Shakira wrote that “hips don’t lie” and unfortunately seniors’ sore, stiff hips often shout the truth about the natural digression of fitness and mobility that comes with aging. 

However, recent research on a “hip-assist” robotic device, which goes around a users’ waist, could help users improve stride and balance to regain a healthy fitness level. 

Mobility issues can affect a senior’s quality of life in and of themselves, but also lead to dangerous secondary effects such increasing the risk of falling.

Although many recent wearable robotic tools aimed at seniors are meant to deal with specific conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, the hip-assist robot appears to be more broadly for seniors with even mild mobility concerns.

“Aging is closely related to the loss of muscle mass, and a significant reduction occurs, especially in the lower limbs, which can lead to physical dysfunction,” the study authors wrote. “Technological development of [daily assistance robots] has been actively conducted as a concept of health management and assistance in daily life.”

The wearable robotic device, developed by scientists in Korea along with Samsung Electronics, fits around a user’s waist and, depending on the exercise, can employ both resistance and assistance to help users. The robot also is programmed for specific tailored workouts, study authors noted.

Over the course of a four-week exercise program, senior study participants were able to shed body fat, increase their stride length by 12% and “significantly” improve pelvic movement, the study showed.

Although the short timeline of the program was not enough to significantly build muscle strength, users still made noticeable gait and balance improvements, the researchers noted.

Samsung has not clarified when the EX1 robot will be commercially available, but previous reports indicate that they were hoping to have released the robot in 2023. Although that window has passed, presumably the study provides a meaningful checkpoint for validating its use. 

Another recent tool that addresses seniors’ balance is a smartphone app that monitors body sway and also includes fitness recommendations, McKnight’s reported Wednesday.

Hard of hearing? Just wear glasses! This isn’t just a colorful incidence of synesthesia: one new tech innovation being introduced early this year is a pair of lenses embedded with audio enhancements to address mild hearing loss.

Hearing impairment is one of the most common conditions that plague older adults, affecting one in three of people aged more than 65 years, and that number jumps to one in two for octogenarians. 

The “hearing glasses,” made by tech startup Nuance Hearing, are one of several new tools and devices coming out that could be useful for both hearing and vision impaired older adults. This new tech is being showcased this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. 

This tech includes an “in ear computer” that reads out texts or emails and another pair of glasses intended for users who are fully blind, as reported in Euronews. 

The latter doesn’t actually restore sight, but rather is equipped with sensors that alert the wearer of objects in their path, similar to a guide dog’s assistance. 

Currently a majority of long-term care residents have some vision impairment, data show.

Although those tools are designed to help older adults live more independently than ever, these new wearable devices probably aren’t enough to keep them out of care facilities. Nevertheless, they could improve residents’ quality of life, and in a less costly fashion than current options. 

In particular, any wearable that helps prevent older adults from falling is something that could benefit both residents and staff members in long-term care settings. 

Many of the tools being showcased at the AgeTech pavilion at CES 2024 are not immediately available but are expected to be on the market in the United States at some point over the next year.

Hand tremors are one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. 

But a new device prototype makes use of gyroscope technology to help restore muscle control to users. 

The so-called GyroGlove, showcased at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, could dramatically improve quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s, approximately a quarter of whom live in nursing homes and assisted living communities. 

The glove also care help those with essential tremor disorder, a condition separate from Parkinson’s but that also predominantly affects older adults. 

In its current interation, the gyroscope stabilizer, which spins faster than a jet engine, sits like a watch face on top of the glove hand. The goal for future, commercially available models is to shrink the gyroscope so it’s lighter and more comfortable for users, according to one tech article.

The GyroGlove is one of several wearables developed in the past year specifically designed to target Parkinson’s symptoms. A wrist wearable, the Cala kIQ system, is also designed to alleviate hand tremors and can monitor progress. The Cala device became available to users over the summer.

Another wearable in development for treating Parkinson’s is attached to users legs and is designed to provide walking and mobility assistance. The ReWalk robotic exosuit was one of several promising interventions, including a music therapy system, being studied at Boston University’s Center for Neurorehabilitation, the McKnight’s Tech Daily reported this week.

Parkinson’s currently affects approximately 1 million Americans, but that figure is expected to grow steadily. Ongoing research efforts to tackle Parkinson’s include new adaptive deep brain stimulation tools as well as a possible blood test that could screen for the disease.  

Healthcare providers — even senior care providers, which often may be slow to adopt new technology — increasingly may be buying into the use of remote patient monitoring tools.

And the premise is a good one: Combined with artificial intelligence, wearables or passive sensors can collect health vitals, build a behavior pattern and then flag a concern before an older adult has a falling emergency or suffers a heart attack. 

Although the concept of RPM is gaining traction rapidly, the next step for healthcare organizations is to address more granular questions such as how long should individuals be continuously monitored and who gets to see the data.

Experts addressed “what happens next” for RPM in a new report from the Bipartisan Policy Center, “The Future of Remote Monitoring,” that was released this month.

“Underuse [of RPM] could limit access to beneficial care,” the report’s authors noted, “while overuse could unnecessarily increase spending in federal health care programs. Additionally, providers cite the need for tools — such as (AI) — to manage streams of data, otherwise the volume of patient-generated information can become overwhelming and unmanageable.”

Many providers are aware of the need to synthesize the data in something meaningful for both clinicians and patients; some RPM companies are creating “actionable information” in the form of weekly or even daily health reports, and are helping senior living and care staff members prioritize high-risk residents and patients, an executive with EchoCare recently told the McKnight’s Tech Daily.

As RPM becomes more extensive and is used to monitor a wider range of conditions, federal agencies and healthcare providers may need to update their coverage policies, the BPC report observed. In addition, the report recommends reviewing existing privacy protection laws to make sure they apply to RPM tools. 

One of the four case studies the report analyzed was on heart failure, a major concern among older adults; the researchers worked with the Department of Veteran Affairs and found monitoring symptoms via a wearable prevented emergency department visits and reduced costs. 

Older adults with heart failure, as a group, have been singled out as not using new monitoring devices as often as they could, according to one recent study.

One of the most debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s sufferers is the loss of control of their gait while walking. 

Two technological breakthroughs could help people living with Parkinson’s disease regain this control: Music-based software that helps stabilize the pace of walking, and a wearable robotic exoskeleton that would stabilize a user’s muscle movements. 

The findings come from two separate studies out of Boston University’s Center for Neurorehabilitation, but they are not mutually exclusive. Senior living and care providers in the United States may be able to look into multiple options for the hundreds of thousands of long-term care residents in whom Parkinson’s has been diagnosed. 

While the music software program is based on a clinically validated technique — rhythmic auditory stimulation — the concept of providing an audio cue to stimulate movement is not necessarily new. The study participants did get shoe sensors to help provide better diagnostic data. 

The relatively more innovative wearable robotic exosuit, developed by ReWalk, involves a banded series of cables, motors and sensors that go around a users’ thigh and waist. The device, which augments muscle with mechanical force, was specifically tested to help with the freezing of gait, one of the most common and concerning Parkinson’s symptoms. 

Although the study involved just one participant – a 73-year-old male with Parkinson’s – the freezing of gait was “instantaneously eliminated,” according to the researchers, and the tool’s impressive results were demonstrated in a video showing him walking smoothly down a hallway with the device’s assist, compared with stopping and stumbling when it was off.

Several innovations have come out in recent years designed to alleviate various Parkinson’s symptoms or monitor the disease. A wearable wrist device designed to treat hand tremors was released by biomedical company Cala last year. 

In addition, although the ReWalk system already is commercially available, other researchers are looking into tools that involve wearable robotics for rehabbing people who have had a stroke, the McKnight’s Tech Daily recently reported.

Although virtual reality systems often are seen as solitary entertainment in a fabricated world, the use of VR systems in senior living appears to motivate people to interact and socialize more vibrantly with elements of the real world, a new study shows.

Older adults who used a VR program that involved walking around a cityscape ended up being more active, both physically and socially, even if the VR itself didn’t involve social interaction, the study found.

Most senior living and care providers play up the socializing benefits of living in their communities for residents, but nevertheless residents may struggle with the major life change constituted by moving from different communities or having already faced isolation due to the deaths of friends and family. 

In addition, many older adults who have needs for specialized care, such as for dementia, sadly are isolated by their conditions. 

“This result is really interesting because positive impacts exist even if the time spent to use the [immersive rirtual reality] decreased,” the study authors noted. “If the IVR led to reduced loneliness, it is probably because physical activity created opportunities to meet people in the real/physical world, that is being an indirect effect of the IVR.”

The VR citywalk was one of two dual studies conducted by the researchers. The first study was comparative and tried to find a baseline evaluation and acceptance of VR among older adults. It found that seniors significantly prefer VR compared with wearables such as smartwatches. 

Interestingly, one of the main reasons the study participants said they were more accepting of VR tech was that they believed that it was less intrusive to their privacy than wearables — despite the fact that many VR tools can and do collect a variety of data, and some clinical-VR programs are now being used exclusively for the purpose of collected better diagnostics. 

The conclusion that VR is, often indirectly, improving social ties for senior living residents dovetails with another recent study that indicates that using some VR can help enhance the relationship between older adults and their immediate caregivers, the McKnight’s Tech Daily recently reported.

When it comes to new innovations for the bedroom, tech companies aren’t dozing on the potential of the senior living and care market. 

Several dozen companies are showcasing sleep tech items, including the DeRUCCI Group’s notable new slate of products, including “smart” pillows and mattresses, at the CES 2024 conference next week in Las Vegas. 

It has been known for a long time that older adults’ sleep quality often is poor, and that it can exacerbate existing healthcare problems, or put individuals at risk for new ones. 

But a combination of new data-collection tools, such as wearable or remote monitors, have made it easier to track and improve older adults’ sleep habits. In addition, tech tools now are being embedded in beds and mattresses. 

Some of the new offerings being released by the DeRUCCI Group:  

• Smart mattresses that not only alert users about potential health issues but are connected to a room’s thermostat or lighting systems.
• An anti-snore pillow that reduces the risk of sleep apnea.
• Artificial intelligence sleep monitors and health warnings that can provide personalized breakdowns for older users.
• Inflatable air supports that can adjust for position and texture. 

Those products will be commercially available in the United States at some point in 2024, the company said. 

Although DeRUCCI’s lineup of new releases is broad, it is not the only company working on such innovations. Other companies that will showcase AI-enabled mattresses and related software at CES 2024 include Amira Health and Anssil Co. Ltd. 

One potential new sensor-laden mattress top is a collaboration between tech companies and government space agencies: the foam sensors, which can offer data on a person’s comfort and positioning, first were used on the International Space Station.

Some data exist that, no matter what, older adults naturally lose the ability to get high-quality NREM sleep. But some innovations, such as light therapy, could improve that dynamic as well. 

The wearable fitness industry has been booming, and it may largely be thanks to baby boomers, a new report indicates. 

The report names “wearable technology” the top fitness trend for 2024, followed closely by fitness programs for older adults, many of which use wearable tech or similar tools that capture health metrics.

The report, conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine, was released last week. Although its ranking of trends is based on a somewhat subjective assessment of insights gathered from healthcare experts and researchers, the “fitness for adults” ranking has been bumped up in recent years, from No. 11 in 2022 to No. 3 this year, the report showed. 

The growth of tools and programs aimed at senior fitness has as much to do with the overall increase in the number of older adults — the population aged 65 or more years in the United States grew by more than 33% from 2010 to 2020 — as it does with how much they actually like those tools.

Although use of wearables is growing, the gap between older and younger adults who use wearable devices is the largest of any widely used technology, according to a recent AARP report on tech trends for 2024.

Approximately a third of older adults now use wearables, compared with 46% of adults aged 18 to 49, the report shows. 

Even as use of wearable trackers lags behind smartphones or smart televisions, the survey found that 79% of older adults who do own wearables use them every day.

One group of seniors that could benefit most from using health trackers, those with heart disease, have been surprisingly slow to adopt such tools, according to one report from over the summer.

Some senior living providers are taking the lead in prioritizing residents’ fitness. Blakeford Senior Life’s Green Campus, for example, created a “smart” gym that incorporates software and equipment to generate a detailed picture of residents’ health, the McKnight’s Tech Daily recently reported.

Many people still might be uncomfortable putting on a wearable monitor. But developers behind one of the latest innovations are hoping their stretchable patch is an easier solution to swallow.

That’s because it’s meant to go over a patient’s throat and collect data on dysphagia or respiratory issues.

Roughly 15% of older adults have dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, according to one senior living provider. It’s particularly common for older adults who have had a stroke or have a neurodegenerative disorder such as Alzheimer’s, the Mayo Clinic notes.

“Currently, the commercial devices to track laryngeal signatures are rigid, bulky and tethered,” the study authors wrote. “Therefore, soft on-throat devices are urgently needed to continuously monitor laryngeal activities for diagnosis and rehabilitation evaluation.”

The throat sensor, which looks like a translucent band-aid, is connected to an artificial intelligence system, which was intended to make predictions based on users’ speech and swallowing data. 

The sensor also overcomes a major challenge these tools often have: getting meaningful insights amidst “noisy” data caused by skin movement or extra signals, the researchers said.

The AI component also may be able to train to filter out extra noise, such as what other researchers have accomplished with tools to monitor heart disease.

The ability to design less intrusive wearables for older adults is important because they may benefit more from collecting passive data on their health vitals, and because seniors are more sensitive to the physical irritation wearables may induce. 

For this reason, not as many older adults who should be using wearables, such as people with heart disease, are taking advantage of them, the McKnight’s Tech Daily reported last summer.

One wearable similar to the throat patch that already is out on the market is a small “pencil weight” chest heart monitor, Zio, made by tech company iRhythm. Researchers also are hoping that thin textile patches for heart monitoring eventually can replace electrocardiograms.

New wearable communication technology bypasses Wi-Fi and delivers a long-term, long-distance solution for transmitting health data in rural regions, a new report shows.

Senior living communities and skilled nursing facilities in rural areas often lack the infrastructure necessary to incorporate the latest internet or wireless technologies. 

Researchers, however, have developed a separate data transmission system that can send info up to 15 miles away, without the need for satellites or antennas as intermediaries. That range is longer than other wireless technology systems, the researchers say.

“Remote patient monitoring is a critical tool for diagnostics and therapeutics, especially in sparsely populated areas,” the researchers noted. “This long-range capability [we’ve developed] has the potential to serve resource-constrained and remote areas, providing equitable access to digital health.”

Although just 15% of older adults in America live in rural areas, those communities skew older than city demographics, one study shows. Overall, 27% of skilled nursing facilities are located in rural regions, according to the Rural Health Information Hub.

The data-transmission system was incorporated into a wearable three-dimensional-printed prototype that goes on a user’s forearm, the researchers explained, adding that the idea is to transmit diagnostics such as skin temperature and heart rate on a continual basis. 

Heart-health monitoring via wearables is something not enough older adults are doing, despite new and improving tech capabilities, the McKnight’s Tech Daily reported earlier this year.

Providers in rural America have unique challenges, including technology limitations; but residents and patients themselves also are more vulnerable to issues such as heart disease, cancer and opioid overdoses, experts have warned.

Many people, including President Biden, have addressed the need for expanded healthcare access in rural or underserved areas. But technology itself is not a “silver bullet” that will fix all of rural residents’ needs, some healthcare leaders noted at a recent healthcare summit in South Dakota

The research on the comms system, named LoRa, was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.