Assistive tech
Agetech World explores how effective bed alarms are for preventing falls in elderly people. While there is no proof that bed alarms prevent falls, they are an important part of digital tools used in home-care services. People aged 65 and older have the highest risk of falling with around a third of people aged 65 [...]
AgeTech World meets with Zeinab Ardeshir, pharmacist and founder of PillSorted, to discuss how digital pharmacies can help the older generation. With approximately 63,000 employees and a market value of around £21 billion, the UK pharmaceutical sector is expected to have an annual growth of 3.6 per cent. Like any other sector, pharmacies are moving [...]
Taking Care has launched a new telecare device which acts as a preventive measure to help older people to live independently at home. The device, Taking Care Sense, is designed to help older people live independent lives without compromising on their safety. Taking Care Sense is a small box that sits in the kitchen and measures changes [...]
Canadian researchers have shown that a combination of genetics and brain MRIs may be used to predict the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The Simon Fraser University’s Functional and Anatomical Imaging and Shape Analysis Lab (FAISAL) study was published in the IOS Press journal. During their research, the team identified distinct properties of brain MRIs [...]
Researchers have found that levels of a specific protein help accurately predict whether people with the wet form of age-related macular degeneration will need lifelong, frequent eye injections to preserve vision. They say the protein could also be targeted by new therapies to halt vision loss among patients with the disorder, caused by abnormal growth [...]
Birdie has announced $30 million in Series B funding for its home healthcare tech platform which aims to radically improve the lives of millions of elderly people and help them live longer at home. The latest round takes total investment to $52 million and will be used to accelerate the company’s growth in the UK [...]
Older adults with untreated sight conditions may be at increased risk of dementia, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies involving 76,373 participants. This highlights a need for further research to examine the impact of correcting sight problems in older adults – for example, with glasses or cataract surgery – to [...]
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that causes neurons to die, slowly destroying memory and thinking skills. It’s the most common type of dementia, impacting an estimated 50 million people worldwide, and is a particularly serious issue for Japan’s super-aged society. Despite its prevalence, the causes remain poorly understood and treatment options are limited. Now, [...]
Older adults exposed to any amount of light while sleeping at night are significantly more likely to be obese, and have high blood pressure and diabetes, according to a real world US study. A sample of men and women aged 63 to 84 wore a wrist device which tracked and measured light exposure over seven days. [...]
As scientists gradually discover evidence that people who feel younger than their chronological age are typically healthier and more psychologically resilient, the saying 'you're only as old as you feel' rings increasingly true. Could the expression also hold true for older people recuperating from physical disabilities? Apparently so. Researchers from Bar-Ilan University have found that feeling young can [...]
