Tag Archive for: mary furlong

Aging in America 2013: conference report

Now Available: Joop Koopman’s, report for Bayard Presse on the annual conference of the American Society on Aging, March 12-15th in Chicago.

Commentary on presentations by: Aging in Place Technology Watch’s Laurie Orlov, gerontologist Ken Dychtwald, Mary Furlong’s What’s Next Summit preceding ASA, AARP, Scott Collins of Link-age Connect, Caring.com and Louis Tenenbaum.

Technologies: Care Innovations, GrandCare Systems and Philips.

Communities: On Lok Lifeways, Avenidas (virtual).

“The reality remains startling: between 2010 and 2050 the US population of 65 and older will have doubled to close to 80M. There are 40M Americans over 65 today; already there are 5M people older than 85, half of whom are still at home and almost half of whom suffer from some form of dementia. Worldwide, 15 percent of the population is 65-plus—a figure that will increase exponentially. Nearly 40 percent of the developed world will be over 55 by 2050.”

System Comp TRANS HR03-13

… “Key players in the realm of software and hardware that are making Aging-in-Place a reality are, to name but a handful, are Philips’ Healthcare at Home (prominently present at ASA with a large display in the exhibit hall and through sponsorship of general sessions); CareInnovations, a partnership of General Electric and Intel—the partnership forged precisely because the Aging-in-Place market remains scattered and unfocused and thus hard to penetrate; and GrandCare Systems, whose VP of Business Development [Laura] Mitchell elaborated on a major deal with Saga in the UK, that country’s counterpart to AARP, for the sale and distribution of a computer-like device capable of comprehensive health, security, and movement monitoring in the home. The company is pursuing sales elsewhere in Europe as well…”

Joop Koopman is an experienced writer/journalist, with a background in Catholic media (as editor and publisher), baby boomer-oriented marketing, as well as public relations serving both commercial and non-profit clients and causes. He currently provides a stable of European magazines catering to the 50-plus audience with information on US marketing trends. He is fluent in Dutch and French.

CES 2013: GrandCare In-Booth Gala Tuesday, January 8th 3:30 – 5:30

Gala copy

CES In-Booth Event Agenda:

3:30p Happy Hour/Networking

4p WELCOME, Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems
Sponsors: LivHOME CareMonitor, Z-Wave Alliance, CEDIA, Dakim, What’s Next Boomer Summit

    • GrandCare Announces UK Partnership, Charlie Hillman, Founder, GrandCare Systems
    • CEA Announces GrandCare as winner of CEA Entrepreneur of the Year, Steve Koenig, CEA
    • LivHOME CareMonitor announces national roll-out, Mike Nicholson, CEO LivHOME
    • GrandCare Announces Frost & Sullivan Award: Best Practices, Gaytha Traynor, Co-founder, GrandCare
    • GrandCare introduces new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Erick Eiting, CMO, GrandCare
    • What’s Next Boomer Summit announces conference, Mary Furlong
    • Samsung Tablet Give-Away – special thanks to Samsung Enterprise Healthcare team

5:00 – 5:30p Networking/Happy Hour

Join GrandCare at CES for our press event & cocktail reception

Happy Holidays from GrandCare Systems!

When: Tuesday Jan 8th 330 – 530p PST
Where: GrandCare Booth – South Hall 2 BOOTH #26629 (within the Digital Health Pavilion)

More information on CES

We invite you to join us at CES for exciting announcements, introductions to our team & networking with friends!  This will be the perfect opportunity to get the inside scoop on the digital home health industry and find out why GrandCare is paving the way for remote monitoring and maintaining independence and chronic disease mgmt at home.
Come meet our new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Erick Eiting, as he explains the importance of digital health in the healthcare industry and why he, as an emergency room doctor, believes digital health will be the key to successful post-hospitalization transitions.

GC Staff

CES In-Booth Agenda:

3:30p Happy Hour/Networking
4p WELCOME, Laura Mitchell, VP Business Development, GrandCare Systems
Sponsors: LivHOME CareMonitor, Z-Wave Alliance, CEDIA, Dakim, What’s Next Boomer Summit

    • GrandCare Announces UK Partnership, Charlie Hillman, Founder, GrandCare Systems
    • CEA Announces GrandCare as winner of CEA Entrepreneur of the Year, Steve Koenig, CEA
    • LivHOME CareMonitor announces national roll-out, Mike Nicholson, CEO LivHOME
    • GrandCare Announces Frost & Sullivan Award: Best Practices, Gaytha Traynor, Co-founder, GrandCare
    • GrandCare introduces new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Erick Eiting, CMO, GrandCare
    • What’s Next Boomer Summit announces conference, Mary Furlong
    • Samsung Tablet Give-Away – special thanks to Samsung Enterprise Healthcare team

5:00 – 5:30p Networking/Happy Hour

1. We have been chosen by Industry Analysts – Frost & Sullivan for Best Practices Award for the Elderly Health & Wellness Customer Enhancement Award

GrandCare-Systems-LLC.

“The world of telehealth is most impactful when it is addressing the elderly population, but unfortunately, elderly care and wellness remains one of the most undeserved needs in healthcare,” reported Bujnoch. “GrandCare continues to show exceptional insight within elderly health and wellness by understanding the complex needs of the elderly and offers a unique, high-value solution in response.” -Senior Analyst from Frost & Sullivan, Zachary Bujnoch

Press Release

2. We are excited to announce our partner, LivHOME, has announced official launch of their LivHOME CareMonitor, powered by GrandCare Systems.

CareMonitorLogo

LivHOME CareMonitor™, a remote care service first announced in March, is beginning to roll out nationwide where LivHOME services are offered. It is currently available in Los Angeles, Walnut Creek and Riverside, Calif., and will continue to be rolled out to additional markets in late 2012 and early 2013. LivHOME CareMonitor™ is provided by LivHOME, Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of professionally led at-home care for seniors.

Press Release

3. GrandCare will be hosting an in-booth Cocktail Press Reception at CES!!

zwa-logo

This event is sponsored by LivHOME CareMonitor and co-sponsored by the Z-Wave Alliance , CEDIA, Dakim Brain Fitness and The What’s Next Boomer Summit. We will be making some major announcements and a lucky winner will walk away with a brand new Tablet donated by Samsung’s Enterprise Healthcare team. Must be present to win!

(GrandCare is headed to the UK…learn all about our exclusive UK Partner at CES)

RSVP

4. GrandCare was the 2012 Winner of the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association and producer of CES) Entrepreneur of the Year Award!!

Charlie Hillman CEA Award

“Innovative companies like GrandCare are moving our economy forward. It’s a great example of how the consumer electronics industry is allowing seniors and people with disabilities to use technology to enhance their lives and allow caregivers to have access to their loved ones anytime.”  -CEA CEO & President, Gary Shapiro

Press Release

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!!!

Your friends at GrandCare Systems

grandcare.com

Technology and Its Benefits to Helping Adult Children, Caregivers and Seniors Live Better Lives

We wanted to share another great blog article by Mark Phillips, Product Manager at GE Healthcare IT.

Can Technology Help Adult Children, Caregivers and Seniors Live Better Lives?

Mark Phillips

Every day the aging population is growing at a significant rate, and at the same time, technology is taking off at a remarkable pace. So why not combine the two to help adult children take care of their aging loved ones without sacrificing their independence?   He has successfully addressed the key needs the Aging and Technology industry faces and has defined them as below:

      • Support seniors in living their absolute best life where they want to live it!
      • Keep families and caregivers connected, even across long distances
      • Support and promote socialization
      • Promote safety and peace of mind
      • Assist with activities of daily living
      • Help coordinate the myriad of care activities
      • Enable easy interaction with community services and businesses
      • Are easy to setup, intuitive, and easy to use
      • Are affordable to acquire and to keep

Phillips goes on to describe the issues that caregivers and their aging loved ones face and then gives some viable techology solutions as a vehicle to provide better, individualized, and more efficient care. GrandCare is mentioned as a stand out solution “these guys are the blaze, the trail pioneers in the market…”  GrandCare’s VP of Business Development, Laura Mitchell, is described by Mark as “a tireless champion for aging in place technology and who has delivered many blogs and webinars to help spread the word”.

Check out Mark Phillip’s complete blog Here.

2012 SCU Boomer Venture Summit Finalists Announced

This will definitely be one of THE events of 2012. Congratulations to the finalists of this year’s business plan competition! We look forward to seeing who wins.

Aside from the competition the summit has much to offer for the vetreins as well as the newcomers in this industry. Speakers include Jeff Makowka, Laura Mitchell, Laurie Orlov, Mary Furlong and Lori Bitter, just to name a few. This years keynote “A Fireside Chat: An Investor’s Perspective on the Longevity Economy”, will be presented by Marc Yi, Managing Director of Intel Capital. [More]

The top 5 finalists have been chosen!

The five finalists will give a five-minute presentation of their business plan onstage at the Summit. The finalists include:

  • Calcula Technologies – has created a treatment for kidney stones that are smaller than 10mm in size. Calcula’s minimal evasive therapy can be provided in a doctor’s office.
  • CircuSonic Therapeutics – has developed the CircuSonic Limb Tank to address peripheral artery disease (PAD). The patented non‐invasive medical device alleviates pain, accelerates wound healing and increases blood flow to the lower limbs.
  • HyloMimetics – is developing a bioinspired molecule that prevents the progression of osteoarthritis and restores healthy cartilage, getting patients out of pain and remobilizing their lives.
  • My Wonderful Life – is a free website where you can plan and personalize your funeral to celebrate the life you’ve lived. Its mission is to encourage the discussion of our deaths with our family members, and to take the burden off of our survivors.
  • ROTO Mobility – designs and creates ergonomic and efficient mobility products that improve people’s health and active lives.

The grand prize winner will be chosen by a panel of distinguished judges that includes Andy Donner, director at Physic Ventures; Anne Hawkins, vice president at Great Hill Partners; Jody Holtzman, senior vice president, Thought Leadership at AARP; John Hopper, managing director at Linkage Ventures; Xander Mahony, venture capitalist for Draper Fisher Jurvetson; Scott Oliver, partner, Morrison Foerster; and Jeff Shoemate, vice president of innovation and business development for the senior markets segment of United Health Group.

It’s not too late to register.

Sign up now and take advantage of our promo code sv12grandcaremp SAVE 20%!

Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition

There will be an additional 53+ million people over 50 in the next 20 years.

Since 2004, Santa Clara University and Mary Furlong & Associates have co-produced the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition, and each year has been more successful than the one before. The event brings together entrepreneurs, leaders in the field of aging and the venture community to create a unique forum to explore, share and design products and services that will dominate the baby boomer market in coming years. In addition, this program is designed to teach entrepreneurs how to think through a business.

Business Plan Competition

The culmination of the Boomer Venture Summit will be the ninth annual Boomer Business Plan Competition. Since 2004, this competition has fostered a cutting-edge forum to explore, share and design the products and services that will dominate the growing boomer marketplace. Contestants will meet investors and partners, secure resources and get media exposure that can help turn dreams into realities.

This year’s competition will be offering a
$10,000 grand prize for the best business plan.

All entries will be judged by a panel of distinguished professionals from the venture capital, business, media and education communities, each of whom will have expertise in the various segments represented. Laura Mitchell, VP Marketing, GrandCare Systems, will be one of this year’s expert screening judges. Take a look at this years judges.

Register for the 2012 SCU Boomer Venture Summit 

 Learn More

Mary Furlong & Associates

Mary Furlong & Associates works with companies seeking to capitalize on new business and investment opportunities in the boomer market. MFA provides business development, financing strategy and integrated marketing solutions to entrepreneurs, corporations and non-profit organizations serving the 50 market.

Visit www.maryfurlong.com for more information.

GrandCare gets “called out” by Forbes on Social Media!!

To tweet or not to tweet….that is the question….

Back in March, I spoke on a social media panel for the 2012 What’s Next Boomer Summit hosted by Mary Furlong & Associates.  I spoke ( too quickly and spastically.. or so I’m told…) on guerilla marketing and using social media to promote your brand on a panel with Stephen Chen from NewRetirement.com, Andy Cohen from Caring.com and moderated by Lori Bitter from The Business of Aging. When the panel was finished, Deborah Jacobs of Forbes introduced herself and said she was in the process of writing an article for Forbes on dos and don’ts for social media from a business perspective.  She wanted to know if she could interview me on my thoughts.  Not being one to hold my thoughts back (like….ever), I eagerly agreed.

I told her about how we got the word out about GrandCare Systems, back in 2005 when the market was in its prenatal stage.  As a high tech start-up, we didn’t have a large marketing budget and we certainly didn’t want to throw money at a deaf audience. There was so much education that needed to be done on digital health technology in general, much less which one to choose.  It was a bit of lucky thing that social media was really starting to hit its prime right around that time period as well. In the early days, having more time than money and the fascinating NEW world of social media was a perfect mix.  I unofficially began what would later be coined as our social media campaign.

It was odd and exciting because there really were no rules. There was nobody out there that could really say you were doing something wrong, because no etiquette had been defined (yet).  Nobody was considered an expert, because people were still exploring and experimenting and really trying to see how the new platforms worked and how they could benefit a business.  It was the perfect time to just try marketing strategies out. I still remember when LinkedIn was new enough that you could simply send an inMail to someone (and maybe you still can do this a little bit) and they would actually respond…well…if they were actually continually checking their account. Through LinkedIn, I managed to get in touch with people that I believe would have never responded to a basic email.

This reminds me a bit of back in the mid-nineties when email was new enough that you actually READ them! Remember when forwards and chain letters were actually things that people read and weren’t embarrassed to send?  It’s all about timing and the number one thing we are aiming to gain is someone’s attention.  Getting someone’s attention will continually evolve…we will need to move to new platforms to keep them engaged and interested in what we have to say and it will be even more important HOW we say it; whether it’s a video, a picture, an insightful comment, a quote, humor, etc.

The resulting article that Deborah released today on Forbes.com was an interesting and insightful piece on what social media etiquette might be…  She did a great job and I was proud to be a contributing source.

And as far as Deborah’s grandstanding? A+ for grace!!! 🙂

How To Grandstand (Gracefully) On The Web

by Deborah Jacobs

…

“For Laura Mitchell, who describes herself as a “grassroots guerrilla marketer,” the key to using social media is starting an engaging conversation. In 2005 she co-founded GrandCare Systems–a Milwaukee company that provides elderly people with technology that helps them age in place.

Mitchell writes her own blog, then drives traffic to her posts by a variety of routes. For example, if she sees an article somewhere else that interests her–say on Forbes.com–she might comment directly on the FORBES site; quote the article on her own blog and link to the FORBES story; then go on her LinkedIn groups and post her comments on LinkedIn, along with a link to her blog.

“Social media is about providing information on yourself and your interests,” says Mitchell. “That includes where you work and what you do.” Whether you’re selling a product, a service or entertainment, think of your website as a store, and social media as the tool that draws people into that store, she adds. The key is to offer some insightful comment, rather than purely trying to get attention.

By using that approach when she commented on an August 2010 NPR segment, Mitchell brought her company prime billing on the Discovery Channel …

To read the entire article, click here

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.

GrandCare among “The Top CE Products for Americans Age 50+ Honored at First Annual Sterling Award Ceremony at Silvers Summit During CES”

Award Winners Represent the Best In Class When It Comes to Technology and the Lifestyles of Boomers and Beyond

PR Newswire

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2012  /PRNewswire/ — In its first annual Sterling Award competition, sponsored by AARP, Silvers Summit organizers today unveiled the five category winners, Silvers Choice winner and Innovator Award recipient during its 4th annual Silvers Summit conference held here at Consumer Electronics Show.

Award winners were chosen by the expert panel of judges in the following five categories:

  • Health & Wellness – Company: GrandCare Systems, Product: GC HomeBase
  • Education/Continued Learning – Company: LiveMocha, Product: LiveMocha
  • Entertainment – Company: My Gait LLC, Product: My Gait Senior Computer
  • Relationships/Family Caregiving – Company: No Tie LLC, Product: AutoVerbal
  • Cause-Worthy Product/Service – Company: Great Grabz, Product: Unique Touch Grab Bars

The top five winning entries were posted to the Silvers Summit website and Facebook page. The competition relied on social media to invite the public to choose their favorite among the five to select the “Silvers Choice” award.  The people’s choice vote winner was GC Homebase by GrandCare Systems.

In addition, Silvers Summit producers chose Martin Cooper, chairman of Dyna, LLC as the first Innovator Award recipient. Known as the “father of the portable cellular phone” which he created in the 1970s while at Motorola, Cooper is a renowned innovator in spectrum management.  He is widely regarded as one of the leading visionaries and inventors of our time and has spent most of the past five decades creating some of the world’s most important business and technological concepts and offerings. He is also an activist who seeks to shape public policy in the U.S. and globally having testified before various committees and serves on the U.S. Department of Commerce Spectrum Advisory Committee that advises the President of the United States on spectrum policy.

“We were thrilled with the response to our first annual Sterling Awards call for entries and we thank the participation of our expert panel of judges,” said Sherri Snelling, executive producer, Silvers Summit. “All of our Sterling Award winners – the companies and our Innovator Award recipient Martin Cooper – offer unique ways to enrich the lives of the 100 million boomers and silvers in our society today.”

“These award winners, and all of our excellent award entrants, understand the importance of a market that has huge growth potential over the next 20+ years,” continued Snelling.  “We hope these annual Sterling Awards become a showcase for ways that technology can help us stay healthy, happy, and connected to family and friends, living in our homes longer, and making a difference in the world as we age.”

“By sponsoring the Sterling Awards, AARP recognizes and encourages the important role that innovation and technology play in the lives of people 50 and older,” said Jody Holtzman, senior vice president of Thought Leadership at AARP.  “We applaud the winners, the judges, Silvers Summit organizers and especially the people who chose their favorite among the top winners.  Innovation around technology is empowering, and it allows the 50+ population to live life ‘re-imagined,’ which is what we at AARP work toward every day.”

For more information about the Sterling Award individual winners, click here.

Click here for more information about the Sterling Awards judges.

The 4th Annual Silvers Summit at the 2012 International CES is where the thought leaders on aging and technology come together.  The one-day conference addresses trends, innovations and strategies in the areas of social media, gaming, driving safety, mobile technology, universal design, smart homes and communities, and customer service addressing the largest and most influential demographic in our society today – Americans age 50+.

Follow Silvers Summit on Twitter for news and updates: twitter.com/silverssummit.

About Silvers Summit:

The Silvers Summit at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is where the thought leaders on an aging society and technology come together.  The conference and exhibit assembles companies, distributors, journalists, research firms, and think tanks, to demonstrate the products and services that will help consumers age 50+ stay engaged, empowered and help enhance their lives. The Silvers Summit and Exhibition is presented by Living in Digital Times, producer of the following summits and exhibitions at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show: Digital Health, Fitness Tech Summit, HigherEd Tech Summit, Kids@Play Summit, MommyTech Summit, Mobile Apps Showdown, and Last Gadget Standing.  For more information about The Silvers Summit, visit: http://silverssummit.com/.

DISCLAIMER:

AARP does not endorse or promote any of the Sterling Award winners.

The Sterling Award is produced by Silvers Summit, a property of Living in Digital Times, Inc. Silvers Summit and Living in Digital Times do not endorse or promote any of the Sterling Award winners.

Silvers Summit and Sterling Award are service marks of Living In Digital Times, Inc.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/544470#ixzz1jACLTMWe