New Technologies for the Elderly

New technologies designed to improve the safety and healthcare of the elderly were exhibited by researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU, Portland, OR, USA) at the 2005 White House Conference on Aging held in December 2005 in Washington (DC, USA).

The intelligent MedTracker pillbox looks like an ordinary pill dispenser, with seven individually marked compartments, but its ordinary features stop there. When one of the tiny compartments is opened, a signal is sent wirelessly to a computer system that records the removal of a pill. The system keeps track of the medications taken and knows when the senior is nearby, sending a reminder only when needed and likely to be effective.

Other aids exhibited included MedTracker, a technology incorporated in intelligent walkers and canes that can detect balance changes and provide alerts or signals to encourage appropriate use; a bed equipped with weight sensors that tracks sleep patterns; sensors that can track movement in homes; and adaptive computer games that monitor cognitive performance and potentially improve seniors' cognitive skills.

The White House Conference on Aging is a once-a-decade event. Its purpose is to make policy recommendations on aging to the President and Congress, and to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence, and economic security of the elderly.






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Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)