The way we care for seniors today can never be “scaled up” to meet the burgeoning wave of seniors. In fact, it’s not long before the United States will face a full-blown national crisis. We have an obligation to the current—and next—generation of seniors to ensure they get the best possible care and, if at all feasible, that they receive it in a place they want to call home. What’s needed is a national plan that brings together leaders from industry, government, health care, research, and consumer advocacy to prepare for the burgeoning population of aging citizens.
There’s one (very) bright spot on the horizon: new technology solutions offer great promise to improve quality of care while reducing healthcare costs. Technology has already transformed our lives in the form of e-mail to MP3s and from online shopping to cell phones. Well, now it may be time for technology to transform the experience of aging.
Exciting new technologies are predicted to emerge in the next 5-10 years that will offer the potential to dramatically improve the quality of care provided our aging population. To this end, The Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST) is leading the charge to expedite the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that can improve life, no matter what our age.
CAST has grown into an international coalition of more than 400 technology companies, aging services organizations, research universities, and government representatives. And they have a host of imaginative and smart ideas that will likely be implemented to meet the needs of a maturing population.
For instance, among the things they propose are “smart socks” that can detect swelling in an older person’s feet and relay the change to a caregiver. They also ask us to imagine a “smart cat” that can calm an agitated Alzheirmer’s patient by purring at their bedside. And they’re planning tracking devices for the soles of shoes that can monitor a person’s gait for irregularities and, thereby, prevent a crippling fall.
These aren’t elements of a science fiction fantasy. Instead, they’re the likely outcome of brainstorming about what it means to age in a world already inundated with technology. The possibilities are limitless and, fortunately, organizations like CAST are rising to the challenge.
In fact, CAST has four focus areas:• Driving a global vision of how technologies can improve the quality of life while simultaneously reducing healthcare costs• Accelerating technology research and development through pilot evaluations with seniors• Advocating to remove barriers to the rapid commercialization of proven solutions• Promoting dialogue about standards to ensure interoperability and widespread access to aging-services technologies
Eric Dishman, CAST Chairman, said, “CAST was created to put the age wave challenge—and the opportunity for new technologies to help with this challenge—on the national agenda. We are working to catalyze crucial conversations and partnerships among American businesses, government agencies, aging services providers and university researchers.”
CAST is doing their part to meet the coming crisis and, chances are, we’ll all be the beneficiaries of their efforts. Find out more about them at www.agingtech.org.
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