2019 Implications for 2020 Innovations

By David Dring & Norman Reiss

As the year comes to a close, here are our thoughts on a few key improvements within aging services that will enable significant enrichment in the quality of life for older adults and those that serve them in 2020 and beyond. 

As a nonprofit, capacity building organization, the Interactive Aging Netwoork surveys the landscape to identify innovations that catalyze significant improvement in the quality of life as well as quality of services provided to older adults and those that love them.  With this information, we help non-profit, community-based organizations and government organizations to translate these innovations into their programs, services and community. This article summarizes the critical improvements that we believe will make 2020 the best year ever.  They are:

1. Artificial Intelligence

Probably the most recognizable developments within Artificial Intelligence (AI) are autonomous vehicles.  Self-driving cars will have tremendous implications for the Aging Network, e.g. addressing transportation issues for those no longer able to drive.  The Society of Automotive Engineers identified six levels of autonomous driving ability from zero (no automation) to five (full automation).  This year a few companies reached the third level. 

There are a few aging services technologies built upon AI.  Among them are Innovation Robotics the creator of Elliq, an intelligent device that provides reminders and facilitates socialization, and  MyndYou, which uses  machine learning in decipher patterns in your speech to identify potential health events. 

With the increase in the number of people who will need care, the complexity of their care needs and the lack of available financial and human resources begs for ethical and quality automation. We are delighted to see the potential of AI in helping older adults remain active and vital within their communities.

2. The New Communication Standard

A number of major companies (Amazon, Apple, Google and the Zigbee Alliance) just announced the formation of the Connected Home over IP project, which seeks to create an advanced communication standard among smart home devices. 

Smart Home technologies are an important component to helping older adults stay in their homes safely and with dignity.  These devices can help organizations serving older adults be more efficient in their care delivery and help older adults and their loved ones to feel more comfortable. 

We agree with LeadingAge that BestBuy is Posed to Lead in retail for smart home tech among seniors.  Since their acquisition of GreatCall, Best Buy has pulled together a robust consumer strategy on product selection, assistance with installation and payment as well as support.

We also admire Livongo a company that is working on the analytics of smart devices to create a “health signal” to reduce alert fatigue among those managing their own or others’ chronic conditions. 

3. Voice Recognition

One of the greatest challenges in managing for accessibility is input.  Typing for many older people is difficult regardless of physical abilities. The advancements and proliferation of devices with voice recognition capabilities is very helpful.  Whether you prefer talking with Alexa, Google or Siri, these assistants are now available in devices ranging from health monitors to refrigerators to speakers to TVs to wrist watches.

The capacity of these devices to understand nuances in your speech pattern, dialect, native tongue are improving daily. Previous research by this author two years ago saw these technologies differed in the ways that older adults could be interpreted. Today, these products have evolved so that older adults  can be better understood when they speak.

Still there are challenges in how older adults interact with voice recognition services.  The language of issuing commands still takes some getting used to. But we anticipate this changing as services like SoundMind and AARP’s Connected Communities specifically target and deploy voice recognition technologies through the Aging Network. 

And, here’s a favorite comedy sketch about voice recognition use by older adults. 

4. Augmented Reality

You may remember Google Glasses that debuted in 2012.  Or you may have experienced Oculus.  These technologies apply a digital layer on top of reality to create a composite image seen through a device.  This composite image offers improved quality of life for older adults and brings significant improvements to service delivery.

Already eSight is reducing the damaging effects of macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness and considered an “aging related disease.”  Resound is reducing the implications of hearing loss. This technology is also helpful in training people who seek to work within older adults.  Embodied Labs is providing some of those incredible immersive trainings.

Also, Google lens is another example of how augmented reality is changing our future from your smartphone. 

5. 5G Is Here

5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology.  This is the methodology of how your smartphone connects with others.  

The benefits of 5G are faster connectivity (faster download speeds and clearer video chats), lower latency (less buffering for better gaming and streaming), and the ability to connect more devices simultaneously (better for smart home technologies).  

This year the major carriers (AT&T, Spring, T-Mobile, and Verizon) started offering 5G services in selected cities across the country.

We see this as a step closer to ending people’s reliance on landline phones.  The reliability, speed and clarity of 5G enabled mobile phones may be the final incentive  for everyone to cut their landline’s cord and only use a mobile phone number. This will be especially helpful for those on a fixed-income.

This also allows us to make a plug for low-cost, high-speed Internet connectivity for seniors.  There are robust programs for families (e.g. Connect2Compete), but there are few options for older adults.  We strongly suggest that during this transition to this new 5G technology, we identify a way of ensuring that everyone is able to connect equally regardless of income, geography or skill. 

6. Social Determinants of Health

Established by the World Health Organization, Social Determinants of Health (SDH) are the social factors vs the clinical ones that are predictive of someone’s overall health status and longevity.

2019 saw significant movement in systematizing the inclusion of social factors into overall care coordination.  A major report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine called for greater integration. The American Medical Association teamed up with Unitedhealthcare on new billing codes to address SDH. And, SDH influenced several health tech start-ups. 

We hope that this further encourages care collaboration across all disciplines so that older adults are treated holistically.  We believe that when systems focus on incorporating SDHs, they will be more comprehensive, allow greater participation from the full spectrum of care providers, and will achieve greater effectiveness at greater efficiency.  

7. Home as the Nexus of Care

A new study of the Support and Services at Home (SASH) model operated in Vermont among 20 affordable housing properties involving just over 6,000 people found that care coordination at home reduces Medicare costs (by $1,450) and delays nursing home admissions. 

And just about everyone wants to stay at home.  So, proving once again that home-based care is not only preferred, but less expensive is great news!

The study goes on to report on how the SASH model can be replicated in your community.  Contact Cathedral Square which created and operates the SASH model throughout Vermont, is available and interested in helping with that replication. 

Imagine then if we incorporate more AI, following the new smart home connectivity standard, using voice recognition along with some augmented reality tools enabled by 5G, so that we can focus on and monitor the social determinants of health of our seniors.  We believe the lives of older adults will be enriched, the costs of their care reduced, the burden on caregivers reduced and companies delivering these services will be sustainably compensated. 

It’s an exciting future, which we look forward to supporting the advances of those programs, services and technologies that enrich the quality of life of older adults! 

May your 2020 be filled with joy, good health and prosperity.

David Dring is the Executive Director of the Interactive Aging Network.  He co-founded the organization in 1996 and has since helped local, regional, national and international aging service organizations adopt, develop and deploy technologies that enrich the quality of older adult lives as well as those that care for them.

Norman Reiss is Program Coordinator at DOROT, an agency which aims to enhance the lives of older adults through a variety of intergenerational programs.  Earlier this year, Norman helped to roll out DOROT’s Technology Coaching Program, which matches volunteers with seniors to help them better utilize their smartphones to connect to others.  In addition to his blog at Your Age Doesn’t Matter, he hosts a monthly online class for older adults for the Virtual Senior Center, a program of Selfhelp Community Services.