Time doesn’t stop for anyone.
And advancing in age is a natural part of life.
As the number of aging adults swells across the globe, a new rush to serve this population is here, and this is why “agetech” was born, out of the necessity to improve the lives of our aging population by using research and technology.
What is agetech?
“Agetech is just a general term for any kind of technology that’s helping or promoting a better life in later life,” said Jocelyn Rempel, the chair in older adult health at Mount Royal University and the director of the Centre for Health and Innovation in Aging.
Rempel says agetech is the integration of gear and science built around the needs and wants of older adults.
In a new approach to innovation, the research includes the population in the technology design, testing and implementation.
Rempel says there is a lot of interest in pouring human and financial resources into this growing sector.
“There’s opportunity, and there’s also a need for solutions,” said Rempel.
Who is involved?
Age-Well, Canada’s largest networking hub for AgeTech, invests in startups nationwide and offers grants and services for people and organizations working on research, capacity building and training, and technology adoption in the aging sector.
EnvisAGE, a joint cross-Canada initiative by AGE-WELL and MEDTEQ+, wants to invest $47 million over five years in researching and developing new technologies that benefit the aging population.
Also, here in Calgary, the Centre for Health and Innovation in Aging at MRU is striking partnerships with various local organizations and consulting with groups of older adults to help guide its research and education efforts.
Rempel’s team at MRU is working on a device to promote Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (EVS), a new wearable technology that delivers low-dose electric stimulation to the vestibular system.
This system helps control balance and spatial awareness in our bodies.
The device is intended to be a therapy treatment for preventing falls. If all goes well, it will eventually be accessible through long-term care homes nationwide.
What does it include?
From portable devices that help enhance everyday users’ memory to wheelchairs with built-in fall assistance, many Canadian companies and institutes are investing in the design and research of new gear that helps maintain and improve the mental and physical health of the aging population.
Agetech includes anything from a simple smartphone with a large screen and an easy-to-use interface to a monitoring system with a series of sensors around the house that help shape independent living.
Why does it matter?
The integration of scientific research and user-friendliness removes the stigma around new technology from a senior’s perspective, while also taking away some of the struggles they may face on a daily basis, from ordering grocery and taxis, to precise pacemakers and hearing aids.
Alex Mihailidis, scientific director and CEO of Age-Well Network, says agetech can help give older adults more choices regarding where they spend their aging years.
“Technology can enable Canadians to age in place safely in a location of their choice, and to transform care and support across all settings that older adults call home,” said Mihailidis.
According to the Government of Canada, the country anticipates a shortage of 78,000 doctors by 2031 and 117,600 nurses by 2030. This is why technology that helps ease the load on an already strained health-care system is sorely needed.
“We need to come up with different ideas, and innovations and solutions that help with the efficiencies in the workforce so that we can hopefully provide great care despite not having enough people,” said Rempel.