As I push deeper into middle age, I spend an increasing time thinking about how to deal with the fact that my parents will, inevitably, not be as active and (let’s face it) physically capable of doing stuff as they were when I was a kid.  Heck, I’m not as physically capable; for my Mom and step-Mom, it can’t be any better, right?

Sonamba has one potential remedy–they’ve developed an easy-to-use device with a 7″ touchscreen and a bunch of apps that lets you keep in touch with your ‘rents via a multiple of means.  Is it a total solution?  Of course not.  Will it be helpful to you as your ‘rents get older?  Well, I… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

“Help!  I’ve fallen and can’t get up!”  It was the source of a whole bunch of humor for quite a while.  But let’s face it:  one reason it grabs you is that it’s all-too-possible–you’re elderly Mom or Granddad or someone, living on their own, pretty much okay but who does need the occasional quick help.  (Keith Olbermann, for example, relayed a story of his father falling and not getting help for days.)  We may joke about it, but I think that we all realize that, as the population gets older and lives longer, there’s a growing need for services and assistance that can help folks who get into difficult situations.

One such company is GreatCall, who… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Along with 12 other site owners, I was invited to attend the Intel “Upgrade Your Life” experience in Santa Clara, California on July 13th. I went into this event with no itinerary and no idea of what we were going to see, but I figured it had to be more than “just” processor chips. Sure enough, I was in for an eye-opening day …

After a greeting by Intel’s Social Media guru Alison Wesley and an ice-breaking game of ‘guess the tweet’ game, we were on to the first speaker …

Suzanne Fallender – Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy and Communications – “Green is the New Black”

Suzanne Fallender has more than 15 years of experience

Every morning it’s the same routine. You’re sound asleep, and then your iPhone/Droid/alarm clock/dog starts going off and announcing WAKE UP TIME! Basically, something blares in or around your head and you start moving. What if you were hearing impaired, though? How do you make sure the alarm wakes you up? That’s where the Amplicom alarm clock comes in.

Amplicom makes a number of accessibility devices, and they sent me the TCL200 to test. This is an alarm clock that offers a number of hearing and visually impaired aids, including a vibrating pad (for the hearing impaired), a speaker that announces the date and time (for the visually impaired), and even the ability to hook the clock… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

My dad gave me a ride home from work last night. During the drive he went to call his mother (my grandmother) and her line was busy. So he tried her cell phone. No answer. This went on for a good ten minutes; we’d chat, he’d try both numbers, we’d chat again. Finally he started to get really nervous, and he called my uncle to go check on her.

As it turns out, she was just fine. Her phone was just off the hook. Again. She doesn’t keep her cell phone near her, and she can’t hear the faint, indignant beeping of the phone when it’s not on the cradle, so it sends her kids into a… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

You may already know the name Jitterbug from their reputation as senior citizen friendly cell phones. The company is leveraging their reputation and user base to add more features to their service AND solve a major issue for many elderly people and their families. It’s tough to make sure someone who is older and living alone is taking their medication, so Jitterbug is offering a reminder service that calls users to alert them it’s time to take their pills.

This is a great idea, and one that helps bridge the gap between total independence and ongoing care. By using something simple like the Jitterbug, it makes it easy for family to help manage care, plus it’s not… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Businessweek recently ran a story about a side of Microsoft we do not hear nearly enough about. Apparently they have been working with various cities to bring computers to senior citizens. With the dependence on computers today, it has become tough for homebound elderly people to remain connected to society without them. Microsoft is pushing ways to make it easy for these people to have computers, internet connections and email without it being overwhelming and impossible.

New York City is piloting this program in Queens, but Microsoft has already successfully been running it in Miami. What is really incredible is that this program is not just “here’s a Windows 7 PC, have fun.” This program is taking into account the special issues that come with working with the elderly, such as eyesight problems and unfamiliarity with computer navigation.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

The iPad has generated a great deal of discussion throughout the last few days, with people being heavily divided between “It’s exactly what I hoped for!” and “Oh no…it doesn’t multitask or have a camera or walk my dog, it’s ALL WRONG!” Dave Pogue tweeted out a great article that casts the iPad in a whole new light; that it’s the perfect computer for the baby boomer generation.

Ultimi Barbarorum believes it is exactly what a generation that did not grow up computer savvy needs. He points out:… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

We’ve covered various forms of GPS and monitoring systems for the elderly. But what about everyday life? You can’t be everywhere at once, and GPS is great for activity but poor if you need to know if someone went from the living room to the bedroom.

CloseBy has a solution that, while pricey, lets you monitor the movements of a loved one within their home, even as far as checking to see if they’ve opened the fridge or used the medicine cabinet. While this seems very Big Brother-ish, think about it this way. It’s not uncommon for someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s to lose track of time and not take medication, or even eat regularly. This gives family members and care providers a way to check in without robbing someone of their independence. Pretty cool idea! Check out the press release after the break.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

We’ve covered various forms of GPS and wifi tracking devices that can be used for elderly family members before, but they’ve all had very tight ranges and are mostly for use inside the home. But what about a system that can work outside the home, leveraging cellular and GPS connectivity to provide tracking and emergency services to anyone who may need it? That’s where a company called MobileHelp comes in. I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with their CEO, Elias Janetis, about MobileHelp, the reasons why he started the company, and what makes his product superior and unique compared to similar options.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

(image courtesy audiobooks for everyone)

Famously, the Kindle 2 debuted with Text to Speech enabled, only to see it yanked for many books after the publishing companies complained it violated audiobook copyrights. This debate is becoming an issue all over again because of devices like Intel’s Reader for the blind, which uses a scanner and text to speech to allow a visually impaired individual to “read” a written passage.… Continue reading on Gear Diary ...