Aloha,

We have spent many months laying the groundwork for growing Maui AgeWave and a Maui Connected Care System.

We're moving forward with a conceptual framework that is largely informed by the works of Joseph Coughlin and Christina Thielst.

Intel designing a high tech future for aging in place.

According to Mark Miller at www.retirementrevised.com , Intel Corporation's Eric Dishman is spearheading a major initiative to develop "personal health technologies" at Intel.

I recently has the pleasure of reading STATE OF TECHNOLOGY IN AGING SERVICES:SUMMARY by Majd Alwan of the Center for Aging Services Technologies. ( see link ).

http://www.agingtech.org/documents/bscf_state_technoloy_summary.pdf

This summary "...offers a vision for long-term care that includes using integrated information technology systems to support and enhance the health, safety and social connectedness of older people living in their own homes".

According to an article in eHealthNews.eu

"Making telehealthcare an integral part of health and social care delivery gives patients valuable independence and an improved quality of life, as well as promoting increased self care and greater awareness amongst patients of their condition which is a key factor in improving overall outcomes.

The U.S. healthcare industry is a $2+ trillion ecosystem of hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and insurance providers. Healthcare is expected to grow to $4+trillion by 2016-largely driven by the emerging medical treatment needs of 75 million baby boomers. 

Information technology and telecommunications can play a major role in dealing with the healthcare needs of the age wave. Patients-at-home, their family caregivers, physicians and home care providers will become part of a digital connected care system.

Aloha,

The PBS Nightly Business Report recently covered TELEMEDICINE  (click it!)

Simple, brief, straight to the point,  their report will help to educate you about the telehealth revolution in healthcare and the impact it could have on healthcare costs and caregivers.

Let me know of any similar videos....we're building our own video library now.

Thank you,   Peter

Anyone interested in aging in place with technology ought to read GEROTECHNOLOGY by Burdick and Kwon Here is a very rough summary:

According to Linda Johnson, The Associated Press, "it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescriptions regularly for chronic health problems...".

Her article also points out that among seniors over 20% take five or more medicines regularly and more children are taking medicines for "adult conditions".

At the same time, too many prescription drug users fail to take their drugs and end up in the emergency room because of a drug interaction issue or failure to take the drugs regularly as prescribed.

Aloha, Maui is about to join the 21st century trend towards the use of home telehealth technologies to help people age in place. Too many graying baby boomers have created an age wave that is already straining the ability of medical health providers to serve the health care needs of 75 million baby boomers. Maui's aging in place problems exist elsewhere across the nation. What happens on Maui, therefore, can help to inform other communities in Hawaii and across the mainland.