Aging in Place Excitement!

by Louis on August 1, 2010

Late Friday I got an excited email from John Migliaccio, a good friend, colleague and the research director at the MetLife Mature Marketing Institute. John is excited about an article in Thursday’s New York Times, “Technologies Help Adult Children Monitor Aging Parents” about real people using home monitoring technology.  John’s note was simple – “Its happening!”

The article refers to GrandCare, an innovative, very flexible monitoring system leader in the market as well as QuietCare… a product line that has been on the market longer, now owned by GE, with wider facility distribution. The article is a very good intro to the value home monitoring systems will bring to older folks, families, and healthcare as Aging in Place becomes the default housing and care system in this country.

Why the excitement? Well the technology sphere is the most aggressive and businesslike of the new service and product opportunities that will emerge with Aging in Place. To learn more, Laurie Orlov’s  well respected blog, Aging in Place Technology Watch is a consistent monitor and overview of the growth and direction of Aging in Place technology. AgeTek is a new industry group founded by GrandCare and some of other burgeoning players like Halo Monitoring and Presto.

So, What is happening? Well families are finding and using technologies that monitor older members in their homes. But I think John (and I are more excited about the growing newsworthiness of Aging in Place. That is something to crow about. Watch this space as more and more happens.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

John Kalb August 2, 2010 at 9:14 pm

Louis, it would be nice if the market reality synched up with the emerging hype. Take a look at the current “comments” thread on the article and you will see a lot of consumer ney saying. In the long run it’s not the technology that needs to get in the market, it is the mind of the consumer that needs to embrace the value proposition enough to make it a real market. We still have a lot of work to do.

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/monitoring-mother/

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Louis August 3, 2010 at 3:05 pm

Thanks for the point John. I agree. One article and who knows how few devices in use in individual homes? does not a groundswell make.

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