Last week we attended the Collaboration in Aging conference at the Westin Denver Downtown and had such an amazing time learning about others in the industry and how we can all work together. Here is a quick summary of how the conference went and what we learned!
Service is a Superpower
Louie Gravance, the keynote speaker, shared his experience after 25 years at the Walt Disney Company and how to bring Disney’s amazing service into your own business.
Everyone knows that going to a Disney park is like no other experience. It is magical and you are completely immersed in a world of fantasy and imagination. They call their staff “cast members” because everyone that works at Disney is playing a role in the Disney experience. Disney is known for their excellent service and cheerful cast members.
Louie Gravance told several stories about how he truly impacted visitors’ lives by simply being kind and offering great service. It goes to show that a little kindness goes a long way and we don’t know how much simple, quick interactions can influence people.
Innovation Lab
CarePenguin’s table was in the Innovation Lab along with some other vendors who are using technology to enrich the lives of aging adults. Some notable vendors were:
Rendever: VR headsets for senior citizens to overcome social isolation and take them on an adventure without having to leave their chair.
Nymbl: a science-based fall prevention program that improves quality of life by enhancing their balance.
CaptionCall: a phone for people that are hard of hearing that uses voice-to-text caption technology. The best part? It’s free! CaptionCall is federally funded as part of Title IV of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so there’s no cost for qualifying individuals.
Serenity Engage: senior care’s HIPAA-compliant messaging platform that streamlines communication between staff and families of older adults.
iN2L: technology for person-centered resident engagement. iN2L is used by senior living communities to connect residents to each other and their families. Their technology is also helpful for therapy and general entertainment.
CarePenguin: And then of course, we were there! CarePenguin is a sensor and app that detects activity in a home through hot water use for the purpose of ensuring an elderly loved one living independently is okay. No motion sensors, cameras, or wearables needed to know your loved one is okay.
Technology for Independence and Accessibility
CarePenguin founder and CEO Marlo Vernon was on the panel for the Technology for Independence and Accessibility session along with Timothy Visos-Ely, the founder and CPO of StrideTech, Nathan Estrada, VP of Clinical at Nymbl Science, and the founder of Synergy360. Here were some takeaways from the panel:
- Make a plan with your elderly loved one to help them age independently. It’s never a good idea to tell someone “you need to use this,” or “you need to do that.” The panel encouraged everyone to have an open conversation with elderly loved ones to figure out what solutions work best for them.
- How can we use technology to encourage social interaction and connection among older adults? The panel discussed how technology can bring people together, whether it’s VR, Zoom, or just texting.
- How do we get older adults to use this new technology? We discussed the importance of being transparent with privacy policies and ensuring users that their data is private and protected.
- How technology can help with fall prevention. StrideTech, Nymbl, and CarePenguin are all in the fall-prevention business. Nymbl helps seniors enhance their balance and strength to reduce the risk of falling, StrideTech makes a device that attaches to a walker and gives real-time feedback on walker use to prevent falls, and CarePenguin detects falls in a home by detecting lack-of-activity and reduces long lie times.
Overall, the conference was a great opportunity to connect with others in the senior care industry and work together to give older adults and their families the best aging experience possible.