With one in six people in the world expected to be over 60 by 2030, building a better life for seniors has never been more important. Agetech World explores five American companies that are revolutionsing senior care.
At the moment, the pace of population ageing is much faster than in the past. In 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older outnumbered children younger that five years old. Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years old will nearly double from 12 per cent to 22 per cent.
As a consequence, there are a growing number of technologies targeted at older people with – according to estimates – the agetech market expected to reach US$2T by the end of 2022.
Here are five American companies that are working towards a better senior healthcare.
Balanced
Balanced is an online platform that provides a personalised digital wellness community that inspires movement, mindfulness and joy through group exercise to live a healthier and more fulfilling life. The company provides trainers, medical advisors and a team for users who decide to take part in their programmes.
The platform provides three types of classes: balanced, focused and restore.
Balanced classes are designed for optimal full body fitness for healthy ageing. Focused classes are focused workouts such as boxing, yoga, pilates and similars. Restore classes focus on the connection between mind and body, addressing joint stiffness and improving posture.
Mon Ami
Mon Ami is an American startup building the next generation of SaaS for senior services to enable the delivery of life-sustain social services for older adults.
The platform provides resources for delivering ageing and disability services, such as articles, white papers, case studies and webinars.
Mon Ami aims to build stronger communities through their services in what they define as a “caregiving crisis”.
Joy Zhang, Mon Ami co-founder, said: “If we as a society are overwhelmed by the process of ensuring physical safety and care for our loved ones, we lose what makes us human: joy, connection, meaning and enrichment.”
Rendever
Rendever is a virtual reality company working with retirement communities and it offers people a way to overcome feelings of isolation. By using VR headsets and softwares like Google Maps, clients can navigate real-world locations and even experience visits to their former homes.
Moving into a senior living community can make older adults feel as if their freedom is limited. In fact, more than 50 per cent of senior living residents will experience depression or isolation during their stay, making loneliness among seniors a modern mental health epidemic.
Al Faxon, a member of the Vermont Veterans’ Home, said: “Renderer sessions are educational, engaging, and fun, so it’s not uncommon to hear residents chatting about their trip to Paris or recent hot air balloon ride for days or weeks afterwards.”
CarePredict
CarePredict is a health tech company that provides predictive analytics, that aim to improve the quality of life for our again population.
The goal of predictive analytics is to collect information for analyses of current or historical data and to make informed predictions for the future. For senior living, this means that caregivers are able to predict illnesses before the first symptoms show.
The tech company developed Tempo, a wrist-worn bracelet with a microphone and speaker, along with sensors that detect activities of daily living such as eating, bathing, walking, sleeping and walking. The device also communicates wirelessly with beacons in order to pinpoint the rooms where the activities take place.
Tempo detects changes that may signal the onset of serious health problems and alerts the home care provider for early intervention before the senior person needs to be hospitalised.
Luvozo PBC
Luvozo PBC is a tech company that provides mobile robots. These robots can check on patients more regularly, reduce the cost of care and raise patient satisfaction index and compensate for the lack of interaction and attention in care settings.
SAM, the company’s human-sized robot, combines technology with a human touch to provide frequent check-ins, hands-free communications portal, automated fall hazard assessment and non-medical care for residents in long-term care settings.
The company overall goal is to improve the quality of life for seniors and people with disabilities at home and in senior living communities.