Positive Aging Conference highlights Sarasota area technology innovation

The 2014 Positive Aging Conference shines a light on innovation.  At the just-held Conference on Positive Aging in Sarasota, FL, the seventh in its history, to the four themes Wellness, Creativity, Transitions and Community, the conference added  a new theme, Technology.  The conference’s offerings are designed primarily for the Sarasota County attendees, a population of older adults in the region who are the focus of the work of the Institute of the Ages. This year, the Institute of the Ages, led by CEO Tom Esselman, has partnered with InnovateLTC, CEO John Reinhart, an accelerator for new businesses serving the age-related market segments.  That partnership enables a willing and able test audience from Sarasota to find willing and eager businesses looking for pilots of their products and services.

In keeping with the conference's new theme, the organizers added Sarasota County-based technology talent to the national mix. According to Tom Esselman, the 2014 event was larger than any of the previous, a mix of industry professionals, technology firms, local businesses, and seniors from the area. There were some excellent keynote addresses offered from Encore.Org's CEO Marc Freedman, TedMed's Victor Strecher speaking about finding life's Purpose, Nancy Schlossberg on the importance of mattering -- all great messages for a boomer-and-beyond audience with today's life expectancy of 30+ years post traditional retirement age. But the big change for this year's event came from adding technology tracks -- these included InnovateLTC accelerator companies WalkJoy and CareMerge, noted previously on this site. Here are five other offerings that were presented – several in pilots prior to full launch – all text is from the websites of the companies themselves:

BoomersWork.US. "This is a US version of a Canadian job-matching website for age 50+ workers, launching first in Sarasota. BoomerWorks.US establishes a matching system to enable companies interested in hiring older adults with older adults looking for work.  Boomers+ (that is anyone age 50+) who have come from a managerial or professional background and have an interest in contract or part-time work are currently registering with Boomerswork.us.  The Institute for the Ages in Sarasota has been helping populate the system." Learn more at BoomersWork.US.

Juvent.  "Juvent's Dynamic Motion Therapy® (DMT) is a patented biomechanical stimulation system which promotes blood flow and better bone health. The Dynamic Motion Therapy vibration system gently stimulates the bone and muscles of an upright person. Simply standing on the Juvent DMT Platform for as little as 10 minutes a day provides the gentle impact needed for healthy bones. DMT motion is very safe and well within human safety standards for vibration." Learn more at Juventhealth.com.

MySeniorPortal. "The business of My Senior Portal is dedicated to providing an easy and efficient way for senior citizens to benefit from using the internet. In addition, the content design is geared to creating an informative, engaging and useful way for senior citizens to gather and retain information, while protecting such information. Our mission or vision is to provide enjoyment, entertainment, useful information and forms or templates to record important information for senior citizens, their family and caregivers." Learn more at MySeniorPortal.com.

CaregiverAlert. "From CaregiverWatch, CareAlert™ is used primarily to provide the in-home caregiver with reliable alerts of nighttime activity of the person with Alzheimer’s or autism. The system monitors the bed occupancy status and movement patterns around the house of that person and uses an integrated network of sensors and an information control center to both track the patterns of your loved one and provide graded, targeted alerts to you, the caregiver, anywhere in the home. This product works without having to wear a ‘tag’ of any kind – a feature critical to our customers." Learn more at CaregiverWatch.com.

BioLucid. "BioLucid is a leading international provider of immersive content and digital solutions. Elements of the products and technologies described in this site as well as various future products and technologies are patent pending. For over a decade, we have pushed the boundaries of technical possibility to create innovative communication solutions for the healthcare industry. BioLucid maintains a full studio of expert digital artists, 3D animators, interface designers, programmers, and scientific medical specialists." Learn more at BioLucid.com.