Monday, October 31, 2011

ATA Announces Fall Forum Presentation Award Winners

Watch the winning presentations--and more Fall Forum recordings--for FREE on the ATA website

The 2011 ATA Fall Forum in Anchorage was our largest autumn event to date, with 530 attendees and over 500 remote viewers via live conference simulcast. ATA thanks everyone who attended and viewed the event, as well as our exhibitors and corporate sponsors, who made the Fall Forum a great success!

Photos from Fall Forum are available here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32054747@N03/sets/72157627826193240/

We also thank the many Speakers and Virtual Presenters at the Fall Forum. ATA asked for the most unique and cutting-edge ideas in telemedicine and our speakers delivered! If you couldn't make it to Alaska, don't worry--you can still see these fantastic presentations! Video recordings of the Fall Forum presentations have now been posted online and are available for free to the public. Click here to view the presentation recordings.

http://www.americantelemed.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageID=3913

While all of the presentations were fantastic, two speakers have been selected as winners of the innaugural Fall Forum presentation awards. Based on feedback from attendee evaulatons, ATA is pleased to announce the following award winners:

MOST INNOVATIVE PRESENTATION

mSinging for Health (Video available soon...)
Andrew Tubman, CMT
Co-Founder and Chief of Music Therapy
Musical Health Technologies

BEST PRESENTATION

Telemedicine via HIE Image Sharing
Julie Hall-Barrow, EdD
Associate Director, Center for Distance Health
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Congratulations to our winners and to everyone else who presented at the Fall Forum. Again, all meeting presentations are now available to be viewed online. Visit www.ATAFallForum.org to view the videos.

Caregiver Village News

The founders of Caregiver Village, an online community designed exclusively for those who provide care for anyone with special needs, have just put aside a portion of the launch funding to support caregiving organizations. For every person that joins Caregiver Village, they will donate $1 to that persons organization of choice. The Editors would like to share this news with the readers of Technology For Senior Housing. Check out this link which explains everything:

http://www.caregivervillage.com/social-media

Caregiver Village members connect with friends, participate in book clubs with celebrity authors, journal, play mystery games, solve puzzles, and learn valuable information about caregiving. I would love it if you would join Caregiver Village. If you are able to post or tweet about this then even more people will get the information. Contact Sheila Watson if you have additional questions.

caregivervillage.com
facebook.com/caregivervillage
twitter.com/cgvillage

On Alzheimer's - Tips to Prevent Wandering for Alzheimer Residents - Technology and Wandering

It is suggested that nearly 70% of people with Alzheimer’s disease will wander away from home and get lost. Wandering is one of the biggest risks for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and is a common but dangerous symptom of the disease. A wanderer is someone with a disease such as Alzheimer’s who has wandered away on their own free-will from their caregiver. The risk is evident in the 31,000 Alzheimer’s patients who researcher Robert J. Koester estimates wanders per year. When someone with Alzheimer’s disease wanders, he or she is disorientated and unable to judge potentially dangerous places and situations. People suffering from severe Alzheimer’s disease are more at risk and the incidence of wandering increases.

Alzheimer’s patients may suddenly walk off and become lost, frightened or confused. Generally if a patient is found within 24 hours they are returned safely, but after a longer time span the survival rate drops to nearly 50 percent, according to recent studies. It is evident that wandering behavior can be a life threatening incident.

Koester’s research provides more insight into wandering in Alzheimer’s patients. Those with Alzheimer’s disease leave their own residence or nursing home and usually start to wander along roads. Eighty-nine percent of wandering patients are usually found within one mile from the point last seen. If the patient is not wandering along the road (14%), they are usually in a creek or drainage (28%), or caught in bushes or shrubberies (33%). But, the Alzheimer’s patient is frequently found wandering a short distance from a road. Unfortunately there are some wanderers who eventually give in to the environment and develop hypothermia or dehydration (35%), or are found deceased (19%).

It is important for you to know that you can help prevent incidents of wandering even though you cannot always guarantee total prevention. If you are aware of the causes of wandering you can minimize the risks of someone with Alzheimer’s disease becoming lost. Although wandering remains a risk, there are several things that you can do to help prevent wandering in an assisted living center, long term care facility or at home to ensure that the family’s loved one remains safe.

1. Install locks on doors- That is the first place to prevent a wanderer from leaving. However, in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s disease it is more likely for a patient to wander because they usually still remember how to unlock the current locks. Placing hook and eye latches on the outside screen door is proven to be very effective, especially if placed either very high or low on the door. Another method is to place a double key lock on the inside door, but be aware that the patient may begin to panic if they cannot open the door from the inside.

2. Install locks on windows- In general, most people would not consider exiting a building though a window, but an Alzheimer’s patient who feels the need to escape would consider. Even windows on the upper levels of a house or facility should be secured. If there are windows that open by sliding side to side, consider placing a piece of wood on the track to keep the window from fully opening. Windows that slide up and down can be protected by putting a nail or screw in the tack to prevent it from completely opening also. If the window uses a crank, consider removing the crank each time after using it to open or close the window, and then hide the crack in an undisclosed place.

3. Build fences and gates- A fence is not as restrictive and offers patients an alternative place to go in relative safety. Chain link fences should be avoided because elderly patients still have the capability of climbing them rather easily. Also, stay away from building a fence with brace beams facing into the secured area because the support beams can provide a foothold for climbing over the fence. In general, a farm fence with square openings too small to be used as footholds is a very good option. Don’t forget that it is important that the fence is at least six feet tall so a patient will not try to physically pull themselves over it.

4. Use emergency IDs- Even with safeguards and precautions, patients still could break free. You can make sure that a label with the elderly patient’s name and phone number is worn on their clothing at all times. This is important because you can never depend on the patient to carry their ID when they wander, but it is vital that the wanderer can be identified immediately and returned quickly if they go astray.

5. A wander guard security system can provide an assisted living or long term care facility with the security solution needed to monitor and care for their Alzheimer’s patients and to help prevent wandering. By use of a Cut Band system, a gentle band and tag is placed around the patient’s wrist. Then staff is able to be notified if the band is tampered with or removed and if the patient leaves the room or facility. Such systems are a great way for facilities to help prevent an Alzheimer’s patient from wandering.

6. Dress patients in bright colored clothing- It is known that bright and distinct clothing can be spotted from a distance. Dressing in clothing that is easily spotted in a crowd is helpful when taking a patient out of the home or facility and to a public area. It is very easy for an individual with Alzheimer’s disease to become separated especially when there is a crowd. It can happen within seconds.

7. Keep all keys in an undisclosed place and out of reach- An individual with Alzheimer’s disease may still be able to recognize a key and understand how it is used. A patient that gets a hold of a car key or is able to let themselves out of the home or facility can be gone for miles before being noticed. This does happen and it happens more often than thought.

8. Never leave an Alzheimer’s patient alone in the car- According to several surveys each year the number of times an elderly patient is left in the car while the caregiver runs quickly into the store, bank, etc. has significantly increased. Even though you might only think you will be gone for only a few minutes, the Alzheimer’s patient is often left in the car for more than15 minutes. You must remember that it only takes seconds for a frightened or panicked individual with Alzheimer’s disease to get out of the car and quickly wander away.

9. Avoid leaving an Alzheimer’s patient home alone- Determining when an individual with Alzheimer’s disease is no longer to be left at home alone for short periods of time can be difficult. This makes it very challenging for someone who is the sole caregiver for a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Still, there are several ways to find assistance. One, alert neighbors to keep an eye out for the wandering patient or have a neighbor visit when you are going to be gone for more than a few minutes. Two, use the idea of a babysitter and have a young adult stay with and care for the elderly patient while you are gone. Three, ask for help. Churches, high schools, Boy/Girl Scouts, community centers, senior citizen centers, local Alzheimer’s Association chapters and any other group you can uncover could be willing to assist you in caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease.

10. Find other useful materials to help- You often have to be creative to keep an individual with Alzheimer’s disease safe by using house hold items. For instance, baby monitors or motion detectors that turn on lamps or radios to alert if a patient is moving around or trying to leave are both items that are either easily found at home or at a store. Another idea is to look through a child safety center for more items to help keep track of an Alzheimer’s patient. For example, the elastic bands mother’s attach to their wrist and their child’s wrist can be a great help when taking an elderly patient into a crowded area. Also, hanging bells on a door can also be a useful alarm.

The risk of wandering in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is very great. You can take precautions to keep patients safe, but even the best caregiver or nurse will have experiences with wandering patients. Take reasonable precautions, don’t panic and enlist others to help you care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Adapted from New Research & Perspectives By Robert J. Koester M.S. Virginia Department of Emergency Management Appalachian Search & Rescue Conference,

TSH Editor's Note: There are plenty of high-tech solutions to prevent and manage wandering or track residents movements and location within a facility or campus, but the real solutions are much more simple and come from good old common sense. We thought we'd pass this "tip list" along to our readers for just that reason. BB

Friday, August 26, 2011

RealPage® Acquires SeniorLiving.Net™

CARROLLTON, Texas (July 29, 2011)—RealPage, Inc. ((NASDAQ: RP), today announced the acquisition of SeniorLiving.Net (“SLN”), an Internet lead generation and placement network for the senior housing market. SLN helps families with aging parents find senior care providers that can address their care needs, desired location and budget. The service is no cost to the families. SLN provides each family with a skilled Care Advisor familiar with the local market to help them through the process.

SLN generates leads through over 200 websites and affiliates that provide information to families. Care Advisors work with the family to create a care profile that is then matched with the communities in their area that meet their care and budget needs. Today, nearly 2,700 senior living communities are qualified to receive leads from SLN.

The Company paid $4.5 million in cash with the potential to earn additional consideration upon achieving future financial targets through June 2014. SeniorLiving.Net's trailing 12 months results show revenue of less than $1.0 million and an operating loss. RealPage expects SeniorLiving.Net to contribute immaterially to the Company's full year revenue and profit performance for the year ended Dec. 31, 2011.

“SeniorLiving.Net expands our senior housing offering, which currently features accounting, census management and facilities management marketed as OneSite Senior Living,” said Dirk Wakeham, president of RealPage. “We also offer OneSite Care Manager that provides care assessment, planning, compliance and staffing capabilities that adjust monthly care revenue to offset expense creep that occurs as resident acuity changes over time. OneSite Care Manager is a successor product to the popular A.L. Wizard software that was acquired by RealPage in 2009. We expect to rapidly expand SeniorLiving.Net's lead generation and placement network service by leveraging lead generation, capture and management systems that RealPage has deployed in other markets. We are excited about this acquisition and the significant opportunity ahead of us in the senior housing market.”

According to the 2010 National Investment Center Investment guide, there are approximately 1.3 million senior and assisted living units in the U.S. and this number is expected to double over the next 25 years due to the aging baby boomer generation. RealPage believes that the total addressable market for lead generation and placement services in the independent and assisted living market is at least $800 million annually.

SeniorLiving.Net was founded by Todd Walrath in 2008 and is rapidly growing its nationwide Care Advisor network. Walrath, formerly COO of Weather.com, Group Vice President of AOL local search, and CEO and founder of LEADS.com, brings a wealth of Internet lead generation experience to RealPage.

“We are extremely excited to be joining RealPage,” said Walrath. “SeniorLiving.Net has become an important source of qualified families to the top senior care providers in the industry. Each month we qualify or advise thousands of families looking for senior care options. Whether its home care, retirement living, assisted living or dementia care, the choices can be overwhelming. Our service gives senior care providers a highly qualified family that is matched to their services, location and budget.”

About RealPage, Inc. Located in Carrollton, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, RealPage provides on-demand (also referred to as “Software-as-a-Service” or “SaaS”) products and services to apartment communities and single family rentals across the United States. Its six on-demand product lines include OneSite® property management systems that automate the leasing, renting, management, and accounting of conventional, affordable, tax credit, student living, and military housing properties; Level One® and CrossFire® that enable owners to originate, syndicate, manage and capture leads more effectively and at less overall cost; YieldStar® asset optimization systems that enable owners and managers to optimize rents to achieve the overall highest yield, or combination of rent and occupancy, at each property; Velocity™ billing and utility management services that increase collections and reduce delinquencies; LeasingDesk® risk mitigation systems that are designed to reduce a community's exposure to risk and liability; and OpsTechnology® spend management systems that help owners manage and control operating expenses. Supporting this family of SaaS products is a suite of shared cloud services including electronic payments, document management, decision support and learning. Through its Propertyware subsidiary, RealPage also provides software and services to single-family rentals and low density, centrally-managed multifamily housing. For more information, call 1-87-REALPAGE or visit www.realpage.com.

About SeniorLiving.Net
SeniorLiving.Net is dedicated to helping families find the senior care provider that best meets their needs. The service is no cost to the families. SeniorLiving.Net provides each family with a skilled Care Advisor familiar with the local market to help them through the process. Whether they need Assisted Living, Dementia Care, Independent Living, Adult Day Services or Home Care, SeniorLiving.Net recommends care providers in their area. For more information, visit www.SeniorLiving.Net or call at (866) 342-4297.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements relating to RealPage, Inc.'s expected, possible or assumed future results of operations and potential growth and plans, management, branding and profit margins of SeniorLiving.Net as well as market performance, opportunities and developments. These forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by terms such as "expects," "believes," "plans" or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the following: (a) the possibility that general economic conditions or uncertainty cause information technology spending, particularly in the rental housing industry, to be reduced or purchasing decisions to be delayed; (b) an increase in customer cancellations; (c) the inability to increase sales to existing customers and to attract new customers; (d) RealPage, Inc.'s failure to integrate acquired businesses, including SeniorLiving.Net, and any future acquisitions successfully; (e) the timing and success of new product introductions by RealPage, Inc. or its competitors; (f) changes in RealPage, Inc.'s pricing policies or those of its competitors; (g) litigation; and (h) such other risk and uncertainties described more fully in documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including RealPage's Form 10-Q previously filed with the SEC on May 9, 2011. All information provided in this release is as of the date hereof and RealPage, Inc. undertakes no duty to update this information except as required by law.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

SeniorHomes.com Plans To Grow With $3M In New Financing

SeniorHomes.com, a website run by Moseo Corp. for people searching for senior care or housing, said it has raised $3 million in additional financing to fuel its growth.

The round came from prior investor MentorTech Ventures and other institutional and individual investors. Valuation was undisclosed.

The Seattle-based company said the financing adds to the $1.6 million it raised in May 2010, bringing its total funding to $4.6 million.

Founded in 2009, SeniorHomes.com said it has seen rapid growth in its first two years and plans to expand its directory of senior housing and care services to a nationwide audience. It said the latest round of financing will be used to launch new markets across the U.S. and develop additional categories serving the needs of aging adults.
http://www.seniorhomes.com

Friday, February 18, 2011

Physical Video Games May Help the Elderly Psychologically


For years, increasingly sophisticated video games came with increasingly daunting controllers. Anyone who grew up with Pong or an NES could be forgiven for fearing today's byzantine rigs. So perhaps it's not surprising that the new, more intuitive interfaces of the Nintendo Wii and Xbox Kinect have opened up new markets for video games. What is surprising, however, is how psychologically beneficial these new activities are for a key new group: the elderly.

The Wii has been popular for some time among older consumers, while the holiday's hot item, the Kinect, is just reaching past its earliest adopters. While the Wiimote sent signals from a controller you held to a receiver near your TV, the Kinect detects your body and uses it as the game controller. Both fit under the general category of "motion gaming" which dispenses with the traditional buttons and joysticks of yore.

Studies show that video games that encourage physical activity also help with depression, sense of place and relevancy.

There's no denying the physical benefits of motion gaming: studies have shown that even just a few sessions with the Wii has led to improved balance, coordination and strength, and could help prevent falls, a serious concern for many seniors. Wii Bowling has spawned entire leagues and tournaments, taking over nursery homes, retirement communities and community centers as one of the fastest-growing and most popular social activities.

But the benefits may extend beyond just fun and games -- studies are also showing that these exergames -- video games that encourage physical activity -- are also proving to help with depression, sense of place and relevancy. They may even help bridge generational divides between grandparents and younger adults and children by offering them an equal playing ground.

In a poster presentation at the Gerontological Society of America's Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans late last year, Patricia Kahlbaugh, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology at Southern Connecticut State University presented a study on the effects of playing Wii on loneliness and mood in the elderly.

As some adults get older, they may no longer have the physical strength or agility to engage in their chosen pleasures of life. For some, the sense of loss can deepen into depression. By recreating the experience of previously enjoyed activities like tennis, bowling, and golf, Kahlbaugh says the Nintendo Wii may allow elderly individuals to engage in these previously enjoyed activities, allowing them to "regain the psychological benefits such activities once afforded them."

To test the game's impact on greater life satisfaction, loneliness, greater positive mood, and increased physical activity, Kahlbaugh created a study of 36 individuals -- average age 82.6 years -- from residential facilities in New Haven County. All were in general good health and held high school degrees. The participants were split into two groups -- 16 were assigned to play the Wii for an hour per week with an undergraduate student, while 12 watched an hour of television per week with an undergraduate student, all over a span of ten weeks. Seven students were then assigned as additional controls.

While the quantitative results didn't yield any differences between groups in life satisfaction or weekly physical activity, the Wii participants reported higher positive mood in comparison to the TV group. The Wii group also reported feelings of decreased loneliness and feeling more connected to others, which could be attributed to the social nature of the game and the subculture it created within the residential community of those participating in the Wii study.

The feedback from the seniors themselves was more telling, Kahlbaugh says. Participants made comments about feeling "more a part of things" or feeling "more in" with the younger generation, creating a greater sense of self and purpose. "There was an older gentleman who came to play a session with his old bowling trophies," said Kahlbaugh. "For him, playing the Wii was a way to recapture the fun and sense of achievement he had had in the past." The study was so popular among participants, two of her students stayed on after the study to volunteer with the seniors who wanted to continue their weekly bowling sessions.

Another study by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine supports the link between exergames and mental health in seniors. Focusing on seniors with subsyndromal depression (SSD), researchers conducted a study of 19 participants (ages 63-94) who played an exergame on the Wii for 35 minutes, three times a week. "More than one-third of participants reported a 50 percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms," said lead researcher Dr. Dilip V. Jeste. "Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation."

For Kahlbaugh, the study of interactive gaming's impact on depression and mood was a personal one. "My motivation for this [study] stemmed from my dad who had his leg amputated due to diabetes several years ago," she said. Kahlbaugh grew up playing tennis with her father, who is now occupied as the sole caretaker of her mother who has Alzheimer's.

Given a Nintendo Wii Sports package by his kids, he spent hours at a time playing the games. After one such night, Kahlbaugh asked him what he got out of the Wii experience. What he said struck her: "The trick of getting older successfully is finding out how to stay relevant."

"I've always had that quote in my mind and [it], in fact, is the reason I set out to do the study in the first place. I really wanted to find out if the Wii would have positive benefits to the elderly in terms of successful aging," Kahlbaugh said. It seems to have, so far.

More than just a game or workout, motion gaming is a link between the evolving technological world and the pastimes seniors have long enjoyed--and, really, who wants to feel like they're being left behind?

Aylin Zafar wrote this article as part of her MetLife Foundation Journalists on Aging Fellowship in partnership with New America Media and the Gerontological Society of America.

Image: gregorbug79/Flickr.

This article available online at:

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/02/physical-video-games-may-help-the-elderly-psychologically/71184/
Copyright © 2011 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All Rights Reserved.

TSH Editor's Comment: Great Article in The Atlantic that validates our last speaking engagement at the Microsoft Aging Summit in 2007. The two categories for Activity Directors to watch are Brain Fitness activities and Games with the Wii or Kinect applications. Both approaches greatly increase socialization and general quality of life. Stay tuned for our announcement about the upcoming 2011 Microsoft Aging Summit. All the best. BB

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

50 Awesomely Educational Podcasts for Nurses

Hi Berry,

We at Nursingschools.net recently came across your blog and were excited to share with you an article - “50 Awesomely Educational Podcasts for Nurses.”

We recently published this piece on our blog at -- http://www.nursingschools.net/blog/2011/02/50-awesomely-educational-podcasts-for-nurses/

We hoped that you would be interested in featuring or mentioning it in one of your posts.

It has been a sincere pleasure to read your blog.

Thanks for your time,

Ken Martin


TSH Editor's Note: It is a policy of TSH to share with our readers news and information that will help them deliver higher quality of care and improved resident satisfaction and quality of life. I want to thank our friends at Nursingschools.net for reaching out to me. Any of you other readers who have things to share please send them my way and I will work them into a future post. BB

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Baby Boomers’ Demand for Wireless and mHealth Products to hit $12 billion by 2020

Aging, tech-savvy baby boomers who want to retain control over their own lives will lead to a near-tripling of their adoption of wireless and mobile health (mHealth) products by 2020, according to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Enterprise Forum of the Northwest. Study lead author lead author Michael Gallelli notes that the nation’s 78 million baby boomers--the oldest of whom turn 65 this year--will help the mHealth information technology market grow to $4.6 billion by 2014 and to $12 billion by 2020.

Most of these boomers, like the generation of Xers behind them, have expressed a “high willingness” to use home-based health monitoring devices, particularly health and fitness software; mobile health applications; personal emergency response services; remote monitoring tools; and telemedicine technology. The growth in connected health, along with soaring healthcare costs coupled with rapid adoption of mobile technologies will create an “explosion of personal data,” creating numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs, Gallelli said.

TSH Editor's Note: Since 2002 we've been reporting in this Forum that a seachange is taking place in the senior housing and care industries, and that the central point in the continuum of care will eventually become the home as people overwhelmingly choose to age in place as long as possible. The ramifications for the real-estate development focused executives in our readership are immense. You must immediately start to implement plans so that the next generation of what we now call senior housing takes into account a whole plethora of communication, monitoring, and embedded services to assist the families and residents in their their pursuit to maintain a high quality of life as they age. BB

Monday, January 17, 2011

What 50+ Consumers Want: Research to Help You Understand Your Target Market

Various Highlights from last week's NAHB International Builder's Show

Wednesday, January 12
50+ Small Builder’s Forum: Keeping Up with the Big
Guys, One House at a Time
You don’t have to compete with the national 50+ lifestyle builders to
be in the game. Success could also be right around the corner for
builders of smaller, intimate communities, or even those who build one
house at a time. In this forum, you’ll hear from small 50+ and custom
builders who will candidly share how they have carved their own niche in
this market segment. They will discuss the risks and rewards, how they got
started and how they are surviving in today’s challenging market conditions.
Learning Outcomes: Find out from other 50+ builders what they are
doing to stay competitive in their marketplace. Learn innovative ways
to distinguish your company as a leader in the 50+ marketplace and
communicate this message to your prospective buyers. Get the tools you
need to serve the diverse needs of 50+ consumers, with an emphasis on
product, pricing and incentives.

Exploding the Myths of 50+ Lifestyle Selling
This hard-hitting program exposes many to the myths about selling to
the elusive, 50+ lifestyle buyer. Two sales training and personnel
development veterans will share fresh, proven techniques for prospecting to
this group, asking questions that bond and connect, neutralizing the most
common objections and closing the sale.
Learning Outcomes: Hear a condensed version of the “5-Step 50+ Lifestyle
Selling Process,” including clearly explained steps and strategies. Get
proven tips on how to make value-based presentations that resonate with
buyers. Learn the new, most effective closing methods for this buyer that
rely on a soft “asking for the order.”

Looking into the Crystal Ball … A New Vision for 50+
Communities and Amenities
What will the 50+ housing industry look like in the coming
decade? In this session, award-winning architects will share
their vision for the future. Drawing on their knowledge and experience, they
will cover the broad spectrum that is 50+ housing. What types of
communities will the new 50+ buyers want? What type of amenities should
builders and designers include? You will get the answers to these questions
and much more!

Learning Outcomes: Learn where the 50+ housing opportunities will
be in the next decade, including how the design of single-family, multigenerational
and multifamily housing may evolve. Get a glimpse of what
types of home technologies are being developed to appeal to the 50+
market. Hear expert insights into universal and sustainable design.

What 50+ Consumers Want: Research to Help You Understand Your Target Market
Statistics have shown that most 50+ buyers prefer to stay right where
they are, in their current homes and communities. To help you create a
compelling case that will motivate your prospects to move to your own
community, this panel session will provide a profile of 50+ buyers and exactly
what they are looking for in their next purchase. A leading market researcher
will present data from a national consumer survey on preferred community
types, how much buyers are willing to pay and the impact of incentives to
move. In addition, the American Association of Retirement Communities
(AARC) will reveal findings from its 2010 study on destination buyers, focusing
on the decision-making process, the hot buttons of today’s pre-retirees and
how the financial and real estate crises have impacted them.
Learning Outcomes: Know the types of communities 50+ buyers want,
their plans for retirement and incentives that might make them move into a
50+ community. Understand the real estate pricing expectations of different
demographic and psychographic segments within the 50+ buyer market.
Gain a clearer picture of the retiree buyer — insights that go beyond the
bricks and mortar to the nuances of the decision-making process.

Thursday, January 13
50+ Builder Forum: Surviving the Slowdown,
Planning for the Upturn
You’ve heard the economic and market forecasts, but what’s really
happening out in the field? In this session, builders of all sizes in the
50+ market — including national and small/mid-size builders — will discuss
what’s going on in their own backyards as well as their insights for the
future. The panel will examine everything from consumer attitudes, product
design and marketing to how they are accessing financing and making
deals, adapting business operations and strategically planning for the
recovery. Most importantly, builders will share success stories and how they
intend to capitalize on opportunities that tend to occur at this point in the
business cycle.

Learning Outcomes: Find out how builders of all sizes across the country
are coping with current market conditions and preparing for the housing
industry recovery. Get market-tested strategies and ideas from successful
50+ builders about what is working for them, including business operations,
design, marketing, amenities and more. Find out how to position your
company to succeed in a challenging marketplace.

50+ Economic and Market Forecast
Is a housing recovery around the corner? If so, what’s the outlook for
the 50+ market? In this session, an NAHB economist will provide an
overview of the economic conditions affecting this segment of the housing
industry. In addition, you’ll hear a nationally recognized market researcher
share an in-depth analysis of the 50+ landscape and identify emerging
trends and opportunities for builders and developers. It’s the next best thing
to having a crystal ball!

Learning Outcomes: Find out what is happening in the 50+ housing
industry today and how the segment is currently performing compared to
other product types. Get a detailed look at economic factors that directly
impact the 50+ market, and hear a forecast with both short- and long-term
projections. Examine emerging trends and how they will impact the growth
of 50+ communities.

50+ Housing Description: Statistics have shown that most 50+ buyers prefer to stay right where they are, in their current homes and communities. To help you create a compelling case that will motivate your prospects to move to your own community, this session will provide a profile of 50+ buyers and exactly what they are looking for in their next purchase. A leading market researcher will present data from a national consumer survey on preferred community types, how much buyers are willing to pay and the impact of incentives to move. In addition, the American Association of Retirement Communities (AARC) will reveal findings from its 2010 study on destination buyers, focusing on the decision-making process, the hot buttons of today's pre-retirees and how the financial and real estate crises have impacted them.

Learning Outcomes:

* Know the types of communities 50+ buyers want, their plans for retirement and incentives that might make them move into a 50+ community
* Understand the real estate pricing expectations of different demographic and psychographic segments within the 50+ buyer market
* Gain a clearer picture of the retiree buyer - insights that go beyond the bricks and mortar to the nuances of the decision-making process
* Acquire actionable strategies and solutions that address the "new retiree," whose definition of retirement is vastly different than previous generations

Fee: IBS education sessions are available on a first-come, first served basis to Full Registrants and those who purchase a One- or Two-Day Education with Exhibits Registration

Tracks: 50+ Housing


Universal Design Day. Only at IBS.

Reimagining Universal Design | Wednesday, January 12



What is Universal Design?

Essentially, it’s “smart design” for everyone – not just the 50+ market. Whether you call it “inclusive design,” “design-for-all” or “lifespan design,” universal design is social sustainability. It also provides tremendous opportunities for builders and remodelers alike.

Join the NAHB 50+ Housing Council on opening day of the 2011 NAHB International Builders’ Show for Universal Design Day – Reimagining UD for a chance to learn, discuss and collarborate on one of the biggest emerging niches in home building.

* Get the tools you need to design beautiful and functional homes and communities that maximize lifestyle for all.
* Find out about the vast number of products available, how to define choices and discover how simple it can be to design “smart.”
* Learn how to expand your customer base and gain a key marketing advantage.

Universal Design Day Events

Everything will be happening in 50+ Lifestyle Central (West 314A, Level III), the 50+ Housing Council’s headquarters during IBS. Click on the event for more details.

50+ Housing Council IBS Kickoff Breakfast
7:30 – 9:00 AM

Reimagining Universal Design – Creating a High-Tech Advantage
9:00 – 10:15 AM

Meet the 50+ Housing Experts – Smart Design
10:30 – 11:30 AM

Universal Design Day Luncheon
12:00 – 1:00 PM

Reimagining Universal Design – Kitchens, Baths and More
1:15 – 2:30 PM

Universal Design Product Tour
2:30 – 4:30 PM

Whirlpool 50+ Housing Council Reception
5:00 – 6:00 PM

For more information on 50+ Lifestyle Central and all 50+ Housing Council activities at the 2011 International Builders’ Show, visit www.BuildersShow.com/50plus. Or contact Jeff Jenkins, NAHB 50+ Housing Council, at jjenkins@nahb.org.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Boomers To Create An Explosion of Health Data

The aging of tech-savvy baby boomers who want to retain control over their own lives will lead to greater adoption of wireless and mobile health products, helping to reposition healthcare around patients, a new report says. But advances may not be sustainable without a fundamental shift in the way healthcare is paid for and unless there is a greater social foundation to encourage wellness and prevention efforts, according to the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest (MITEF NW).

The group, one of 27 chapters of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology organization supporting technology entrepreneurs worldwide, released the report this week as a precursor to its Jan. 19 event in Seattle, called “Boomers, Technology & Health: Consumers Taking Charge!” MITEF NW also seeks to position Washington and Oregon as leaders in “personal connected health.”

“The boomers have every reason to be one of the primary drivers of connected health,” lead report author Michael Gallelli told MobiHealthNews. Compared to previous generations that have made it to midlife, the 78 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964—the first of whom turn 65 this year—are more affluent, independent and innovative. “They don’t want to give up control of their lives,” he said.

Plus, nearly 60 percent of boomers have been caring for aging relatives for at least the last three years, the report says, citing a Humana estimate. A “significant piece” of connected health is online and mobile social networking to encourage people to live healthier lives and provide much-needed emotional support, according to Gallelli. “The best way changes are made are usually peer-driven,” he said.

This growth in connected health thanks to the aging population and soaring healthcare costs coupled with rapid adoption of mobile technologies will create what Gallelli called an “explosion of personal data,” creating numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs. “For entrepreneurs, the opportunities lie between the edges of the established healthcare industry and consumer and web mobile technology,” the report states.

The Pacific Northwest is well positioned to become a hub of activity in this area because it is home to many innovative universities, technologically advanced healthcare organizations, a strong business community and leading nonprofits with an interest in health issues, notably the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Still, Gallelli called the report rather cautious in that it discusses the many barriers to connected health. He said it’s “not realistic” for entrepreneurs to come up with an idea then expect to cash out a couple of years later, as they may have done during the dot-com boom.

Among the obstacles to wide adoption of connected health is the uncertainty over how home healthcare devices and smartphone apps will be regulated. And then there is the question of reimbursement. “Under long-standing payer models, consumer expectation is that insurance picks up the tab for medical testing and treatment costs. Until payers embrace covering remote or mobile monitoring costs, in whole or part, new businesses will be asking care providers and/or end users to directly bear the fees for new products and services,” the report states.

However, Gallelli said consumers may find that it more sense to pay a few hundred dollars a month to provide electronic health monitoring services for elderly parents in their homes than to shell out thousands for the less-inviting environment of a nursing home.

For more on the report, read the MITEF NW press release or download the report here.
http://mobihealthnews.com/9905/

Wednesday - January 12th, 2011 - 09:29am EST by Neil Versel

Editors Note:
Many thanks to Neil Versel and mobihealthnews for covering our MITEF event! Hope to see you all in Seattle next Wednesday. BB

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Forum to discuss how baby boomers can use technology to enhance health

Forum to discuss how baby boomers can use technology to enhance health

A forum – Boomers, Technology, and Health: Consumers Taking Charge – will be offered from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.


Technology can help boomers who want to reduce the cost and inconvenience of doctor visits, delay or be active in retirement, take care of their aging parents, and age independently in their own homes themselves, say the sponsors of the forum, the MIT Enterprise Forum of the NW.

Mobile, wireless, social, and data technologies can provide a range of patient-centered, cost-reducing, and time-saving health management options for the benefit of consumers. These technologies also can be valuable to caregivers, health care providers, employers, taxpayers, and the healthcare industry.

"Boomers are unlike any previous mid-life generation in terms of population size, spending power, tech-savvy, and independent spirit," said Michael Gallelli, coordinator of the forum. "Our event will explore how this so-called Sandwich Generation will demand and drive the personalization of health and wellness, and what role mobile, social networking, and data technologies will play in the use of connected health products by boomers and their families."
Picture

The forum panel – moderated by Frank Catalano, principal at Intrinsic Strategy – will discuss from a consumer and technology point of view how various technologies will come together to deliver health solutions for baby boomers. Panelists include:

• Jay Bartot, co-founder and CTO, Medify
• Clayton Lewis, venture capitalist and partner, Maveron
• Marc Pierson, M.D., vice president of clinical information and quality, PeaceHealth
• John Sherry, director of user experience design, Intel Corporation
• Tandy Trower, founder and CEO, Hoaloha Robotics

A report prepared by the MIT Enterprise Forum of the NW for the Jan. 19 forum shows that U.S. baby boomers will play a key role in the adoption of technology-enabled health products for personal use.

Challenges to be address in the development and use of this technology include business model viability, data accuracy, behavioral challenges, and privacy concerns.

Currently, 17 percent of the nation's GDP is spent on health care. With the doubling of the population age 65 and older, driven by 78 million aging boomers, technology will be an important tool for managing chronic disease conditions associated with age, addressing medical personnel and senior care housing shortages, lessening family caretaker pressures, and encouraging self-care and health awareness, according to the report.

The report also points out that Washington and Oregon can become a center for health technology due to the software, mobile, research, senior care, and policy expertise available in regional institutional and business communities.

The report outlines several business opportunity areas, including personal health analytics and management, medication adherence, remote and mobile monitoring and tracking, social health and wellness communities, and robotics software.

The early registration deadline for the forum is Jan. 9.

Boomer Consumer
http://blog.seattlepi.com/boomerconsumer/archives/234641.asp

TSH Editor's Note: I've been a member of the Pacific Northwest MIT Enterprise Forum since 1996 and this is the first program that has ever been dedicated to this type of subject matter. A incredibly dedicated group of volunteers, including myself, toiled for more than six months to reach out on a national basis and contact thought leaders and those involved in the development and deployment of technologies for our aging population. The result is the upcoming Forum on January 19. If you are in the Seattle area please register to attend. Hats off to the Program Director Michael Galleli and the entire team that made this program a reality.

Philips Home Healthcare Weaves a Boomer Safety Net

Philips Home Healthcare Weaves a Boomer Safety Net
By Interview by Stephanie Schomer

Deb Citrin
Senior director, strategy and business development, Philips Home Healthcare
Framingham, Massachusetts

Citrin, 50, is rethinking how to market products for the elderly -- by targeting their aging children.

"Baby boomers are still managing their lives and taking care of their children, but they're also taking care of their aging parents. Every 2.3 seconds, somebody over the age of 65 suffers a serious fall. Our Lifeline service with AutoAlert automatically calls for help if a fall is detected. I am a baby boomer, and my mother has the Lifeline pendant. We also have a service that notifies adult children if Mom or Dad hasn't taken their medication. Boomers are willing to spend dollars on aging successfully and managing health. If we help them care for their parents -- and help the parents age at home -- the boomers will remember our products as they themselves cross the 65-year mark."

Comment from the TSH Editor - 2011 seems to be the year that Technology for senior housing settings and for those that want to age in place finally comes out of the closet and takes a position in the mainstream mindset. Stay tuned for several more notable announcements from the CES and NAHB annual conventions. BB