The world is spinning from the events of March 2020. At the beginning of the month, it made sense to publish a Market Overview about tech for older adults that did not link all tech to Covid-19, and by the end of the month every single news item, announced business initiative, investor prediction, startup messaging, university project, and technology topic was only about Covid-19. It’s almost quaint to look at where the month began since publishing the 2020 Market Overview of Technology for Aging on March 5. The technologies noted are as relevant today as they were on March 5 – however, their application as the list of press releases notes, may be different. Telehealth is suddenly as critical as it always should have been. Smart home (and enablement of remote interactions matters more than it ever has.) From the month:
This past week offers updates to services, policy, and practice. Expect more announcements moving forward, but matching reimbursement for telehealth with in-person visits was a big deal. Many other changes have been put in place, eliminating co-pays, adding coverage for telehealth for those without insurance, and many others many of them state-by-state (see Florida and California, for example). Senior living companies are readying telehealth services (see Holiday Retirement) and no doubt more will follow.
PLANO, Texas, March 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VitalTech, a rapidly growing market leader in Virtual Care, announced today that it is offering Senior Living and Long-Term Care Facilities free Telehealth access*. This comprehensive strategy allows caregivers, and their residents, full access to the VitalCare® platform. This initiative is implemented through a partnership with the Ziegler Link•Age Funds, in a joint effort to combat the Coronavirus pandemic.
HARTFORD, Conn., March 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today CareCentrix announced that it is extending its advanced home technology package including telehealth, care collaboration and home monitoring tools at no cost to its network of 8,000 home health locations. CareCentrix's home telehealth platform allows agencies to better manage, monitor and care for patients in their homes rather than hospitals and subacute facilities.
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted instant behavior and tech changes. And not just about hand washing and social distancing. For the past two days, it’s apparent that the seemingly forever slow growth of telehealth adoption has entered a new, “When can I have that? Yesterday?” phase. This applies to caring for and treating the 2.5 million in senior living communities, including nursing homes. Some senior living providers have been ahead of the game for some time with telehealth, like Asbury Communities and Holiday Retirement -- offering services for residents at times when physicians cannot be on site. But the interest and use of telehealth in senior living has been accelerating since April 2019, when Medicare Advantage plans began covering it. And further, when senior living companies were enabled to provide their own Medicare advantage plans, that piqued more interest in telehealth. All that's left is to install the connectivity to make it effective.
The world is spinning from the events of March 2020. At the beginning of the month, it made sense to publish a Market Overview about tech for older adults that did not link all tech to Covid-19, and by the end of the month every single news item, announced business initiative, 
This past week offers updates to services, policy, and practice. Expect more announcements moving forward, but 
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted instant behavior and tech changes. And not just about hand washing and social distancing. For the past two days, it’s apparent that the seemingly forever slow growth of telehealth adoption has entered a new, “When can I have that? Yesterday?” phase. This applies to caring for and treating the 2.5 million in senior living communities, including nursing homes. Some senior living providers have been ahead of the game for some time with telehealth, like 