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.
Topic- Technology
HomeLab: A real-life testing ground for older-adult products and services by Marilynn Larkin, MA
From home health care to government agencies to senior living, organizations are looking for effective ways to promote health, wellness, quality of life and safety for older adults where they live--whether in family homes in the community or in cottages and apartments on a senior living campus. Products, services and, increasingly, technologies are part of the answer. But to ensure that offerings meet the needs and goals of older adults and organizations today, plus shape future possibilities, the active-aging industry needs to assist those who design, manufacture and supply them. Many Journal on Active Aging readers express a desire to have their organizations participate in research, and so I'm focusing this column on the Georgia Institute of Technology's HomeLab. An initiative of Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), HomeLab brings together an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to do research with older adults. The program is exciting, and expanding, so there's an opportunity to get involved!
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Purchasing new technology: Overcoming vendor overload by Marilynn Larkin, MA
"Like most companies, we receive a constant flow of pitches from vendors who come to us with new technology solutions," Brookdale Senior Living's Andrew Smith, PMP, MEd, director of innovation and strategy, told me recently in an interview. "We love the idea that so many innovators are creating products with seniors in mind," he adds. "The truth is we often have to turn them away because the product is not at the right stage of development." I had reached out to Smith, who deals with this issue almost daily, because International Council on Active Aging CEO Colin Milner has said that many ICAA members struggle with making the right technology purchasing decisions for their organizations or communities--and that for some, fear of making the wrong decision often keeps them from making any decisions at all. Happily, Smith agreed to share the process he implemented with his team at Tennessee-based Brookdale to help readers who are grappling with similar concerns.
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What an "ignited" older adult will look like in 2035 by Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS
Mark Twain said that life would be better if we started at 80 and worked down to 18. George Burns said as he smoked his cigar, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." He lived vigorously for 100 years. Being the comedian he was, when asked what he would like for his 90th birthday, he said, "A paternity suit"! Both Mark Twain and George Burns were "ignited" seniors in their time who lived twice their life expectancy and thrived through their last days. Based on their birthdates, they were anomalies not only for their longevity, but also due to their profound productivity through their entire long, ignited life spans. They indeed preserved and enhanced their brains' neural networks and cognitive ability. Today, the world is facing disruptive change without precedent. We will soon have more older people than children, and centenarians are becoming commonplace. Many questions arise from these seismic demographic shifts. Can we maintain or enhance health and cognitive ability as we age? How will society address these issues? What roles will technology and science play in supporting our seniors to stay ignited? ... Let's briefly look at the demographics and science of aging before addressing the concept of an ignited senior, how society must adjust, and the impact of technology and science on the ability of our older adults to "ignite."
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Overcoming fear of technology: 5 points to put you at ease by Marilynn Larkin, MA
If you're afraid of technology, you have plenty of company. A couple of years ago, The Atlantic magazine published an article entitled "Americans are more afraid of robots than death." The author reported on a national survey from Chapman University in Orange, California, that found that three tech-related fears--"cyberterrorism," "corporate tracking of personal information" and "government tracking of personal information"--were among Americans' top five fears in 2015. ..Christopher Bader, PhD, a sociology professor at Chapman and a coauthor of the fear survey, is quoted as saying, "People tend to express the highest level of fear for things they're dependent on but that they don't have any control over, and that's almost a perfect definition of technology."
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Exploring virtual environments for cognitive and physical rehabilitation by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The word is out: Virtual reality is emerging as a key technology for helping older adults. In a 2017 Consumer Technology Association blog post ("Seniors: the next frontier of virtual reality"), Coordinator of Partnerships Marketing Michael Williams states, "Because seniors are the fastest-growing population segment in the United States--and this population will continue to grow significantly in the future--technology must cater to this demographic for both entertainment and healthcare." Kiplinger's Retirement Report featured the article "Tech revolution benefits aging" in its June 2017 issue. Author Sally Abrahms notes, "While still in its infancy, VR for seniors is gaining fans among physicians, long-term care staff, researchers, physical therapists and family members."
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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.
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