Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Trends in technology purchases by Patricia Ryan, MS
In the active-aging industry, there are two sides to every story. One point of view is that of 50+ consumers who seek the products and services that are compatible with their lifestyles or needs. The other side of the story is voiced by professionals who provide those products and services in all types of locations--senior living communities and private homes, apartments and parks, community centers and clubs. Awareness of the interests of the 50+ consumer was high among the professionals who answered the ICAA Active-Aging Industry Development Survey earlier this year. The consensus, when the ICAA team looked at trends, was that Boomers and technology are top of mind.
moreICAA initiatives
Activity trackers: What's all the fuss about these small yet significant devices? by Carol Kennedy-Armbruster, PhD
Millions of people of all ages are reaching for activity trackers (ATs) to help them increase their activity levels. These trackers, examples of wearable technology, are offered in a variety of forms and styles by companies such as Fitbit and Garmin, but all are designed to encourage wearers to move more and sit less. Recent research indicates that ATs may help users increase their physical activity levels through a combination of information, physical cues and behavioral techniques such as goal-setting, social support and motivational rewards.
moreMotivation
Technologies to connect socially: Seven profiles of products, programs and providers by Tammy Ditmore
In 1998, Jack York's friend Leslie Sweeney talked him into donating computers to an assisted-living community in California. There, York was startled to discover how "disconnected and lonely" the residents were and disheartened because he knew conventional technology couldn't help much. So Leslie, Jack and his brother Tom launched It's Never 2 Late (iN2L) in 1999 with the idea that people deserve interaction no matter how old they are. York says they spent a decade or so trying to "figure out what we were doing." Eventually, iN2L learned how to integrate hardware, software, videos, music and personal components into an adaptive computer system now used in more than 2,500 senior living communities in the United States and other countries.
moreProgram profiles
Perspectives: What's happening in technology for aging adults by Liz Seegert
It was only 10 years ago that the first Apple iPhone debuted and we could hold a computer in the palm of our hand. In less than a decade, we’ve developed amazing advances that allow us to experience virtual reality through a pair of glasses, smart chips that track our movements down to a few meters, and integrated health technology that allows a surgeon in California to assist in a complex procedure in Florida. Like the Boomers who helped invent many of these advances, technology is having a huge impact on the active-aging industry. However, some experts say the industry isn't keeping pace with need.
moreIndustry development
The future is upon us: Canyon Ranch's Dr. Richard Carmona talks technology by Colin Milner with Jenifer Milner
Author Thomas L. Friedman makes the case in Thank You for Being Late, his recent best-seller, that we are living in an "accelerated" world due to the faster pace of change in the "three largest forces on our planet," including technology--which is growing exponentially. "As a result [of these accelerations], so many aspects of our societies, workplaces and geopolitics are being reshaped and need to be reimagined," he writes. Technological advances offer active-aging proponents new possibilities to promote health and well-being for the 50+ adult and for organizations to implement their missions, goals and business strategies. Professionals in active aging take a deep interest in the types and quantities of technology available for purchase. In common with so many others, however, they also feel greatly confused at times.
moreBusiness profiles
Well Living Lab: Technology yields evidence-based insights on indoor environments by Marilynn Larkin, MA
Most Journal on Active Aging readers are aware of the wellness benefits of outdoor environments, with easy access to flora, fauna, streams and fountains, meditation and walking paths and other features from nature. ... Much less is known about the power of the indoor environment to affect health and well-being in communities and organizations--and that knowledge is critical, says Dana Pillai, president of Delos Labs, the research arm of New York City-based wellness real estate and technology company Delos.
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