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Technology and Older Adults: The New Era of Connected Aging

The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) and Center for Technology and Aging (CTA) to Host Forum on Connected Aging at the Innovation HealthJam, June 17-19, 2014

Experts to Lead Conversations on Body, Home Environment, Caregiving, and Community Technologies that Support Aging Populations

Berkeley, CA (June 5, 2014) – CITRIS and CTA today announced details for the Innovation HealthJam session dedicated to Technology and Older Adults: The New Era of Connected Aging. David Lindeman, Director of the CITRIS Health Care Initiative and the Center for Technology and Aging, will host in-depth conversations with expert speakers throughout the three-day, collaborative brainstorming event to be held online June 17-19, 2014.  The Innovation HealthJam is open to all participants in the healthcare and technology ecosystems. Interested contributors must register at www.innovationhealthjam.com and can engage online at any time during the three-day event.

The “Connected Aging” Innovation HealthJam track will address technological advances in wearable devices, environmental and remote sensing, social networking, and caregiver support. Forum participants will identify immediate opportunities and challenges for technology-enabled solutions that can meet the needs and preferences of the aging population. “We are at the dawning of the “Connected Aging” era in which the growing array of Internet-based technologies and mobile devices will increasingly support older adults to age in place, improve their quality of life, and contribute to better health and well-being,” said Lindeman.

National experts participating in the “Technology and Older Adults: The New Era of Connected Aging” forum include:

  • Scott Collins, Link-age on technology innovation in senior living communities;
  • Scott Cory, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living on advancements in support for older adults, persons with disabilities, and their caregivers;
  • Jodi Daniel, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on federal technology policy and standards for aging populations;
  • Anne De Gheest, HealthTech Capital on meaningful opportunities for start-up companies at the intersection of healthcare, computing, and mobility;
  • Katy Fike, Aging 2.0 on startup opportunities in aging and long-term care;
  • Joe Gerardi, American Baptist Homes of the West on technology-enabled housing and healthcare programs from a provider’s perspective;
  • Jody Holtzman, AARP on older adults as technology consumers;
  • Kathy Kelly, Family Caregiver Alliance on technology solutions for long-term family caregivers;
  • Anne Hinton, Human Services Agency of San Francisco, Department of Aging and Adult Services on technology-friendly cities for older adults;
  • Laura Mitchell, GrandCare Systems on telehealth remote monitoring for older adults;
  • Geetha Rao, Triple Ring Technologies, Inc. on interoperability and medical device risk management from a technologist’s perspective;
  • Alex Ross, World Health Organization Centre for Health Development, WHO Kobe Centre with a global perspective on older adults and technology;
  • Beverly Sanborn, Belmont Village, L.P. on technology solutions for persons with dementia and their family caregivers;
  • William Satariano, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health on technologies to increase mobility and independence;
  • René Seidel, The SCAN Foundation on the role of technology in social support networks for aging populations;
  • Douglas Trauner, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Center for Innovation on technology services for vulnerable populations;
  • Heather Young, University of California, UC Davis Health System on transformative technologies for frail older adults and their family caregivers.

“We look forward to an informative, practical discussion about best practices and hurdles for incorporating technology-enabled, connected health solutions into clinical workflows and patient engagement programs,” said Lindeman. “The Innovation HealthJam is a unique opportunity to gather experts from across the country and internationally to discuss proven strategies alongside lessons learned for connected health programs.”

To learn more about Connected Aging and a framework for understanding technologies to help older adults age in place, read the CTA and CITRIS Connected Aging Report: http://www.techandaging.org/ConnectedAgingFramework.pdf

The report highlights twelve technologies with significant growth potential and describes how connected aging might reduce the use of healthcare services while improving delivery of care, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. “Technology has become a major force in opening up new opportunities to improve the health and well-being of older adults and their families. Whether you are a healthcare provider, policy maker, technology vendor, entrepreneur, funder, or an older adult or family caregiver, the Innovation HealthJam gives you a seat at the table in the national conversation on the next generation of technology-enabled solutions,” said Jody Holtzman, AARP.

“In a world where innovation is global, we are creating an inclusive platform where industry thought leaders can discuss their differing perspectives, brainstorm ideas, and share best practices. This is the goal of the Innovation HealthJam,” said Bob Dobbins, Vice President, New Business Development at Panasonic Corporation of North America.  “We hope to link some of the best ideas from the event with Panasonic’s strengths in B2B innovation and digital transformation to offer solid solutions that increase the quality of healthcare while also containing costs,” he added.

To learn more about the 2014 Innovation HealthJam and join the conversation, visit these websites and communities:

About Innovation HealthJam

The Innovation HealthJam is a completely virtual event that brings together a diverse and knowledgeable group of people from the healthcare and technology fields to brainstorm ideas, improvements and innovation in healthcare. The event is co-hosted by a group of healthcare industry leaders and led by the New Business Development and Innovation group at Panasonic Corporation of North America. Co-hosts include the American Medical Association (AMA); Center for Technology and Aging (CTA); Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS); Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Personal Connected Health Alliance (PCHA), a collaboration between Continua Health Alliance, mHealth Summit and HIMSS; along with Intel; UC Davis; and UC San Francisco .

About the Center for Technology and Aging

The Center for Technology and Aging is a national leader in the use of patient-centered technologies for older adults. We take our distinctive experience and unique insights and work with health care providers, aging service organizations, payers, philanthropies, and technology companies to accelerate the diffusion of proven technologies to improve the well being and quality of life of older adults.

About CITRIS

The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS) creates information technology solutions for many of our most pressing social, environmental, and health care problems. The mission of the CITRIS Health Care initiative is to improve access and reduce significant disparities in health resources and outcomes, improve population health, increase patient and provider engagement, and improve the efficiencies and costs of health care delivery. This multidisciplinary, multi-campus initiative that supports health improvement through technology-enabled solutions in California, the nation, and globally.

The primary research themes of the CITRIS Health Care initiative are:

  • Telehealth: platform technologies and services for remote delivery of health care;
  • Sensors and services: novel sensing for physiology, activity and location;
  • Gaming, social health apps, and mHealth: technology and motivation strategies to engage users in personal and public health.

Media Contacts

Karen Blondell and Rebecca Farrell for Innovation HealthJam: pr@innovationhealthjam.com

Valerie Steinmetz for the Center for Technology and Aging (CTA): vsteinmetz@techandaging.org

Julie Sammons for Center for Information Technology in the Interest of Society (CITRIS): juliesammons@citris-uc.org