seniors. Here are trends that signal change:
Task-specific devices must add functions over time. The cliché in the tech industry is truer now than ever – because an innovation is possible – not always helpful, but possible -- it will be done. And adding functions to products is as inevitable as tomorrow’s sunrise. As we look around the home technology market, we can already see dedicated devices beginning to share activities: a TV can now be interactive, PCs and tablets now functional for viewing movies, radios that become speakers for Internet streaming, ever-more multi-function kitchen devices and so on. As devices become multi-purpose, they can also add new channels of distribution – opening up new retailers, catalogues, websites, and show venues.
LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y., Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ Tunstall Americas, a leader in independent living technologies and 24/7 healthcare contact services announced today their partnership with Numera, of Seattle, WA. The agreement names Tunstall Americas as a distribution partner for Numera's mobile personal emergency response system (mPERS).
