Six new technologies for older adults – July 2019

More smarts are moving into tech for older adults. AI capabilities combined with a Voice First interface is increasingly expected – and so they are part of new offerings to help older adults, both living at home or in senior living communities. Will older adults be comfortable with them?  Will they be used effectively to help them remain as safe, independent and/or well as possible? These remain to be validated, but between the smarter homes and the smart devices, we are heading into another wave of innovation.  Here are six technologies (alphabetical order) entering the space – information is drawn from firm websites:

Handsfree Health. "WellBe^® utilizes advanced speech recognition, natural language processing, and speech synthesis to deliver information and answers from any place in your home where it can hear your voice. HandsFree Health's WellBe, is a secure, HIPAA compliant in-home voice-activated device that speaks when spoken to. Among its many features, WellBe can be programmed to remind you or your loved ones to take medicine, to make or keep appointments, order refills, and to require verbal confirmation that it's been done."  Learn more at Handsfree Health.

SafelyYou. "Results-driven AI technology designed for memory care. SafelyYou-Guardian™ is our artificial intelligence hub that is installed at the facility. It applies AI algorithms to video received by cameras installed around the facility. When a fall is detected, SafelyYou-Guardian triggers a series of events in real-time that include text messages or phone calls to the on-call staff. All video which is not detected as containing a fall is immediately deleted from the system."  Learn more at Safely-You.

StaySmartCare. "We use discreet monitors to collect data on the daily activities of your loved one. No wearables required. We monitor health data, activity data, medication data, and cognitive data for a complete picture of how your loved one is doing around the clock – without interrupting their activities of daily living or intruding upon their privacy.  Our call center is alerted 24/7 with nurses on call that will take immediate action should something out of the ordinary (such as a fall) occur. We’ll call family and EMS at the first sign of possible trouble. The Stay Smart Care mobile app will also alert all caretakers linked to your account." Learn more at StaySmartCare.

Tochie. "Tochie enables caregivers to assist seniors with personalized voice reminders to help them stay on top of their medication or caregiver schedules, and daily tasks or appointments. Caregivers are able to assist with a senior’s daily calendar by remotely recording voice reminders and scheduling these reminders to play when needed. The remote scheduling, done through the Tochie mobile app, offers caregivers convenience when setting up and modifying reminders for their loved ones. An instant message feature allows caregivers to send an immediate voice message to the senior - a spontaneous message of encouragement, or an update on an unplanned change in schedule." Learn more at Tochtech Technologies.

Well.said. "Well.Said’s Better Every Day improves connection to the community, enhances daily life and supports independence.  It gives Loved Ones the peace of mind that their family member is doing well, increasing in independence and enjoying life.  Using Alexa, it bridges the digital divide for seniors, overcoming barriers associated with other technologies while enhancing their sense of connectedness and wellbeing. The MyDay skill is available on Alexa for adults living at home or in independent living settings.  For more information on Well.Said's solutions." Learn more at Wellsaid.ai.

Wytcote SeniorSense. "Powered by Wytecote’s Autobahn of IoT™, SeniorSense™ easily tracks your residents, your team, your vendors and visitors, as well as your physical plant conditions with unparalleled real-time visibility. Plus, SeniorSense™ easily integrates with your existing solutions, software, call systems and wearables into one place, with one dashboard. The unparalleled SeniorSense™ system keeps track of all of this and more, providing health alerts to care team and families, or responsible parties. Plus, it keeps detailed records to reduce your risks and increase your HIPAA compliance while giving residents and families greater peace of mind." Learn more at SeniorSense.

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