Content developed in various citizen research projects, usually related to technology and aging..
Caption: Memory Care Unit Robotic Pet Menagerie Wondering if “Robotic Pets for Seniors” are a good idea? Here is a real world report of the author’s experience deploying robotic pets for dementia patients in an assisted living and memory care facility in San Francisco (Rhoda Goldman Plaza). Read on to learn how they were used, what the reactions … Read more
Photo by Sidekix Media on Unsplash As part of our “Smart Home Features for Older Adults” series, we are sharing some specific recipes and “kit lists” for individual smart home features — organized on a “room by room” basis. Overview This article covers several smart bathroom features that author Frank Engelman has found useful for family members … Read more
Photo by Steve Philpott on Unsplash Normally, I visit my Aunt 6-7 times a week. I count on these visits to “check up” on her, get her things she needs, and generally make sure she is OK. BUT, . . . In Wisconsin we have snow! And, I travel for work. I live in … Read more
As we explore various smart home solutions useful for “better aging”, we get requests for some specific “kit lists” that contain a collection of the products needed to implement some of the DIY solutions found on this site. This page is where we keep the lists of products for each of those “kits”. Each kit … Read more
We have started to see the term “smart home for seniors” mentioned in the media recently. What is a “Smart Home for Seniors“, we wondered? And how is it different from a normal smart home? And who would want one, and why? And, can you just get some specific smart home features relevant to you — … Read more
At Tech-enhanced Life, our community of technologists, Longevity Explorers, and children of aging parents have been conducting hands-on, comparative evaluation of a wide variety of different medical alert products for years. In this article we dive into a specific sub-category of medical alerts: medical alert systems with gps — with the goal of helping people choose the … Read more
Photo by Kelly Sikkema There are a lot of things that have been memorable about 2020. Many of them have been pretty horrible. But, in the area of innovation as it relates to the lives of older adults, we actually see some positive developments, and room for optimism about the future. When looked at through the … Read more
After writing several “How To” articles, relating to Alexa and related products, I have been getting quite a few questions about things I neglected to cover in those articles. This page is to collect some of the common questions, together with detailed “how to” answers. If you haven’t yet read the original articles, I would … Read more
After completing a comparative evaluation of products in the category we call “senior-friendly tablets”, lead reviewer Frank Engelman was interviewed by Richard Caro, co-founder of Tech-enhanced Life. See the live video interview below. Live Interview This introduction is a starting point for a more detailed deep-dive into these products at “Best … Read more
By Explorers: Susan Karplus, Lynn Davis, John Milford, Rich Selph. Dec. 2020. “Once you are a grandparent, almost nothing seems as important as interacting with your grandkids, and helping them and their parents as much as you can.” But, if you can’t visit, or live a long way away, how do you maintain the … Read more