Tag Archive for: Telikin

AgeTek To Hold Annual Meeting At CES

San Francisco – The Aging Technology Alliance (AgeTek), a trade group of companies that develop and/or market technology-based products designed for the senior market, will hold its annual member meeting during International CES in Las Vegas next month.

The meeting will be held at the the AgeTek Pavilion in North Hall booth 3209 on Thursday, January 12th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. CES is being held in Las Vegas January 10 to 13.

The Alliance also announced that it would open its event to non-members who wish to learn more about the benefits of joining the consortium. 

AgeTek represents companies and organizations dedicated to promoting the awareness, benefits and value of products and services for our aging society. Members’ products and services allow seniors to remain independent and age in place at home, as well as empower many seniors to enjoy a healthy, active lifestyle while securing their mobility. AgeTek is focused on bringing greater awareness to their industry, products, and to its select group of companies that are working together (and independently) to develop better-designed, less expensive and better-tested products for the senior consumer.

The AgeTek Pavilion will feature members such as Dr. M Media, GrandCare Systems *N-3209*, Presto Services, and VitalLink. Additional AgeTek members on the CES floor (North Hall) are ClearSounds (N-3106), GreatCall (N-2814), Independa (N-3235), LifeStation (N-2912) and Telikin (N-3008).

CES Attendees can enter to win a ClearSounds ClearBlue Bluetooth Mini-Speaker & TV/Audio Listening System, valued at $250, by getting an AgeTek CES Passport stamped at each of the AgeTek member booths at CES. AgeTek CES Passports are available inside the Silvers Summit program, and at the AgeTek Pavilion.

Non-members are welcome to attend both the annual meeting as well as the meet ‘n greet. Advance registration is not required, but for those interested in booking an appointment with an AgeTek board member in advance, please contact Laura Mitchell, Board Member, Aging Technology Alliance at: 262-338-6147.

New AgeTek members who register at CES will receive a 10% discount on their 2012 membership fee. To learn more about becoming a member of the Alliance, visit the AgeTek Pavilion or go to the Join page of the AgeTek website at www.agetek.org. 

GrandCare announces return to exhibit at CES 2012

West Bend, WI, 2011 – GrandCare Systems announced today that they will exhibit at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) January 9-13th in Las Vegas, NV.

GrandCare will showcase their innovative socialization, activity & telehealth remote monitoring technology at the Las Vegas Convention Center, LVCC North Hall Booth 3209.  GrandCare Systems will be located in the AgeTek Pavilion, of which they are a co-founder, between the Silvers Summit and Digital Health Summit. This will be GrandCare’s 4th consecutive appearance at CES.

The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $186 billion U.S. consumer technology industry. CES is held every January at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  CES 2012 will give even more focus on Digital Health and Aging in Place Technologies with the return of the Digital Health Pavilion & Summit, The Silvers Summit and the AgeTek (Aging Technology Alliance) Pavilion.

“The Digital Health Summit is privileged to bring together experts from the health, science and technology worlds, to share their wisdom and insight on the ideas that will be vital to health care’s future,” said Jill Gilbert, co-producer, Digital Health Summit. “Technology advancements are changing the way Americans manage their own health and wellness needs, from raising children to managing care for aging parents. In its fourth year, the Digital Health Summit will push the boundaries and encourage everyone – from manufacturers to providers – to think bigger, explore new topics, and challenge one another as we move forward in this fast-growing market.”

Digital Home Health industry pioneer, GrandCare Systems, will provide full demonstrations of their cutting-edge Socialization, Telehealth and Activity Monitoring Smart Home System. Attendees of CES will have the chance to video chat with the Wisconsin-based GrandCare corporate office, play fun games, complete wellness assessments, take vitals and understand why GrandCare is leading the way in the Aging/Technology Industry.  GrandCare will be one of several innovative aging/technology companies under the AgeTek Pavilion umbrella.  Additional AgeTek Exhibitors include: Presto, Dr. Marion, Vital Link, Independa, ClearSounds, Great Call, LifeStation, and Telikin.

“The need for tech-based solutions designed to serve our aging society is exploding,” said Peter Radsliff, co-founder and chairman of the Aging Technology Alliance, “AgeTek was formed to promote the awareness, benefits and value of our members’ products and services in this expanding category.”

The Las Vegas Convention Center North Exhibit Hall is open Tuesday January 10th until Friday January 13th. For more information on the CES Show, visit: http://www.cesweb.org/

About GrandCare Systems

GrandCare offers a senior-friendly, Internet enabled, private HomeBase touchcomputer system aimed at maintaining independence, controlling chronic conditions, increasing compliance, strengthening family connections and reducing hospital readmissions. GrandCare combines the technologies of smart home, activity monitoring, wellness monitoring, and social connectivity. The wellness aspect includes wireless physiological readings (weight, blood pressure, oximeter, glucometer), self assessment, and medication compliance with an associated medication dispenser, medication instructions, photos and prompts, specified medication rule sets, alerts, and congregate analytics. The social aspect includes one button Skype, pictures, emails, wellness videos, reminders, and other standard social media content aimed at reducing isolation, educating our loved ones, and influencing them to better self-manage their own health.

For more information, visit: www.grandcare.com

Press Contact:
Laura Mitchell
VP of Marketing
GrandCare Systems LLC
262-338-6147

Online Press Kit Available: https://www.grandcare.com/presskit/docs/PressKit.pdf

Gen X-ers Show the Way in Aging/Technology Services? Perhaps we are looking to the wrong generation to lead the way…

Just some thoughts I had the other day when I was reading Steve Gurney’s (from Retirement Living) “Swimming in a Sea of Gadgets” post on his impressions of the Silvers Summit at CES. One of the points he makes is that if we create easier computers for seniors to use (think GrandCare, MyGait, Telikin, etc), wouldn’t everyone want to use them?

This really struck a chord with me. Not only do I absolutely agree that this is key, but it also made me start to think that maybe we are, indeed, marketing to the wrong people. Arlene Harris from Jitterbug once spoke on our GrandCare weekly Aging & Technology Webinar and she made the point that nobody wants to feel “old”. When they designed the Jitterbug, they designed it for everybody – and it was, of course, a fantastic new tool for senior clients…but it didn’t make them feel old. When marketing, they targeted 20 years younger than the “Client”, because everybody sort of identifies with their “perception” of who they want to be and not necessarily who they are.

So, the idea with all of these new Non-Computer, but is a computer, solutions is that it is easier for anyone to have the complete computer experience (in a non traditional way). No mouse, no complicated URL bars, no garbled junk that you need to wade through…sounds familiar…oh yeah – sounds like my IPAD!! I think about how my iPhone and iPad have changed not only my life, but the lives of my 2 and 4 year old. It took them about 2 minutes to become absolutely fluent in the art of IPADDING 🙂

So let’s think about these products. They are not designed to be geriatric, but instead hip, cool and the “IT” thing to do. People are trying them out and saying, wow – my kids/parents could do this. Now, I am not sure that my 87 year old grandfather could navigate through my IPAD…probably not. But, I do know from first-hand experience that he has had ZERO trouble with the GrandCare Touch Interface…If we design it for anyone to use -it becomes less of a “this works well only if you’re old” mentality. Take my two kids…once again – I have a GrandCare TouchScreen mounted in our kitchen. It reminds us (loudly) to give the kids their Flinstone Gummy Vitamins at night. In fact, my husband grabbed the audio file from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and Nurse Ratched says “Medication Time” if the med cabinet has not been opened by 7pm. We enjoy little things like that and the boys think it’s hilarious. We also use it to put our schedules on there – so everyone is aware of the calendar events (replacing the big calendar we had on the wall when I was a kid where we had to (Gasp) WRITE on it). The GrandCare System updates us with the weather, shows pictures (the boys love the animal stock photos). I also add pictures from birthday parties (we don’t really have tangible photo albums around the house for the kids to look at) so the kids LOVE seeing their friends and cousins on the “TV” in our kitchen. We think of it as a huge digital photo frame (on steroids) when it’s not being actively used. It’s fun and a fantastic entertainment piece while the boys sit at the table waiting for dinner. Another thing I (as a parent) really enjoy is that I can remotely program which YouTube and Streaming Videos/Music can be accessible through the touchscreen for my kids to access. I don’t know if you’ve seen some of the stuff on YouTube, but even seemingly appropriate “I love Waffles” songs can quickly turn into dirty sexual waffle songs…hard to believe, I know…but I do try to be very careful with what the boys are watching. The remote control that I have is wonderful and I can constantly add new songs and videos for the kids to enjoy! I also put notes on there for our babysitters (where we are, directions for bedtime, directions for my 2 year old’s nebulizer, etc) and our contact information is always there (at all times), should someone need to contact us. Our GrandCare System also does some basic home automation stuff (turns on the hallway light if anyone gets out of bed during the night to use the bathroom, calls my cell phone if someone opened the front door during the night – I’m looking at my 2 year old on this one, turns off lights after periods of inactivity, etc.)

It’s so easy to see why all ages could benefit from a system like this. Perhaps WE GEN X-ers are the ones that need to be the early adopters and show the way!!!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD0qdEZd1PM]
– Laura Mitchell
VP Marketing
GrandCare Systems

Home