Design still needs to include older adults. One might say that there’s nothing left to say about this topic – it’s been said in multiple and sometimes overlapping and confusing ways. You can read about inclusive design, sometimes called design-for-all, accessible design, and universal design. None of these concepts are specific to designing for inclusion of aging adults. And we know that older adults, some not online, are an afterthought when new emergency processes are created. At a recent event, recommendations from design experts were discussed and considered in the context of aging adults. But is the distinction between approaches, in fact, based on history and legal compliance? What should (really, this time!) change?
Independa, an award-winning TV-based platform providing simplified remote engagement, education and care, and Coro Health LLC, the leading provider of therapeutic music and spiritual support in the healthcare industry, today announced a global strategic partnership to bring FaithFirst to the Independa Health Hub — an integrated ecosystem of healthy offerings — on 2021 and 2022 LG Electronics televisions.
The ACS will size tech adoption – and not a minute too soon. We might learn from the upcoming American Community Survey (ACS) data release which households have broadband connectivity, own a computer or other devices – down to a level of granularity that includes that rarely surveyed category, age 85+. And we may be able to examine age in relationship to tech ownership. In 2011, as part of the Linkage Technology Survey of Adults age 65-100, the report observes that there are few surveys of technology ownership among the older adult population.
March 2022 – in-person annual trade shows are back. For so many who have been Zooming, Teaming, and WebEx’ing, lo, these many months, it’s actually comforting to know that the big exhibit shows are back. This will be exciting for firms hoping to actually meet prospects in person, including events like HearTech Expo, sponsored by the American Academy of Audiology in St. Louis on April 1 – and next week’s VIVE 2022, the new health IT event in Miami. Upcoming, Argentum’s Senior Living Executive Conference in Minneapolis in March, then the American Society on Aging’s annual conference, On Aging, in New Orleans in April. LeadingAge is holding its Leadership Summit in Washington, DC this month and its annual Conference and Expo in Colorado in October. Hopefully all will be well-attended and business deals will be done, just like in the old days. And to stay up to date, here are the four blog posts from February, 2022:
For older adults, television is a solid rock in an ever-shifting technology landscape. Approximately half of the older adult population has a smart TV – a common platforms used to stream Internet services without an associated specialty box like Apple TV, Roku or Chromecast. And the rest may have standard TV with attached streaming devices. Smart TVs, a treasure trove of data, according to Elizabeth Parks, CEO of Parks Associates, can also deliver access to telehealth services, share family photos, and provide engagement for older adults who may be homebound. Alternatively, a device can be connected to a TV to enable an organization or family to connect directly with older adults who may not be comfortable with smartphones, tablets or smart speakers. Here are six TV-based offerings for older adults – in alphabetical order, all information is from the companies’ websites or press releases:
Safety Labs the leader in TV based connected health for active aging seniors, today announced the Sirona.TV App which brings , our simple to use connectivity solution designed for 75+ seniors to any Android and iOS smart phone. This further enables seniors to be independent, connected and safe in and outside their homes. Sirona.TV easy to use TV, remote control and smart speaker interface designed exclusively for seniors 75+ is now extended to the smart phones.
You have a pliers in your kitchen. Rant on. If you were lucky enough to read Don Norman’s rant in Fast Company, you must agree with his view of design and its mismatch with the needs of the elderly. You would agree with Don that today’s designs fail all people, not just the elderly. Because you too have a pliers or wrench in your kitchen to twist tops off bottles and jars. You puzzle at how best to position a knife to release the suction on jars. You have a slippery front door handle that a person with hand arthritis could never open. You have a not-so-universal TV remote with 45 buttons on it, the smallest of which is ‘Mute’. If you have another box, it has a remote, and perhaps another for stereo equipment and an stylishly confusing one for Apple TV. And that’s just one room. You frequently want to print from a device to a network printer, which requires a network, which requires a router, which needs an upgrade. Let’s not go there.
Ask TV-viewers to comment on the remote controls provided by their cable company and nearly everyone will tell you the same thing: “Too Many Buttons!”
Many of today’s remotes resemble the cockpit of a jetliner and as remotes have become more complex, seniors and the technically unsavvy long for a “kinder, gentler” way to help avoid interruptions when watching their favorite TV shows. Press one wrong button and kablooey: the dreaded Blue Screen, a snow squall, HDMI-3 or a program being broadcast in a strange-sounding foreign language!
Pure Devices Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Senior-Friendly TechnologyPure Devices Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Senior-Friendly Technology
Seattle-based technology company Pure Devices, aiming to simplify the online communication and entertainment experience for every family member with a particular focus on Seniors, has announced the launch of its Kickstarter campaign. The Pure Devices product is an elegant, tabletop touch screen device accelerated by cloud technologies, providing an intuitive experience for a selected set of online services.
The lightweight, easy-to-hold Super Remote SR3 offers a large numeric keypad and simple macro programming to control up to three home entertainment devices.
Harrison, NY – URC, The Pioneer in Control Technology, announces the release of its Super Remote SR3. Priced at $24.99 MSRP and available through national and internet retailers, the affordable Super Remote SR3 replaces up to three conventional remote controls for up to three components. The Super Remote SR3 is also an excellent multi-device remote control option for use in extra rooms, like a kids’ room or guest room.