Tag Archive for: Laura Mitchell

2012 What’s Next Boomer Business Summit

The 9th annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit is produced by Mary Furlong & Associates, and is the official post-conference event of the American Society on Aging (ASA) Aging in America Conference.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel Washington D.C.
Website: www.BoomerSummit.com

This years Theme: The New Normal

The New Normal will showcase the groundswell in social media, the surge in a Service Economy, and rising of the independent sector.

Join us where America’s leading analysts, corporate strategists, brand managers, entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, authors, bloggers and tweeters meet to explore:
  • Who profits from the senior market and global boomer
  • Emerging trends in Markets, both Global and US
  • How mobile and wireless growth lead to monetization of boomers and their children and grandchildren.
  • Distribution models for reaching and engaging the boomer, the senior, the  caregiver, and the grandparent
  • Trends that engage consumers with integrated media; whether local, social, mobile, print or through gaming
  • New Normal Frugal Economy: the forecast for financial services, housing, consumer directed healthcare, aging in place, and entrepreneurship
  • Raising money for a start-up idea; brands entrepreneurs need to jump-start business
  • The boomer-seniors effect on the 2012 election

How to Accelerate Lead Generation Through Social, Mobile & Integrated Media 10:30 am – 10:45 am

In the new normal, it is all about customer acquisition, retention and service. Discover the latest trends in how companies are using media to drive leads.

Laura Mitchell – VP, Marketing, GrandCare Systems Will be a Featured speaker along side:

Moderator – Lori Bitter, President, Crew Media
Andy Cohen, CEO, Caring.com
Stephen Chen, CEO, NewRetirement

EHX TeleHealth & Digital Home Health Technology Session

Collaboration: The Integrator’s Role in TeleHealth & Digital Home Health Technology 

You’ve heard all about Digital Home Health Technology and why it’s going to be the way of the future, but where do integrators come in?

With recent healthcare legislation, hospital systems and payers are being forced to become accountable for improving patient outcomes, while reducing the cost of care delivery. The care delivery network is focusing on telehealth & remote monitoring technologies to help care for the highest risk population in the lowest cost setting – the patient’s home.

However, hospitals and payer systems are tuned for executing today’s care delivery model, but who will focus on technology and services needed for tomorrow? This session will explore the opportunities and role of the solutions integrator as an integral piece of the care transition puzzle.

Presented by:


Instructor:Alex Go, Virtual Health


Instructor:Jeffrey Makowka, AARP


Instructor:Laura Mitchell, GrandCare Systems

Course Code
CE Pro #115
Schedule
Friday, March 16, 2012
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Room CI Stage

More Information available at www.ehxweb.com/classes/ce-pro-115

Transforming Social Media for the Senior Community With Brian Lang

Thursday, March 1st 2pm ET – 1pm CT – grandcaresystems.webex.com
Call in: 1-408-600-3600 – Pin: 660 464 102#

Today 40 million people are over 65 – the largest and fastest growing demographic in America. With Baby Boomers retiring, over 10,000 people a day turn 65, a trend that will continue over the next decade. Americans age 50+ are increasingly likely to have a cell phone, a laptop or tablet, or a game console, and represent the fastest growing age segment to adopt to social networking and hypernet technology. What’s the opportunity? A connected lifestyle that blurs boundaries across home, work, leisure, and retirement, smoothly connecting our online and offline lives. Unfortunately, this tech-enabled lifestyle is not yet widespread among older age ranges, hampered by technology choices that are complex and difficult to use. To enable a connected living and social aging experience for older consumers, vendors need to begin to design for all, and entrepreneurs and the venture community need a more dynamic relationship with this huge and underserved growth market.

Brian Lang, CEO of Seniors In Touch

Brian is a serial entrepreneur and social media executive with over 20 years of experience with interactive media. During the late 90′s he founded an online venture that partnered with Digital Equipment Corporation to create OnePlace.com, one of the earliest and still one of the most successful faith-based online communities. He has been a thought-leader dating back to 1999 when he authored the pioneering book, “Making the Internet Family-friendly,” for Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Brian is a champion of combining social media and health care for senior adults, is a speaker at senior living industry events, and authors for noted health care publications. His company provides a touchscreen and cloud-based social media and health care solution to senior living communities nationwide.

GrandCare is sponsoring the 9th Annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit – next month!

This year’s Summit theme is What’s Next: The New Normal. It will showcase the groundswell in social media, the surge in the services economy and the rise of the independent sector.

2012 What’s Next Boomer Business Summit
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 | 8:00 am – 6:00 pm
Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, DC

Besides fantastic networking, the educational sessions provided at What’s Next Boomer Summit are top notch. Featuring speakers from companies such as the National Alliance for Caregiving, Forbes Magazine, AARP, United Health Group, GrandCare Systems, CNN, Best Buy, Google, Best Buy, etc.  See the full educational agenda here
GrandCare is sponsoring the What’s Next Boomer Summit next month in Washington, DC. It’s not too late to register to attend, exhibit or sponsor this event.  Touted as one of the best networking events of the year, this conference is not to be missed.  The event is sponsored by AARP as well as United Health Group, Continuum Crew, Caring.com, General Mills, MetLife, etc.  See a full listing of sponsors here

 

What’s Next Boomer Summit Flyer

 

There are great opportunities to exhibit your technology at this conference…For additional exhibit information and pricing, please contact:

Jo Anne Morrison
joannefmorrison@aol.com

Boomers and seniors are facing the daunting reality of the downshift in the prospects of the US economy. They face smaller returns on savings, pensions in doubt and underfunded, unanticipated caregiving costs that last decades, not years, combined with an increasing financial responsibility for adult children, grandchildren, and extended families. This is causing a shift in how they plan, spend, learn, and save. Discover the brands that are rising to the occasion to serve their needs. Discover how they are using online tools to manage money and evaluate credit and other banking options. Learn where they are shopping online and offline and discover how marketers are reaching them and learn what consumer protection groups are putting in place to protect them from fraud. Also, learn about the growth of emerging markets and the global aging landscape.

For more information visit: boomersummit.com

GrandCare Systems in the WB Daily News

GrandCare Receives AARP Sterling Award

West Bend Daily News;Date: Feb 3, 2012;Section: Front Page;Page: A2

GrandCare Systems founder Charlie Hillman, left, recieves the Sterling Award from Jody Holtzman of AARP.

West Bend-based GrandCare Systems won the first Sterling Awards competition in the health and wellness category during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Sponsored by AARP, the Sterling Awards identify the best in technology innovation and product excellence for Americans age 50 and older. “We are honored to accept this prestigious award,” said Charlie Hillman, GrandCare founder. “We share the passion of AARP to forge a better future for our aging population and we are encouraged to continue developing innovation technologies that make aging and ‘healing in place’ safer, happier, healthier and more cost-effective.”

Founded in 2005, GrandCare is a pioneer in the digital home health care industry. The company currently has 12 employees, but Hillman said he expects that to grow as new subscribers sign up.

GrandCare offers a senior-friendly, Internet-enabled, touch-based system aimed at maintaining independence at home, instead of in an assisted living facility. The system, which costs approximately $99 a month, helps control chronic conditions, increases

compliance, strengthens family connections and reduces hospital readmissions, said Laura Mitchell, GrandCare vice president of marketing. It combines technologies to provide activity monitoring, medication management, wellness monitoring, video chatting and social connectivity into an interactive product that can be learned by any senior citizen, she said.

Laura Mitchell, GrandCare Systems vice president of marketing, addresses the crowd during the Silvers Summit awards ceremony.

The unit, which is essentially a touch-screen computer monitor on steroids, can monitor seemingly simple tasks – like lighting, temperature and appliance shut off – to complex ones, like wireless pulse readings, glucose levels and interaction with hand-held electrocardiographs. It also provides social interaction tools, like video chats with family and care professionals, as well as games, music, calendars and trivia.

The purpose of the inaugural Sterling Awards is to identify products that enhance, empower and exemplify the lifestyles of those 50 and older.

Award winners were chosen by a panel of judges from Aging in Place Technology Watch, AARP, Carnegie Mellon University, Care2, Compelling Telling, Continua Health Alliance, Mary Furlong and Associates, National Alliance for Caregiving, NPR Labs, PBS Kids Interaction, SmartSilvers Alliance and Vibrant Nation.

Customer Engagement in 2012:

Leveraging Social Media and Online Communities to Expand and Retain your Customers

Thursday, Febuary 16th 2pm ET – 1pm CT

Watch/Download

With guest speaker Ron Repking

Connecting with customers to drive more business has become easier as more and more seniors get online. Social media outlets such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and others provide a way for companies to connect with these consumers.  However, these outlets are controlled by third parties and don’t allow you to harness your users fully for your own benefit.  Creating your own presence under your control solves this problem and enables you to engage with your customers on your own turf.

In this webinar you will learn about:

  • The evolution and impact of social media and engagement
  • The components of a comprehensive engagement model
  • How to leverage these components to own and control your audience message

Ron Repking

Ron Repking is the owner and CEO of Capable Networks, a company focused exclusively on helping companies engage with their customers through online communities and social media.  Frustrated with traditional methodologies and strategies, Ron founded Capable Networks in order to bring a new perspective and approach to customer engagement online.  Ron is an expert in social media and assisting companies in the migration to new techniques and strategies in this field since the founding of his company in 2004.  Ron graduated Cum Laude from the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana in 1990.

An Overview of AARP’s Innovation@50+ program

Download

With Jeff Makowka,  Senior Strategic Advisor, Thought Leadership

In late 2010, AARP created a new group focused on Thought Leadership with the mission of exploring and establishing new ways in which AARP can achieve its social mission: “to improve the quality of life for all as they age”. The Innovation@50+ program is the group’s flagship campaign to engage both the investment and entrepreneurial communities to stimulate innovation to meet the needs and wants of people over 50.

Thursday, February 2nd @https://grandcaresystems.webex.com

 

Jeff Makowka

Jeff has over a decade of experience in strategic analysis, management consulting and market research. For over 5 years, he has been focused on the wants and needs of the 50+ both domestically and internationally.

As Senior Strategic Advisor in AARP’s newly formed Thought Leadership group, he supports AARP’s Innovation@50+ Program which aims to spark innovation and entrepreneurial activity across public and private sectors. Anchored by AARP’s social mission – to enhance the quality of life for all as we age – the program enlists the expertise of visionary aging & technology thinkers, and builds the business case for all sectors to collaborate on meeting the needs and wants of people over 50.

In Response to: Joe Coughlin’s It’s the Services Stupid”

I just read an extremely insightful blog entry called

It’s the Services Stupid! Transforming Old Age & New Technology Into Business Innovation

by one of my favorites in the industry, Joseph F Coughlin.

I have included a link to his blog entry below, but he basically starts out with “There is not a shortage of technology being developed for old age so why haven’t these gadgets flooded retail shelves or become a routine government procurement tantalizing contractors in the Fed’s Commerce Business Daily? President Bill Clinton’s advisor James Carville coined the phrase ‘it’s the economy stupid’ to capture what the 1992 American public was most concerned about – the economy. Today’s investors, technology researchers and the aging community need to see the promise of technology but understand what older people, families and payers really care about – complete service solutions that lead to improved outcomes in living.”
… this kind of thing has been on my mind these days…what are the stumbling blocks and what can we do to overcome them? Here is my list of just some initial hurdles that we need to get through in order to get to the point where Digital Home Health Technology & Services can easily be deployed in a retail situation or in a medical situation:
1. REIMBURSEMENT!!! Insurance providers and Medicare providers need to recognize telehealth & remote monitoring as worthwhile and cost-effective investments…they will save money. How many studies do we need to prove this is the case? In the same way that computers saved banks money (eventually, after the learning curves)….this will be a huge cost savings (not to mention, we simply don’t have the physical caregivers nor the brick and mortar to support the massive disruptive demographics)
2. Hardware costs need to come down!  Just like the early laptops and cell phones, the cost of the touchcomputers and bluetooth enabled telehealth devices are significant….mass adoption will drive these costs down and make the solutions more affordable to the software developers and end-users.
3. Acceptance of the public!  This will come with time…GrandCare has been in this market since Jan 2005 and the acceptance has already grown by leaps and bounds (maybe not as fast as we expected), but it’s coming around. People are starting to understand WHAT this is and HOW it can apply to their own lives.
4. Acceptance in the Long Term Care & In-Home Care industry. Again…we are getting there…moving there. It is changing from being viewed as competition to being viewed as a caregiving tool…but how do they best utilize and who should play that role? Plays into #5.
5. There is a new role that will be created for the person that can help implement the right technology into the right situation. Just like in the 90’s when a brand new job role emerged (IT)…there is a need for someone that has enough technical know-how, with a healthcare/caregiving background. This person would be responsible for helping a person transition from hospital to home or even to develop a care plan that married hands-on care along with technology…  I wrote about this new role in my white paper “Healing in Place”: Mitigating Hospital Readmissions Using Technology –
6. Business Models!! We need to create sufficient business models for in-home care providers, hospitals & Long Term Care Facilities. How do they charge? How should they monitor? How should they deploy? We need to define the exact process…in fact, I am working on defining this process at the moment for in-home care providers. What new roles they may need to hire, what an example charge could be and how they might utilize the socialization piece, perhaps add some in-home hands-on care and supplement with 24-7 monitoring.
Thanks again for your thoughtful post Dr. Coughlin!
-Laura Mitchell
GrandCare Systems
www.grandcare.com
reposted on http://www.grandcare.wordpress.com
Read the full blog entry here

February 2nd Webinar: Overview of AARP’s Innovation@50+ program


Thursday, February 2nd

2p ET – 1p CT
grandcaresystems.webex.com
Call in: 1-408-600-3600

With guest speaker Jeff Makowka

In late 2010, AARP created a new group focused on Thought Leadership with the mission of exploring and establishing new ways in which AARP can achieve its social mission: “to improve the quality of life for all as they age”. The Innovation@50+ program is the group’s flagship campaign to engage both the investment and entrepreneurial communities to stimulate innovation to meet the needs and wants of people over 50.

Jeff Makowka, AARP, Senior Strategic Advisor, Thought Leadership

Jeff has over a decade of experience in strategic analysis, management consulting and market research. For over 5 years, he has been focused on the wants and needs of the 50+ both domestically and internationally. As Senior Strategic Advisor in AARP’s newly formed Thought Leadership group, he supports AARP’s Innovation@50+ Program which aims to spark innovation and entrepreneurial activity across public and private sectors. Anchored by AARP’s social mission – to enhance the quality of life for all as we age – the program enlists the expertise of visionary aging/technology thinkers, and builds the business case for all sectors to collaborate on meeting the needs and wants of people over 50.

Prior to this role, Jeff held the position of Senior Manager, Global Member Value in AARP’s Membership Development group. Before his work at AARP, Jeff worked in the Monetizing Knowledge Practice at Edgewater Strategy Services as a Project Manager and Senior Business Analyst. He has also held positions as a Research Associate and Web Business Analyst with Jupiter Media Metrix.

Mr. Makowka earned a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and English Literature (double major) and received his Masters of Arts (Licentiate) in Philosophy (Magna Cum Laude).

Join Us Tomorrow for Our First Webinar of 2012!

Adapting to Healthcare Reform: Technologies to Put Your Agency in the Driver’s Seat as Your World Changes

With guest speaker Tim Rowan

Thursday,January 19th 2pm ET – 1pm CT
grandcaresystems.webex.com
Call in: 1-408-600-3600 Pin: 660 339 211#

When hospitals begin to select post-acute partners they can trust to lower their readmission rates, they will look for home care agencies that monitor patients between visits, improve medication compliance, reduce falls, communicate with family caregivers and submit regular readmission reports based on reliable data. Based on his 18 years in home care technology, consultant and writer Tim Rowan will explain the systems you will need to deploy to thrive in the very different reimbursement world that starts later this year.

  • Avoidable Hospital Readmissions will be THE topic of 2012, more important than winning referrals.
  • Hospitals will look to teams of post-acute care providers to form partnerships in the effort to curb readmissions. They will not rely on home health care providers alone.
  • Home health care providers invited to participate on these post-acute teams will be the ones with proven rehospitalization track records and with the latest remote patient monitoring technologies.