Leading-edge Technology for Older Adults

Hi Everyone, I have found three leading-edge technological devices that have been developed for older adults with the purpose of remaining healthy and independent.

1. Tango Belt  https://www.tangobelt.com 

The Tango Belt is an unobtrusive wearable airbag.  According to the website, "Tango Belt is an unobtrusive wearable that springs into action when sensors indicate a fall to provide proactive hip protection." Do you know that in the USA, 300,000 older adults fall annually and 70,000 of them die from falls?  The Tango Belt inflates when a fall occurs and via wifi, an alert is sent for help.  After deployment, the bag can be replaced.  It comes in five sizes.  The bad news is that right now, it is only marketed to senior care facilities and a minimum order is ten.  It costs around $1,000. It is my hope that the Tango Belt will soon be widely available to consumers. 

2. Pria Intelligent Medication Reminder www.okpria.com

No missed doses! Pria by Black and Decker provides organized pill storage and reminders for medication using voice activated, facial recognition technology.  It provides secure dispensing and this user-friendly device is especially useful for those with chronic conditions for maintaining their medication schedule.  The cost at this time is approximately $500 and the monthly subscription is $39.99.  Check out their website!

3. CarePredict www.carepredict.com

CarePredict resembles a phone watch or wrist fitness device.  It is designed for seniors living at home or living in senior communities.  It gathers data about daily habits of the wearer.  It analyzes the data about "normal" or "usual" activity.  This non-intrusive device identifies unusual or uncharacteristic patterns to alert older adults and caregivers of potential issues before emergencies arise.  For example, getting up five times during the night to urinate may indicate a potential urinary tract infection.  The cost is $169 and the monthly monitoring fee is $30.