| Teleconferencing, cadiovascular monitoring, grab bars.. |
The boomer generation is certainly becoming more knowledgeable about healthcare options than their parents were. Family caregivers are driving the products, technologies and services that we’ll all be using tomorrow. Marc Braunstein of emergency response service Lifeline Medical Alerts responds to the trend:
American demographics tell the story. Elder-consumers will be the fastest growing segment of the population for decades to come. And greater longevity means that they will continue to spend on products-services longer than any generation in history.
Here’s just a few interesting consumer-driven products and services we’ve seen lately:
Home medical devices. Currently, much of home medical products industry is related to cardiovascular monitoring. It is likely to expand in scope. The home defibrillator is an interesting new technology that is just starting to get some traction. These defibrillators are completely automatic and can re-start the heart in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest, perhaps well in advance of the arrival of emergency personnel.
Telemedicine: Videoconferencing between patients and their doctors helps patients get vital medical advice and information without having to travel or to arrange a ride when doing so is difficult. It can also eliminate visits to an emergency room doctor, or eliminate the need for an ambulance call.
Automatic light sensors and grab bars in bathrooms, and sensors on a bed to turn on a light switch. Safety, convenience, independence, and prices that are likely to come down.
The new service industry. These range from locally-based organizations like Home Instead which consults on elder needs and then arranges for the products and services to meet them, to Eldercarelink, an online service which delivers a variety of eldercare options based upon the completion of an online member profile.
Home improvement. More attuned than ever to the needs of aging seniors, retailers like Home Depot are planning new departments, and there are many contractors devoted to specialized concerns like bathroom safety, such as the Grab Bar Guys in South Florida.
In a related note, The American Geriatrics Society advocates two basic kinds of technology devices that can be used for elderly care – active-intervention devices that monitor vital signs and intervene when necessary, and passive-intervention devices that are computerized and observe patients’ safety without intervention. Here’s to a bright caregiving future!
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Tags: caregiving, eldercare, health care, home safety, new technology