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C o n s u m e r E l e c t r o n i c s D a i l y N e w s E v e n i n g E x t r a 1 1 T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 7 , 2 0 1 6 CREATING TECHNOLOGY THAT SUPPORTS CAREGIVERS WITHOUT ALIENATING OLDER ADULTS By David Inns, Chief Executive Officer, GreatCall The market for technology for older adults and family caregivers is boom- ing: today, those over 65 represent 14 percent of the U.S. population and by 2060 they will make up almost 28 per- cent. Making technology that meets the needs of both the family caregiver and their aging parents should be simple. Except it isn't. How do you create meaningful, easy-to-use technology that supports family caregivers without alienating the people they're caring for? It's some- thing that GreatCall faces every day as we develop products and services for active aging. A recent study of more than 1,000 family caregivers conducted by Cognise, an independent research firm, showed that nearly one-third struggle in their caregiving role: 49 percent of fam- ily caregivers don't have enough time to do what they need to; 46 percent don't have enough energy; 42 percent worry they won't be available for an emergency; and 31percent say their older family member doesn't listen to them. It is clear family caregivers are frustrated and stressed. However, they are very clear about how someone can help, with their top needs being: knowing when something happens to their family member immediately, no matter how much distance is between them; having someone there for their family member when they can't be; and giving their family member more confidence and helping to enable their independence. Their older family members want to lead their lives the way they choose – not necessarily as directed by their adult children. For marketers, it is dangerous to overgener- alize when it comes to looking at the needs of those 65-plus because it is a large and diverse group. There is a wide range of care being provided, from light caregiv- ing (18 percent of family caregivers) where they may simply be an emergency contact and occasional errand-runner, to moderate caregiving (37 percent), where the adult child is assisting with a daily function. The remaining group provides heavy caregiving, assisting with most daily functions. Depending on the stage of the caregiving relationship, different tools and technology may be needed. However, three consistent desires are common: to stay more connected to friends and family; to stay in control of physical and mental wellbeing; and to stay protected from harm. How do we, as tech companies in the aging space, please both groups – support the fami- ly caregiver while providing the older adult the safety, connections and control they want? At GreatCall, we looked at the core objectives for active aging solutions: keeping people in their homes longer, minimizing healthcare costs and improving the productivity of family caregivers while reducing worry. This provided the direction for a roadmap of products and services that would sup- port both groups. Creating technology that is meaning- ful in impacting the burden of care, both on family caregivers and the healthcare system, means it must be useful and used by both groups. As many companies are finding, that is challenging, but to a few that have achieved the balance, the rewards are there. For more information, visit www.great call.com. EMFIT PROUD TO ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF SAFEBED Emfit launches Safebed, a completely contact-free and all-automatic wellbeing and health tracking system for seniors. After successful breakthrough among pro athletes, Emfit turns its contact-free heart rate variability enabled sleep tracker to help with seniors' wellbeing and safety. Safebed is an ingenious health and wellbeing tracker designed with seniors' needs in mind. It improves the safety and security of seniors and helps maintain their independence so they are able to live on their own for a longer time. There's absolutely nothing to wear or carry, and no need to turn equipment on and off. Safebed is completely discrete and undetectable. A highly durable sen- sor is simply installed under mattress and paired with Wi-Fi. Safebed tracks sleep quality and quantity, heart and breathing rates, and even heart rate variability. Changes in long-term trends can give very valuable information about health and thus ensures wellbeing. With Safebed a senior citizen can easily ensure personal wellbeing. Seniors can live by themselves, in their own homes, and family members won't need to worry about whether everything will be okay. Loved ones receive a daily sum- mary and notifications via email or as push-notification via a phone applica- tion; for example, if a daily routine changes or if there is too long an absence from bed at night. Heikki Raisanen, Chief Executive Officer of Emfit, said about an incident from just a few days back: "I got a notification from Safebed on my phone telling me that my 89-year-old mother, who lives three hours away, had possibly fallen down. It was 25 minutes past midnight. She had already been sleeping but then left and had not returned to bed in 45 minutes. I called my brother and told him to go check on our mother. Turns out, she had fallen, broken her hip and needed medical help. She had surgery and now she is recovering. Safebed truly provides safety to elderly living alone. Because, after all, who wouldn't want to live in their own home as long as possible, instead of being insti- tutionalized. We at Emfit want to make it possible. This is our way of thanking our mothers and fathers for taking loving care of us. Now it's our time to return the favor." About Emfit Ltd. Emfit is a global leader in quasi-piezoelectric ferroelectret sensors and actuators. Since 1990, Finnish company Emfit has pioneered the development and manufacture of these electro active polymers. Emfit also develops and manufactures whole prod- ucts with focus in health tech. Today, Emfit is the world's leading manufactur- er of ferroelectret sensor and actuator material for various applications, includ- ing paper machinery, sports equipment, music instruments, touch-sensitive human interfaces, smart building solu- tions and more. For more information, visit www.emfit.com or stop by booth #73526.