I’m fascinated with one of the ideas presented at the Business of Aging: Information Exchange Network (BA:IEN) breakfast meeting this past week, namely that regardless of our age, we rarely think of ourselves as old.

The speaker, Director of Publications for FYI Magazine, Vicki Dillane, related the story of her parents who are in their late 60s and enjoyed the social calendar of college kids. When she suggested to them they might like to take up bocce ball, a popular pastime at the Florida condo where her parents spent part of the winter, their response was something along the line of, “Why would we do that? It’s for old people.”

Dillane thinks it’s great her parents are well and robust and that they don’t think of themselves as ‘old’ but she does point out their response highlights a commonly held belief amongst, well, everyone: while we all realize we’re aging, most of us don’t think of ourselves as old.

What are the implications of this? Plenty.

Dillane related how this ‘forever young’ attitude resulted in the need for her magazine to re-brand. Twice. When Forever Young first began publishing, the typical reader was someone who was born between 1900 and World War II. Top-of-mind issues were things like personal safety and the betterment of society. Compare that to someone who is just turning 65 today. This cohort, a.k.a. The Baby Boomers, is associated with privilege. They are actively looking for ways to stay healthy and engaged as they define a different way of living. (Good news for companies like PointerWare whose mission is to keep people engaged and connected no matter how old they are. Or think they are.)

What do you think? Do you think of yourself as ‘old’? Do you think you ever will? And is that a good thing or a bad thing? We’d love to get your thoughts on this.

-          Posted by Karen

An article on the website CaregiverStress.com brought an important point to our attention.  Seniors today are living a duration that a century ago would have been considered two lifetimes.

Thanks to advances in health care, the overall standard of living has increased since the 1900s.  According to the CIA World Factbook, the current average life expectancy has risen to 78.4 in the U.S. and 81.5 in Canada.  Many of us probably know seniors who live into their 90s and beyond.

We hear over and over that staying active leads to a strong mind and body. Exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, don’t smoke and don’t drink excessively, these are the four Do and Don’t habits that can increase our life span.  This was underscored in Live More Good Years, an article published in AARP’s, The Magazine. Researchers found that people who followed these four Dos and Don’ts were 63 per cent less likely to die as compared to people who didn’t follow any of them.

Engagement is another critical component to healthy aging and a long life. It isn’t always easy for seniors to see the positive side of aging.  Some find it hard to become engaged, or remain engaged, in their communities.  Caregivers can make a difference by helping seniors find more purpose in life and by showing them how to reach out to the people in their lives, as well as the outside world. Working towards taking up a hobby, attending senior center activities, volunteering in the community and spending time online with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren can enlighten their spirits and help them find a new passion.

- Posted by Megan

If you’re a member of the Baby Boom generation, we sure hope you enjoyed yourself when you were younger because judging from some of the literature recently floating around the Internet, you’re in for a pretty rough ride. Some of you might already be hanging on for dear life.

An article in USA Today, Sandwich Caregivers Balance Dual Responsibilities particularly caught our eye. While it’s not surprise that caregivers frequently have to divide their time between their teenagers needs and those of their aging parents, there were a few things in this article that gave us pause.

For one thing, the article suggests caregivers today have a greater burden than their counterparts would have had a generation ago because today’s caregivers have fewer siblings. Seems logical enough but we can’t help but wonder if it’s true in all cases. Even when there are multiple siblings, the buck has to stop with someone who can take charge and coordinate everyone’s efforts. And this was true in our grandmother’s day just as much as it is today. Any thoughts?

The other thing that caught our eye was a quote by Evelyn Volk, the caregiver who was interviewed in the article: “On a good day, I feel like Superwoman.” What this says to us is that, despite the challenges, there’s some satisfaction and self-respect that comes from stepping up to your responsibilities.

If you’re a caregiver, what do you think?

- Posted by Karen

More and more, seniors are opting to live at home rather than moving to a retirement home. This New Year, a number of new technologies are in the making that make living at home easier and senior care more efficient.  SeniorsZen, a website for “retirement choices made easy,” outlines a few developments in technology that are increasing the opportunity for more seniors to remain in their homes.

Two of the three innovations come from the app world. Both can be downloaded onto the iPad and iPhone.

The first, BrainyApp, helps improve brain and heart health by allowing users to keep track of each through a Brain Health survey that becomes their starter score.  This score is sent to the users email account and subsequent scores are also sent, allowing the player to compare results over time.  The app monitors diet as well as exercise and lifestyle habits.  As an added bonus, it will also suggest where an individual can increase activity in order to make improvements in each mind and body sector.

SeniorsZen reports that the making of BrainyApp is based upon research done by Alzheimer’s Australia and Bupa Health Foundation that links brain health and a reduced risk of dementia to the health of the heart and cardiovascular system.

The next app, that will become available for the iPad in March 2012, is a timesaving application created by Vigilan, a senior living software provider.  This app has been created to help nursing staff save the time that is spent on record keeping and charting data.

What is key, is that these two health and technology oriented applications are portable making them both useable at home, as well as on the go.

To learn more, click here.

- Posted by Megan

Overwhelmed!  was the title of the September 2008 PointerWare blog post that described how we felt handling the incredible interest and media attention in our recently launched company, Softshell (later rebranded to PointerWare). Those early days were exciting ones as we realized all the positive interest meant we had hit a nerve with seniors and their supporters.

The past three years have brought successes, challenges and an even greater commitment to helping people who have difficulty using traditional computer systems get online. Given that January is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future, we decided to sit down with PointerWare co-founder, Stephen Beath to get his thoughts on the PointerWare brand, the industry in general and what it’s been like to successfully get a business off the ground.

Q. You’ve touched a lot of lives with PointerWare. What story stands out the most in your mind?

Stephen Beath My favorite story has to be a user in a nursing home who was using our system right when we first launched. The user had apparently experienced a stroke the night before, but staff didn’t detect it in the morning. However, when that user sent their family a voice mail through PointerWare, the family could immediately tell that something had happened and they called the nursing staff to inform them.

Q. How has the ‘seniors computing’ space changed since you first developed PointerWare?

S.B. Not as much as you might think – lots of companies trying to figure out what works with not a lot of clear success stories. However the potential market is too large to ignore. Tablets such as the iPad have
a lot of hype, but we have yet to see large scale adoption by older seniors.

Q. What’s been the biggest surprise in this entrepreneurial journey?

S.B. For me the biggest surprise was the sheer amount of things that need to be done to start a company. I knew entrepreneurship was a lot of work, but I didn’t realize one’s to-do list would be 100-200 items
long but most things you don’t have the time or resources to take on. So it becomes a game of betting on which tasks are important and which can wait.

Q. If you had one thing to say to PointerWare supporters, what would it be?

S.B. I would thank them for taking the effort to connect their loved ones to the wired world. Us younger generations benefit so much from technology it really is an injustice when certain portions of society
are left behind. Fortunately, I believe we are on the cusp of having technology intuitive enough so that everyone can get online and benefit from it.

The other night I was sitting with my family when our discussion quickly turned to talk about today’s youth and technology.  As we humorously debated whether the slightest improvements in today’s gizmos would help or harm our generation as well as those to come, my 74-year-old grandmother piped up and said, “You know, I am quite impressed with how I can maneuver the web.”

Last February, on Valentine’s Day, my grandfather had left a “bread crumb trail” via the Internet for my grandmother.  Her job was to follow clues online that he had left for her and find the correct destination where she was to meet him at a specific time for dinner.  Overwhelmed at first, my grandmother took to the challenge and went through each clue.

She said that although it appeared confusing and took some time, she was surprised at how well she could peruse the sites.  The list of “clues” was also a fun “How To” guide to using the sites.  As intimidating as the web can be, my grandmother felt like she had mastered the impossible, especially because she had made it to the correct restaurant. And on time!

PointerWare’s software itself is also a “How To” guide, breaking down confusing components to help ease the anxiety that many seniors may feel when thinking about, or attempting to use, a computer, let alone the Internet.  With its simple display and large icons, PointerWare makes the web (not to mention email and games) more accessible.

An article published by Statistics Canada in 2009 indicated that “over one half of seniors who were home Internet users said they did general Internet browsing for fun or leisure.” In 2010, another study for individual Internet use was completed and the results showed that on average, in Ontario, 81 per cent of individuals accessed the Internet from any location.  Of those users, “about one-half (51%) of those aged 65 to 74 used the Internet, compared with 27% of those aged 75 years and older.”

Seniors use of the Internet is on the rise and with easy-to-use software programs such as PointerWare, the numbers are sure to increase.

- Posted by Megan

Choices, a newsletter for independent living, published a series last year entitled, ’Digital Ageing: Computers and Seniors Today’.  Not only does it remain pertinent to today, it’s a great motivator as to why seniors should not feel intimidated when accessing the web.  The newsletter for independent living uncovered four myths that many seniors may have considered at some point since technology became a large force in society.

 Myth #1: Computers are only for younger people. 

 Although the babies of the late 80s, the 90s and so-on were fortunate enough to grow up learning the ins and outs of computer and online use, Statistics Canada has found that the over-65 population comprisesthe fastest growing set of users.  Not only has email become one of the top uses for communication, seniors have also began to branch out by playing games and surfing the web, creating a positive reaction as it stimulates the brain.

 Myth #2: Computers are too complicated for seniors. 

 It’s true that it feels like a new program is released almost every-other-week. That can be extremely intimidating to many individuals who fear they will be left behind if they don’t make the switch.  However, it is important to note that new software releases are options; the change is not mandatory. And don’t forget that companies like PointerWare are tailoring their products for seniors, making them more accessible and offering easy-to-read and understand features for even the most techno-phobic user in the crowd.

 Myth #3: Computer use doesn’t have much impact on healthy aging. 

 Wrong! As indicated in the Choices article, ‘E-commerce, online banking and finding information on the Internet are of great benefit to elders who have mobility challenges.’ The Internet is also a great source for keeping seniors in touch with current events around the world and remaining active within their communities.

 Myth #4: Online social networking is only for young people. 

 Social networking tools, such as Facebook, MySpace, or MSN Sympatico are great for finding, or keeping in touch with, long lost friends or family.

 To learn more about these myths and view the statistics provided by Choices.

 -          Posted by Megan Tilley

There’s a great article in the winter issue of Baycrest Breakthroughs on the link between aging and depression that poses the question, ‘Are we more prone to depression as we age?’

The good news, in a nutshell, is not necessarily. The bad news is that there are secondary factors accompanying aging that, if not addressed, can trigger depression.

What are these factors? Physical activity, for one. According to Dr. Cindy Grief, it seems that exercise is good for both the brain and the body. What you eat also has a bearing on our mood. Foods like whole grains, lean protein, and fruits and vegetables that raise serotonin, the ‘feel good’ chemical, are important for brain health. And don’t forget to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical condition that might be the cause of depression. Something as easily treatable as an underactive thyroid or a B12 deficiency could be the culprit.

We weren’t surprised to read that lack of social interaction can cause seniors to experience depression. Just like Dr. Grief does in this article, we advocate that seniors stay engaged by connecting to family, friends and the wider world through email, video chat and social media. And we’re on the same page as Dr. Grief again when she suggests seniors try something new to stay mentally active. Playing the brain-boosting games available with PointerWare software is a great way to do this.

Want more information on aging and depression? Visit www.Baycrest.org.

If you’ve got any tips or resources relating to seniors and depression, we’d love to hear about them.

- Posted by Karen

We loved the story in Monday’s Ontario Long-Term Care Association’s The Morning Report about nursing home resident Victor Sinclair.

Sinclair, who lives at Extendicare York, as taken on the job of editor-in-chief for the home’s resident newsletter. The 83-year-old saw a need for a publication that was “short and sweet” and written in a way that would “reach the people” who were living at the home. Sinclair emails copies of the newsletter out to residents. To do his job, Sinclair says he’s set up his room like “a cockpit”, complete with a computer, two printers a fax machine and a scanner.

Obviously this computer-savvy senior knows his way around a mouse so it’s surprising that he was introduced to computers relatively late in the game, in his 70s. It underscores what we’ve always known; it’s never too late and it’s amazing what an impact technology can have in a senior’s life.

Do you have any stories to share about the computer-savvy seniors you know?

- Posted by Karen

Pro: The Internet gives seniors and caregivers access to an overwhelming amount of information on services for an aging population.

Con: The Internet gives seniors and caregivers access to an overwhelming amount of information on services for an aging population.

We’re used to going online to search for information but the sheer volume of what we find makes finding the right answer the cyber equivalent of searching for a needle in a haystack.. Not only does it take time to wade through everything, it’s hard to know what we can trust and what we can’t. In our ongoing quest to help you separate the wheat from the chaff, here are two great resources when you’re looking for information on seniors and technology.

Not only are our loved ones aging, but we are too, so when you hear about an organization who has made it their mission to transform (yes, that’s right, transform) the aging experience, you can’t help but sit up and take notice. It’s certainly what drew our attention to the LeadingAge Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST).

This international coalition of more than 400 technology companies, aging-services organizations, businesses, research universities and government representatives, is dedicated to expanding the world of possibilities for aging. Granted, some of their reports are high level but we love the Consumerssection offering care giving resources, consumer reports, information on planning and paying for services and more.

We’ve told you about Laurie Orlov’s Aging in Place Technology Watchblog but this excellent blog is worth a second look. Orlov, an expert in the seniors technologies that are available in today’s market, not only blogs about the latest innovations, she offers an unbiased and insightful commentary. Not one to mince words, you’ll get an honest take on the latest and (sometimes) greatest offerings out there.

Know any web resources on seniors and technology? We’d love to hear about them.

- Posted by Karen