Learning, working, contribution and legacy

You probably don’t think about crossword puzzles much.  Maybe you should – the research points to their utility (along with the even-more-important exercise and interacting with people) as one of the ways to help people maintain thinking and brain health – even delaying onset of memory decline. We like to think we will avoid dementia and Alzheimer’s through whatever means are possible, especially in families with a history of cognitive impairment. 

You would think that women were playing a sizable role in tech by now.  You would be wrong.  And historical trends underpin the delta between men and women in tech. Despite early interest in the 1970s, including computer programming, by the mid-1980s women were disappearing from computer science programs.  Consider reasons that are offered, including the possibility that recently introduced personal computers were more likely to be bought for boys than girls. Note the reinforcement from Apple ads (no kidding) about what these computers could do for the career dreams of boys.

Technology solutions augment care – not replacing family or support. The categories of technology offerings help older adults age successfully and include independent market segments – each useful – but together, they complete a puzzle for a fulfilling and interactive life for older adults, enabled with the support of families and caregivers and include the sub-categories as shown in the examples at the end of the Technology for Aging 2023 Market Overview.  Care-related service organizations are taking a closer look at technologies that could help them cope more effectively with staffing shortages and other issues. However, as the photo history of phones shows, the trick is to select solutions, not tech, with staying power and support services to buffer organizations and individuals from the harshest impact of change.