Often, today’s Seniors are depicted in popular media as struggling with modern technology. However, many are now turning to technology to live longer, healthier lives…just as the younger generations do!
From technology to allow you to age in place in your own home, to online education, to home-based heart monitoring, there’s an app or a gadget for nearly every Senior need. Check out a few of these great tech innovations!
Better Living through Tech Innovations
Though it may feel like technology innovations cater solely to the tween to 30-something crowds, baby boomers and seniors are getting their day in the tech spotlight these days.
Innovation is coming from numerous quarters, including Aging2.0’s Global Startup Search. The global competition (http://www.aging2.com/gss) brings attention to startups that offer products and services focused on senior’s needs and that ease the challenges associated with aging.
Competitors pitched their ideas at local events around the world late last year. A combination of public voting and expert judges picked the finalists who will get to pitch their idea at the Aging2.0 Optimize (http://www.aging2.com/optimize) event in October.
Though many are designed to monitor health, not all the apps and services are illness focused. Among the companies that have been competing for votes this summer include:
- Echo System (http://www.echocare-tech.com/home.html) monitors seniors at home without using invasive cameras. It can detect dangers, such as falls, unusually long stays in the bathroom, and sleep apnea.
- FibriCheck (https://fibricheck.com/en) is an app that monitors those with atrial fibrillation to detect heart arrhythmias that can cause strokes.
- Freebird Club (http://freebirdclub.net) has been described as Airbnb for the aged 55-plus crowd. Members can connect with one another and offer a spare room in their house to fellow group members who are traveling. It’s a way to bring in some extra income, meet others, and build new friendships.
- Memory Well (www.memory-well.com) captures seniors’ life stories using prose, images, and music to help caregivers better know the person they’re caring for. By understating who a person is and what he or she loves, caregivers can have more meaningful conversations with patients and provide more personalized care. The digital biography also serves as a keepsake for loved ones and a way for family members to sit and reminisce with a patient.
- Silvernest (https://www.silvernest.com) is a roommate-matching service for boomers.
- Wiser (www.learnwiser.com), an online lifelong learning space, provides courses, webinars, and discussions. It offers everything from classes on the Spanish Civil War and Alexander Pushkin’s literature, to discussion groups about music, cars, and politics.
