Aging at Home Gets Push from GE and Intel

Any doubt that technology that helps you age at home should be brushed aside with the annoucnement  that Intel and GE are joining forces on home health care. Clearly the aging of the baby boom population is getting the attention of big companies and big dollars.

GE and Intel are joining forces to develop devices that help your doctor monitor the health of elderly and chronically ill patients at home.  The companies are putting more than $250 million behind research and marketing.

This is a clear signal that more of us will be receiving long-term care at home in the future rather than in a facility.  That’s good news since that’s where most of us say we want to stay! If you attended the Boomer Summit you probably heard Laurie Orlov  from Age  in Place Technology Watch talk about the potential growth in this market.

GE has a system called Quiet Care that lets physicians monitor patients for potential emergencies or waning signs, including falls.  Intel has a product called Health Guide, a lap-top sized device that collects vital signs and issues patient reminders.

We are at an inflection point on health care,” Paul Otellini, Intel’s chief executive, said Thursday during a press conference announcing the alliance. “It’s a topic that affects everyone on Earth.”

SilverRide Wins ASA Business of the Year Award

SilverRide, LLC, a San Francisco-based company providing transportation, companionship and social events for seniors, won the American Society on Aging (ASA) 2009 Business of the Year award.

Each year, ASA recognizes one small business for its originality, innovation, and effectiveness in meeting the needs of seniors. SilverRide was selected as the national winner in the small company category for its exemplary program and services that meet the needs of older adults and their families.

Robert Stein, President & CEO of ASA, said “SilverRide exemplifies what a company can do if they set their minds to solving tough problems in creative ways. Not only have they addressed a major need with a great transportation solution, but they’ve also created services that improve the quality of life of older adults by enabling them to get out, socialize and enjoy the things they love to do”.

In addition to providing transportation to older adults, SilverRide enables its clients to have a more connected, fulfilling, dignified and independent lifestyle after their “driving retirement,” while providing peace of mind to those who care for them. It can even positively impact long-term health and quality of life.

Susan Steiner Saal and Jeff Maltz, Co-Founders of SilverRide, said, “It’s an honor to receive this award from ASA. We both watched our parents struggle to manage the needs of our grandparents. When we hear from our clients that SilverRide has solved a real problem for them, it is a reward in and of itself!”

According to the American Public Transportation Association, when older adults stop driving there can be a number of serious negative consequences. They make 15% fewer trips to the doctor and 65% fewer trips for social, family and religious activities.

In fact, The Journals of Gerontology reports that elderly non-drivers are four to six times more likely than their driving counterparts to pass away during the subsequent 3-year period. This devastating outcome is due to the fact that for older adults, their ability to drive provides independence that leads to underlying health and well-being.

SilverRide provides its clients with access to crucial health-related and social services that would not otherwise be as easily available.

SilverRide Provides its Members With a Social Connection That
Other Transportation Services Do Not

The relationship between the client and the driver distinguishes SilverRide from other transportation services. SilverRide conducts an extensive interview with its clients ahead of time to better understand their particular needs. It also trains its drivers in senior sensitivity and safety on an ongoing basis. This process forges a rich relationship between the client and their driver companions, who bring their own unique personalities to the table. The SilverRide drivers include an inventor, a pastor, a film producer and several graduate students in psychology and gerontology.

Also exceptional to SilverRide is its ongoing communication with its clients’ families, whose work and familial responsibilities or distance from their aging parents may prevent them from caring for them full-time. SilverRide’s on-going communication and breadth of services help reduce this anxiety.

SilverRide joins an esteemed roster of previous winners including Jitterbug, Posit Science, Johnson & Johnson and CVS/pharmacy.

For more information, visit www.silverride.com or contact press@silverride.com.

 

Baby Boomer’s Strain Increases as Caregiving Burdens Grow

Caregiving is taking its toll on their marriages, draining their bank accounts and increasing sibling squabbles as one-in-two baby boomers take care of an aging parent.

 

According to new research from Caring.com, eighty percent (80%) of baby boomers caring for an aging parent say that it has put a strain on their marriage.   “The time spent caring for an aging parent can take a serious toll on the caregiver’s relationship with their spouse,” said Andy Cohen, COO of Caring.com, a website for caregivers (www.caring.com).  “Time that is traditionally spent with one another once the kids have left home is becoming more and more time when children start to play the role of caregiver to an aging parent.”

 

The financial strain is increasing, as caregivers find themselves without jobs, or working more to make sure they keep the job they have.  The emotional strain on the caregiver and family relationships is increasingly evident. There has been an increase of 62% in the numbers of parents age 65 and older living with their adult children, according to the Census Bureau.

 

“We find more people seeking professional help with managing care of an aging parent.  Sibling disagreements are increasing about not only what the right care is but who is going to shoulder the burden of care, said Dr. Dan Tobin, CEO of Your Support Nurse, (www.yoursupportnurse.com).  “We help them identify local care solutions and work together as a family to solve their problems.”

 

Unfortunately, technologies that can help older persons age at home are often overlooked or undiscovered.  Laurie Orlov, Founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch (www.ageinplacetech.com), a research firm, cites a Clarity 2007 study in which 51% of baby boomers believe that technology can help their parents, but only 14% have looked for any – perhaps because marketers have yet to clearly target them.

 

Can baby boomers afford to pay to help parents age in place? “According to research from AARP, boomer caregivers do express willingness to pay less than $50/month for technologies to assist in their parents’ care,” Orlov says, “But interestingly, they typically pay more than $300/month for tech-related services for themselves.

 

Orlov recommends that instead of waiting until someone falls in their home or is admitted to the hospital for failing to take medication — boomers should act now. PERS (personal emergency response system) devices, medication reminders, and sensor-based home monitoring tech — all can make a huge difference.

 

Cohen, Tobin and Orlov are among the speakers at the Boomer Summit who will be covering issues such as caregiving and technology, case studies on how to reach caregivers online, distribution partners for companies targeting caregivers and new services aimed at helping boomers handle their caregiver responsibilities.

 

Baby boomer caregiving trends and resources and services to help them is a key topic at the upcoming What’s Next Baby Boomer Summit being held March 19 at Bally’s Las Vegas (www.boomersummit.com).  The national conference focuses on baby boomer trends, marketing to baby boomers and entrepreneurship opportunities serving the boomer market of 78 million people.