I Love the Internet

I love the Internet. I truly do.

It is a giant encyclopedia. It is medical information that you couldn't get before. It is a place for conversations and learning and sharing. It's a place to find your next date.

It is a place for music. It is a place for movies and theatre. It is a place to contribute your crafting talent. It is a place to shop for goods, food and services (and find out how good they are first.) And, it's the biggest library and bookstore in the world.

What Happens in an Internet Minute
http://scoop.intel.com/what-happens-in-an-internet-minute/

It is a place to help with graceful aging. But, many older adults are afraid of the Internet. It is the big unknown. It is a place where identity thieves lurk. It is a place where bad things happen to your computer. Or as Betty White said on SNL, "I didn't know what Facebook was and now that I do know what it is, I have to say it sounds like a huge waste of time."



AARP has started a new project called AARP TEK to help the 50+ crowd better engage with resources available online. They are presenting short, hands-on sessions lead by youth to help people learn about tablets.  A great idea.

But how can each of us expand this in our own locale to bring people online. That is the conundrum. We did a survey in San Diego County over a couple of years and discovered these pertinent facts:

• Seniors want to learn from peers who speak their language.
• Seniors are okay to travel somewhere to learn, but not more than 10 miles from home (and a senior center was at the bottom of the list of preferred locations. Libraries and community centers were more acceptable locations.)
• Seniors want to learn the basics about the newest stuff and they want to learn about tablets and smart phones.

I want everyone to love the Internet. And I'd love your ideas on how to get more older adults online.

End of Life Care: The Conversation Project

Time and time again, I talk to caregivers who have reached that critical point in their sandwiched lives -- they have suddenly realized that they need to do something to help mom or dad because of an illness or diagnosis.

And, time and time again, I ask if they've had "the conversation" with the parent. Do they know their wishes for health care treatments? Do they understand the finances, where the money is (or isn't?) Are they worried about their parent living at home with no supervision? Will the parent willing go to assisted living or do they want to stay at home for as long as possible? Which of the adult children do they trust? And the list goes on.

Many times, "the conversation" hasn't happened and the adult caregiver is stymied as to how to proceed.

Enter the Conversation Project.  Here's what they say:
"The Conversation Project is dedicated to helping people talk about their wishes for end-of-life care. Too many people are dying in a way they wouldn’t choose, and too many of their loved ones are left feeling bereaved, guilty, and uncertain. It’s time to transform our culture so we shift from not talking about dying to talking about it. It’s time to share the way we want to live at the end of our lives. And it’s time to communicate about the kind of care we want and don’t want for ourselves. We believe that the place for this to begin is at the kitchen table—not in the intensive care unit—with the people we love, before it’s too late. Together we can make these difficult conversations easier. We can make sure that our own wishes and those of our loved ones are expressed and respected."

These folks have put together a great downloadable starter kit that helps guide a productive conversation about wishes (which is appropriate for end-of-life as well as serious illness.) 
http://theconversationproject.org/starter-kit/intro/

Depression rates plummet if you've had this conversation.  Dianne Sawyer calls it "estate planning for the heart," in this clip about the guide.


ABC US News | ABC Business News

You can also download a CDC resource guide to help with advanced directive planning. [Everyone 18 and over needs an advanced directive... HIPPA rules and all.]

Start the conversation for yourself, your clients and your family. You will be glad you did.

What the Heck is Palliative Care?

After a conversation with my colleague and neighbor, I decided to do a bit of research on palliative care. If you are hanging out in the medical reform circles, you hear a lot of buzz words like patient-centered home, reimbursement rates, etc.  After hearing enough of this stuff, it is nice to hear a "system" that is already in place, called palliative care, that provides a good model. 

Ask your medical professionals about the availability of palliative care for yourself or your loved ones. If you are developing a care-tech product, look at incorporating it use into palliative care. Where does it fit? How will it enhance quality of life or positively influence the course of illness? 

Here is some info from the CSU Institute for Palliative Care website:

Palliative (pronounced PAL-lee-uh-tiv) care is health care that focuses on improving quality of life and comfort for patients with serious or chronic illness. It focuses on relieving the pain and physical symptoms as well as the emotional stress, fear, frustration and spiritual concerns that major health problems can create for those with serious illness(es) and their families. Palliative care is provided by team of professionals, typically including doctors, nurses, social workers and spiritual counselors. 

Palliative care can be received at the same time as other treatment and has been proven to help those with serious illness live longer, have a more rewarding life and to ease the stress on those who care for them. It is available for patients of all ages who are at any stage in their illness. 

Palliative care:

·       Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms.

·       Enhances quality of life, and may also positively influence the course of illness.

·       Integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care.

·       Uses an interdisciplinary team approach to address the needs of patients and their families. This typically includes a physician, nurse, social worker, pharmacist, chaplain and others as needed.

·       Offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible throughout the course of an illness.

·       Offers a support system to help loved ones cope with stress during the patients' illness and in their own bereavement.

·       Is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to cure an illness or prolong life, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical procedures, etc.

·       Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process.

I highly recommend signing up for the free caregivers handbook available from the CSU Institute for Palliative Care. This is an electronic version of an excellent San Diego County caregiver resource.  To get the e-book, you must subscribe to the Institute's consumer quarterly newsletter which keeps you updated on the latest information about easing suffering and improving quality of life for those with illness.  Click Newsletter cons (consumer) in the subscription screen or add any of the other items if you want the professional information.

Creating the AH HA Moment – It’s the Language

It’s the Language!  I’ve been shopping lately for my latest project, an aging-in-place home remodel for our own home. I had a big AH HA moment last week. – the language we use in our industry is kooky. I’m looking for an ADA-height toilet and when you go to Amazon to find an ADA Toto toilet, you get a title that says ADA. When you go to the Home Depot, the ADA toilet is called a “luxury height” or “comfort height” or “chair height” toilet. Now, which one do you want to buy … the ADA disabled toilet or the luxury one?

I also saw a title of a book the other day called “Staying Put: Remodel Your House to Get the Home You Want”  which includes strategies for “going geriatric.” Staying Put versus Aging in Place. Hummmm. Which one do you think would vibe better with seniors?

Creating the AH HA Moment  I gave an Internet talk to a group of 50 older adults, most were 70+. Three had iPads. Part of the talk was geared towards iPads since a gerontologist (who is 80+ and brought me to the group) was annoyed that more people didn’t have tablets. It was interesting to see the AH HA moment when the audience members figured out they should be considering a tablet instead of a computer. What caused the AH HA was 30 iPad screenshots of a variety of apps – there was one in there that anyone could relate to. “I didn’t know they could do all that” was the common refrain.

Many of our aging in place tech products don’t position themselves properly to create the AH HA moment for the target demographic/psychographic. High-touch selling practices, infomercials, and hands-on events are important strategies that vendors should investigate for their AIP tech product. I almost never talk about frailty-oriented AIP tech products to audiences of older adults but invariably discuss them one-on-one after the talk is over. (But, I do talk about automated pillboxes as a great item for their cat or dog.)

Geezer Squad  The same gerontologist also has been encouraging our local Apple store to hire some older adults. He thinks that the “kids” they have working there don’t understand older adults and can’t help them decide to get a smartphone or iPad. I’ve also heard that from other older adults. We hear the same complaints about the Best Buy folks and their Geek Squad. But, should those businesses design their installation and support around seniors? Probably not. But, if they “designed for all” would other customers be happier? I bet so.

The Challenge  I’d love to hear from you what language changes you’ve made, what AH HA moments you’ve seen and successful high-touch installation and support scenarios work. Tell me. Please. Every one in our industry needs to know.

3 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Tech-based Senior/Boomer Product

First, the mantra: It's not about technology. It's about people and solving their problems.

Over and over again, I talk to folks who are creating the next-big-tech-thing for the boomer or senior market. And, many times, these very nice folks have not thought through the difficulties in creating or selling to a market they don't truly understand.

Answering these three questions can give you some clarity.

What do people need? What are people already buying?
Yes, I know. They NEED your product. But, do they really? Have you asked them if they need it? What do they say when you tell them about your product? Have you tried it out and had success?  If your product doesn't fit a need, it will be hard to sell. Defining the need versus want aspect of your product is imperative. Here's an example. Seniors generally need a pillbox. But you have to make them want your electronic version because it does X,Y or Z that makes it something important to them or makes replacing the status-quo reasonable.
If you are trying to launch a new industry segment, beware. Reality bites. Yes, your new gadget may solve a big problem. If it is health related, people may think it should be covered by insurance (most are not) and won't purchase it if it isn't. If it is lifestyle related, it won't be purchased if it is perceived as an "old person" product.  You will not only have to sell the product but you have to sell the concept of the product as well -- complications that are expensive.

Do you really know your target? 
Look at these words. Which ones fit your target user?

• Frail, weak, sick, memory-impaired
• Needs help with activities of daily living
• Healthy, active, busy, engaged
• Family-oriented, pets, grandchildren
• Isolated, sad, depressed
• Poor, lower income, median fixed income, generous income
• Lives at home, at a senior facility 
• Boomers born between 1946 and 1964  
• AARP members are 50+, average age 69, more info
• Senior deals can start at 55, 60 or 65 or 80 if you are a skier

Who will make the purchase decision?
If your product is designed for the aged, infirm market, the purchase decision is normally made by an adult child - the person who is the default caregiver. Here is a great infographic on caregivers.
If your product is designed for people in senior living facilities, your product must fit into the existing workflow, solve a problem, have tangible benefits and have history or solid ongoing support and reliability.
If your product is purchased by healthy older adults, lucky you. But remember, they are people, just like everyone else, and expect to be treated as such and find your product where they normally shop.
Now, that you've thought about who will make the decision, you need to figure out how to reach them. Are they buying your product in an emergency (mom fell and is getting out of the hospital)? Ask your potential customers where they'd expect to buy this product. Don't forget about online sales either direct or though eBay or Amazon.

Infographic: Who are Family Caregivers?

Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Infographic: Social Media Use Among Baby Boomer Caregivers

Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Infographic: Emotional & Financial Costs of Caregiving

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by karbel.
Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

TV and Movie Streaming - What device wins?

I've long been a proponent of the contraptions that Roku makes to watch TV and movies from the Internet.

Roku devices hook up to your TV either via an HDMI cable or via the old school video/audio cables. They are very user friendly. They are small so they don't take up a lot of room in your TV area (in fact, I have some hanging from the back of our wall-mounted TVs so you don't see them at all.) They are easy to set up. They support tons of channels including favorites like Netflix, HuluPlus, HBOGo, Amazon Video and hundreds more.

Anyway, Gizmodo just did a comparison of Roku to other devices (check it out here: Streaming Device Showdown: Who Wins the Battle for Your TV? ) and the Roku won.

So if you are looking for an easy, inexpensive way to start watching Internet TV/Movies, get yourself a Roku.  And if you are looking to get your older mom or dad online, this could be a great way to start.

We Don't Have a Smart Phone ....

I was wandering through Costco today with my 18 month old granddaughter when a older couple stopped to admire her. She had that newfangled DIY scanner thingy up to her head, playing with it like it was a cell phone (pretty much anything in a rectangle shape is a cell phone toy to her.)

They said, "Isn't that cute? She is using a smartphone." Then, they continued, "We don't have a smartphone because we aren't smart enough." Then they laughed.

I laughed, too, but was a smidge alarmed by the sentiment. First, I really think they believed the scanner was a cell phone. Second, you don't have to be smart to have a smart phone.

Why do you think older adults believe that they have to be smart to use technology? That's the whole point isn't it? Technology gives you access to tons of information which makes you look smarter.

Just saying...

P.S. I LOVE the DIY checkout scanner. Love it. Saves a unload and load into the cart. Saves waiting in line. Love, love, love.

Five Prognostications about Great Tech for Older Adults

Here are five prognostications about great tech for older adult usage.

1. Content anywhere/everywhere;
2. Few early adopters amongst the Boomer+ set;
3. Tablets are here to stay as the fourth screen; 
4. He who builds the product that needs the least support will win. 
5. Older adults are vital, active, regular people (most of the time.)

Read on for the details.

Content Anywhere and Everywhere. Yes, even older adults are getting used to anywhere and everywhere content. We know from Pew and the Annenberg information that 65+ crowd is slower at adopting tech, but for those that have, they are becoming used to content everywhere and anywhere they want. This is certainly true for the future. Many of today’s frailty products are geared toward the frail user in one place and the concerned family member in another. My 89-year-old friend, Bob, just got an Android smart phone because he thought he needed one to understand all the hoopla. He has discovered, though, that he still hates texting.

Older Adults are not Early Adopters. Most older adults are not early adopters. I like to think that is because we are more experienced and know that there are risks: price and performance are not “features” of early adoption - things that "go-boom" and don't work are. We all know that if we wait just a bit, we’ll see massive price reductions on the devices (unless they are from Apple.) Look at the price of flat screen TVs today compared to 5 years ago. HP’s very brief foray into the tablet business underscores another early adoption risk: that the company will abandon the product and you’ll be stuck with no support, no software. Cisco did the same thing by abandoning the Flip video camera. And, anyone who has purchased Apple or Microsoft software products early in their lifespan knows, that bugs exist. It reminds me of advice regarding prescription medication: wait until the drug has been out for 7 years before adding it to your regimen. If we change that to “tech years”, it means wait for 3-6 months to find out if there are any serious bugs (remember the iPhone 4 debacle where you had to hold the phone a certain way to allow it to work?)

Four Screens: TV, PC, Tablets, Smart Phones For many years, the geek and entertainment industry have been referring to three screens in the home that encompass the TV, computer/Internet and mobile phone. Now, they’ve added a fourth screen; the tablet.  Most would function just fine with the modified functionality of a tablet.  Tablets are transformational especially the touchscreen and the 5-minute-learning-curve. Tablets have apps that are cheaper than most PC and Mac software and keep you from having to type your password a million times. To me, the awesome battery life of many of the tablets is another core feature. You can watch a movie on a long plane ride and still check your email upon landing. With occasional use during the day, you can go a few days without tethering to power. These devices give you the ability to “lean back” and utilize the content as you would a traditional book or newspaper: cookbook in the kitchen, HBO in the bedroom, remote control in the family room, note taking at meetings, picture book for family and friends, etc.

The TV is still the dominant screen in many households (certainly older adult households) and, in most households, there are more TVs that people. Imagine where the tablet will fit into these homes.  Will this be the way to get tech into resistant older adult hands?

Build it and they will come.  it was really clear that older adults want simple, easy-to-manage technology solutions in their home. Many seniors have computers in the home (although many times they are outdated hand-me-downs from adult children) and a fair number have smart phones. But the questions from seniors tend to “how do I do X? This is validated in an informal survey we are did in San Diego where older adults say that technical support is one of the biggest issues for them (and probably why they are reluctant to add more gadgets into their repertoire.)

Older adults are vital, active, regular people (most of the time.) When I meet with aspiring I-have-the-best-product-EVER-for-seniors business folks, I am always amused to see that these products are meant for the frail, isolated elderly with a zillion health issues. I say, WAKE UP! The frail elderly are hard to sell to and die, so you need to have a very low customer acquisition cost. (I could share some stories about customers dying in the 30 day money-back-guarantee period.)

If you want success in a boomer/senior product do this: Make it easy to use. Make it hard to break. And, make sure you have nice, quality technical support if it does. And, if you are starting from scratch, look at tablets and TVs as the two dominant screens in the older adult household.

Born this Way: The 50+ Folks are Digital Immigrants & Innocents

[I first published this on Laurie Orlov's great site Aging in Place Technology Watch]

 Back in 2001, Marc Prensky coined the terms digital native and digital immigrants in his seminal paper. He said, “Today‟s average college grads have spent less than 5,000 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games (not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV).  Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives.“ Today’s young adults are “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet.

Digital natives have always been around technology and devices. They are accustomed to trying new tech, having things not work right, and talking to their digital native friends to group troubleshoot and learn what works best. 

Digital Immigrants are over 30 and use technology. Most adults over 30 who use technology are considered digital immigrants.  Prensky says that while we learn to adapt to this new digital environment, we always maintain, to some degree, our “accent” – our foot in the past. As a result, we learn differently and the older we are when we immigrate, the heavier our accent. Pensky’s favorite example of the “accent” is the “Did you get my email?” phone call.

Digital immigrants most likely adopted technology as part of a job, school or volunteer activity and don’t have the fearlessness that the natives do. In fact, digital immigrants are used to training classes, IT departments and other support groups to help them weave their way to ultimately making the computer/Internet/cloud help them get some task accomplished.

Technology as a servant, not a master. A colleague recently illustrated this story with his own experience. He wanted to update three Apple devices; a phone, iPad and computer; and took them all to a local Apple store to have them updated. The Genius promptly told him he should do it himself. But, my friend insisted that they do it since he didn’t want to clutter his brain with all the learning that had to ensue to actually do the upgrading. The Genius agreed to help. After 2.5 hours and a lot of not-following-the-easy-directions, his devices were all upgraded to the “cloud.” How long would it have taken a “non-genius” to accomplish the same thing? And, how often does that anticipation of wasted time, frustration, or yelling at inanimate objects stop a digital immigrant from trying new and helpful gadgets, gizmos, software, apps, etc.?

Digital Innocents are not online and don’t think they need to be. Fast forward to 2012 when the Pew Internet & American Life folks coined the term Internet Innocents – referring to people who were not yet online. Not surprisingly, many of the innocents are older adults. The innocents don’t know why the rest of us think this Internet/computer stuff is useful. Pew says, “Among adults who do not use the Internet, almost half have told us that the main reason they don’t go online is because they don’t think the Internet is relevant to them.  And even for many of the “core” internet activities we studied, significant differences in use remain, generally related to age, household income, and educational attainment.”

Laurie Orlov has pointed out how dismal the statistics are from Pew and how this is marginalizing older adult’s participation in everyday life. This hit home in my AARP chapter’s board meeting – we had seven attendees, all women, and were discussing a new project to get the Merchant Marines recognized for their service in WWII. It was decided to share information via email since time was of the essence. The problem was that two of the seven attendees didn’t have email, didn’t intend to get email and were a smidge peeved that they couldn’t be included in the ongoing work. Is this the type of relevance that the innocents need to get online? I doubt it because of the perceived huge learning curve.

Hands-on and learn-by-doing. We conducted a technology survey in San Diego County to gauge older adults interests in and use of technology. After tallying 400 surveys by age decade (50s, 60s, 70s, and 80+), it’s apparent that the oldest have the least exposure to the newest technologies and, the farther away from the workforce you get, the more problematic technical support becomes. Family members aren’t good technical support in most cases.  (Duh. The older adults hate to ask and the adult children aren't very patient with their "dumb" parents.) And, those younger adults, the digital native tech support people in Best Buy and Apple stores, think differently and can’t communicate effectively about technology with older adults and our “accents.”

San Diego’s older adults have told use that they want “hands-on” experiences with newer technologies and that they want to learn-by-doing from their peers. (Probably sick of asking their kids for help.) And, they told us that their two largest obstacles are “too-fast instructions that are over-their-head” and technical support. How can we overcome the obstacles? Our digital immigrants and innocents need immediate success in an older-adult friendly learning environment. They need to build the self-confidence and the self-help skills needed to flourish in today’s digital world.

Everything they need to know is on YouTube.

My digital native 25-year-old son pointed out to me that everything we immigrants need to learn about technology is on YouTube. When he and I are jointly learning something, he turns to YouTube and I turn to text (online, but still text.) Recently, I wanted to find a new crochet stitch and took his advice. It was much easier to get the hang of it watching a YouTube video a few times than trying to figure it out from illustrations. And, with a bookmark, I could go right back to that site if I forgot how to do it. TedEd (ed.ted.com) might be a great tool for senior-to-senior education.

Empowering the Is.

Seniors are entering into the digital world. But, we still need to help many older adults understand why those newfangled iPads are a worthy replacement for their 10-year-old computer. We need to show them how cool and useful Skype is and then give them all the pointers they need to download, configure, find contacts and actually use Skype. We need to encourage the innocents to touch the iPad, to poke the Teliken, or to give their Presto email address to their friends and relatives. Those of us who have the wherewithal to help must do so. Otherwise, the digital divide will hurt or kill our friends and family through isolation. And, we can’t let that happen.