While technology may not solve all of our problems, there’s evidence that it may provide significant savings for healthcare systems dealing with an ever increasing number of seniors, relieve stress on family members trying to look after senior loved ones while maintaining their own careers and home life, help to maintain at least a minimal quality of life for persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and provide a means by which seniors can slow down the aging process.
Seniors are already recognizing some of these benefits and are looking for high-tech offerings in their residences, Seniors Housing News reports. “From wireless availability to health monitoring systems, technology is one of the key trends in the senior housing industry. Seniors and their families see wireless access as more of a necessity than a luxury, since the computer is a way to get information, connect with family members, and go through daily life.”
Despite security concerns and a few glitches from time to time, some seniors and their caregivers are already using smartphone and tablet applications to remotely keep in touch, monitor and, if need be, provide assistance.
The technology used in X-Box video gaming systems is being tested to gather data on how to keep the elderly safer in their own homes longer. Cameras that produce an infrared depth image that’s “best described as a three dimensional silhouette” monitor behaviour and routine changes “that can indicate increased risk for falls or early symptoms of illness. In addition to falls, the systems can monitor a resident’s gait” (changes in someone’s gait can indicate an illness or a cognitive disorder).
A company is now installing GPS in shoes and marketing the product as a “safeguard for people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Wearers of the shoes can be tracked through a website, which is also accessible via a smartphone. These shoes don’t come cheap: they cost about $300 and there is a $35 monthly fee for the tracking service.”
To reduce the risk of developing dementia, a group of Australian neuroscientists has developed an iPhone and iPad application designed to exercise the brain and educate the user.
Closer to home, University of Alberta researchers, in collaboration with Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, are using computer software to study elderly client volunteers in a self-contained independent living suite. The suite contains sensors and is equipped with smart devices to collect information about seniors’ daily activities. “The data will be used to understand how to make better use of healthcare resources, enable remote collaboration among providers, and contribute to early intervention and long-term management of chronic diseases. Researchers will also learn how to prepare older people for independent living, and extend the length of time seniors are able to live in their homes.” To read more, go here.
On a less serious note, technology even addresses the inability of frail and elderly seniors to travel south for a winter vacation. A sun simulator system “brings the beach and the summer heat inside” so that seniors lodge residents can “escape on a tropical break without ever leaving home”.
While seniors will still need to engage in a regular fitness program, take responsibility for their lifestyle choices in other ways, develop social contacts and pursue meaningful activities to maintain their mental and emotional health, their future may not be as bleak as some have predicted due to advances in technology.
Posted by:
Rich Gossen (Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council)
Thank you Rich for sharing. TSH Editor
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Center for Technology and Aging - 2011 Top Ten
CTA’s Top Ten of 2011
Below are the 10 Center for Technology and Aging (CTA) articles, reports, presentations and program announcements that drew the most interest from our readers in 2011. The top 10 items cover a wide range of topics, from the Center’s grantees’ project outcomes, to advances in patient-centered technologies, to collaboration efforts between CTA and the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and the Administration on Aging (AoA), to lessons learned and best practices on how to take patient-centered technology-enabled interventions to scale. Please browse the articles in the list below, read about forthcoming opportunity areas, and look for our reader survey in our upcoming newsletter to provide feedback to the Center on our dissemination efforts.
Two of the top 10 articles for 2011 presented project outcomes from completed CTA grant programs including Centura Health at Home and Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation. Both organizations reported positive outcomes and are continuing their efforts to take their programs to scale. As CTA grantees continue to report project outcomes, additional findings will be provided through reports, presentations and webinars. Upcoming project outcomes will highlight grantees from the Tech4Impact program as well as the Remote Patient Monitoring Program.
CTA’s collaboration with the ONC around Consumer eHealth and the AoA on Technologies to Improve Post-Acute Care Transitions (Tech4Impact) sparked much interest in 2011. CTA and ONC have convened a Consumer eHealth affinity group to facilitate communication on best practices for technology-enabled interventions, share lessons learned, and foster future collaborations. The group holds monthly webinars where CTA and ONC grantees share lessons learned on implementing consumer eHealth technology-enabled interventions. Several CTA grantees and Beacon Communities participated in an innovative event at the Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco, where provider organizations had an opportunity to meet directly with technology innovators and technology companies through the ONC Beacon Communities Innovation Exchange session. The panel presentation on ‘Provider Implementation of Consumer eHealth Technology’ with Beacon Communities and CTA grantees continues to draw viewers. As 2012 progresses, CTA will be working with ONC to disseminate Consumer eHealth Affinity Group webinar presentations to a larger audience.
On a similar note, CTA’s collaboration with the U.S. Administration on Aging on Technologies to Improve Post-Acute Care Transitions (Tech4Impact) garnered much interest. CTA’s presentation at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) conference on the ‘Role of Technology in Care Transitions and Beyond’ discusses innovative strategies for spreading new technologies throughout organizations and communities. Two CTA Tech4Impact (Technologies for Improving Post-Acute Care Transitions) grantees highlighted opportunities and practical implications around care transitions.
CTA reports and issue briefs continue to maintain a steady interest post release. Two papers in particular, the mHealth Position Paper and Return on Investment (ROI) Issue Brief have claimed two spots on the top ten list. The mHealth Position Paper has gained increasing importance as we experience a rapid increase in the way mHealth/Connected Health programs are used by older adults, family caregivers, and the health care workforce. The ROI Issue Brief provides an overview of the process for determining the ROI of current or prospective technology-enabled programs to address chronic care. CTA, in collaboration with the Center for Connected Health, is developing a ROI tool to assist organizations determine the ROI of remote patient monitoring technologies, with the release scheduled for later in 2012.
The Center has also reported on grantees’ efforts to use multimedia to inform key stakeholders of the impact of their projects. Gaining the greatest attention was the mini-documentary created for the Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation, a Medication Optimization grantee, on their program that successfully utilizes videoconferencing to eliminate barriers to care for the Khmer populations in California and Massachusetts.
One of the presentations prepared by Catholic Healthcare West and HealthCare Partners, CTA grantees co-funded by The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation received special attention for their session at the AgeTech Annual Conference. The grantees highlighted their lessons learned and preliminary outcomes from their remote patient monitoring projects.
Announcements concerning CTA’s mHealth Grants Program received much attention from readers, specifically the mHealth Project Abstracts that describe the specific technology interventions of the five grantees, as well as project locations, collaborators, target populations, goals, and replication/sustainability plans.
In early 2011, CTA released the second of two issues of the journal Ageing International entitled “Technology Adoption and Diffusion for Older Adults,” guest edited by CTA staff. The articles in these issues explore how technology can improve the health and independence of older adults with an emphasis on the diffusion and scalability of technology. CTA spotlighted one article, an interview with Dr. Adam Darkins of the Veterans Health Administration (VA), where he discussed the critical factors important to the success of the VA’s Care Coordination/Home Telehealth (CC/HT) program and Vista Electronic Health Record as well as his view of the future of telehealth. The full article is available on CTA's website courtesy of Springer Publishing.
The links to the specific articles are presented below.
Position Paper - mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults
March 2011
Project Outcomes - Centura Health at Home (CHAH), Completes CTA Grant Project with Positive Outcomes and Impacts Policy in Colorado
August 2011
Return on Investment Brief - Determining the ROI from Remote Patient Monitoring - A Primer
October 2011
Project Outcomes - Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation’s Medication Optimization Project Demonstrates Significant Patient Outcomes and Return on Investment
October 2011
Health 2.0 CTA-Beacon Innovation Exchange Presentation: Provider Implementation of Consumer eHealth Technology
September 2011
CTA Presentation at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) Annual Conference: The Role of Technology in Care Transitions and Beyond
July 2011
Abstracts of CTA mHealth Grantees
July 2011
CTA Grantee Mini Documentary - Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation MedOp Project
October 2011
CTA Presentation at the AgeTech Conference - Implementing Patient-Centered Technology Interventions for Older Adults: Lessons Learned
November 2011
Ageing International Article - Lessons from a Leader in Telehealth Diffusion: Interview with Dr. Adam Darkins of the Veterans Health Administration
January 2011
By David Lindeman
This is a great year-end summary from our friends at the Center for Aging and Technology. TSH Editor BB
Below are the 10 Center for Technology and Aging (CTA) articles, reports, presentations and program announcements that drew the most interest from our readers in 2011. The top 10 items cover a wide range of topics, from the Center’s grantees’ project outcomes, to advances in patient-centered technologies, to collaboration efforts between CTA and the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and the Administration on Aging (AoA), to lessons learned and best practices on how to take patient-centered technology-enabled interventions to scale. Please browse the articles in the list below, read about forthcoming opportunity areas, and look for our reader survey in our upcoming newsletter to provide feedback to the Center on our dissemination efforts.
Two of the top 10 articles for 2011 presented project outcomes from completed CTA grant programs including Centura Health at Home and Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation. Both organizations reported positive outcomes and are continuing their efforts to take their programs to scale. As CTA grantees continue to report project outcomes, additional findings will be provided through reports, presentations and webinars. Upcoming project outcomes will highlight grantees from the Tech4Impact program as well as the Remote Patient Monitoring Program.
CTA’s collaboration with the ONC around Consumer eHealth and the AoA on Technologies to Improve Post-Acute Care Transitions (Tech4Impact) sparked much interest in 2011. CTA and ONC have convened a Consumer eHealth affinity group to facilitate communication on best practices for technology-enabled interventions, share lessons learned, and foster future collaborations. The group holds monthly webinars where CTA and ONC grantees share lessons learned on implementing consumer eHealth technology-enabled interventions. Several CTA grantees and Beacon Communities participated in an innovative event at the Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco, where provider organizations had an opportunity to meet directly with technology innovators and technology companies through the ONC Beacon Communities Innovation Exchange session. The panel presentation on ‘Provider Implementation of Consumer eHealth Technology’ with Beacon Communities and CTA grantees continues to draw viewers. As 2012 progresses, CTA will be working with ONC to disseminate Consumer eHealth Affinity Group webinar presentations to a larger audience.
On a similar note, CTA’s collaboration with the U.S. Administration on Aging on Technologies to Improve Post-Acute Care Transitions (Tech4Impact) garnered much interest. CTA’s presentation at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) conference on the ‘Role of Technology in Care Transitions and Beyond’ discusses innovative strategies for spreading new technologies throughout organizations and communities. Two CTA Tech4Impact (Technologies for Improving Post-Acute Care Transitions) grantees highlighted opportunities and practical implications around care transitions.
CTA reports and issue briefs continue to maintain a steady interest post release. Two papers in particular, the mHealth Position Paper and Return on Investment (ROI) Issue Brief have claimed two spots on the top ten list. The mHealth Position Paper has gained increasing importance as we experience a rapid increase in the way mHealth/Connected Health programs are used by older adults, family caregivers, and the health care workforce. The ROI Issue Brief provides an overview of the process for determining the ROI of current or prospective technology-enabled programs to address chronic care. CTA, in collaboration with the Center for Connected Health, is developing a ROI tool to assist organizations determine the ROI of remote patient monitoring technologies, with the release scheduled for later in 2012.
The Center has also reported on grantees’ efforts to use multimedia to inform key stakeholders of the impact of their projects. Gaining the greatest attention was the mini-documentary created for the Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation, a Medication Optimization grantee, on their program that successfully utilizes videoconferencing to eliminate barriers to care for the Khmer populations in California and Massachusetts.
One of the presentations prepared by Catholic Healthcare West and HealthCare Partners, CTA grantees co-funded by The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation received special attention for their session at the AgeTech Annual Conference. The grantees highlighted their lessons learned and preliminary outcomes from their remote patient monitoring projects.
Announcements concerning CTA’s mHealth Grants Program received much attention from readers, specifically the mHealth Project Abstracts that describe the specific technology interventions of the five grantees, as well as project locations, collaborators, target populations, goals, and replication/sustainability plans.
In early 2011, CTA released the second of two issues of the journal Ageing International entitled “Technology Adoption and Diffusion for Older Adults,” guest edited by CTA staff. The articles in these issues explore how technology can improve the health and independence of older adults with an emphasis on the diffusion and scalability of technology. CTA spotlighted one article, an interview with Dr. Adam Darkins of the Veterans Health Administration (VA), where he discussed the critical factors important to the success of the VA’s Care Coordination/Home Telehealth (CC/HT) program and Vista Electronic Health Record as well as his view of the future of telehealth. The full article is available on CTA's website courtesy of Springer Publishing.
The links to the specific articles are presented below.
Position Paper - mHealth Technologies: Applications to Benefit Older Adults
March 2011
Project Outcomes - Centura Health at Home (CHAH), Completes CTA Grant Project with Positive Outcomes and Impacts Policy in Colorado
August 2011
Return on Investment Brief - Determining the ROI from Remote Patient Monitoring - A Primer
October 2011
Project Outcomes - Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation’s Medication Optimization Project Demonstrates Significant Patient Outcomes and Return on Investment
October 2011
Health 2.0 CTA-Beacon Innovation Exchange Presentation: Provider Implementation of Consumer eHealth Technology
September 2011
CTA Presentation at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) Annual Conference: The Role of Technology in Care Transitions and Beyond
July 2011
Abstracts of CTA mHealth Grantees
July 2011
CTA Grantee Mini Documentary - Connecticut Pharmacists Foundation MedOp Project
October 2011
CTA Presentation at the AgeTech Conference - Implementing Patient-Centered Technology Interventions for Older Adults: Lessons Learned
November 2011
Ageing International Article - Lessons from a Leader in Telehealth Diffusion: Interview with Dr. Adam Darkins of the Veterans Health Administration
January 2011
By David Lindeman
This is a great year-end summary from our friends at the Center for Aging and Technology. TSH Editor BB
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