How can we test AgeTech responsibly and respectfully?

After investigating how data privacy concerns may keep older adults from embracing new technology, I’ve been thinking about how we can more effectively test new technology for older adults. To everyone involved, the stakes feel high when serving older generations. It’s a population with more lived experience than most founders or senior living operators, so we’re challenged with a high burden of proof to ensure technology actually makes a meaningful difference.

How we can build a supportive ecosystem that inspires confidence in all parties when testing technology that serves older adults? With guidance from many folks wiser than me, I think I now have an answer.

— Sarah Richard

P.S. - if you’re based in New York, please consider joining us at next Tuesday’s July AgeTech NYC meetup, hosted by James at Primetime Partners!

Stakeholders are reluctant to take a chance on new tech.

An older adult’s purchase process tends to be lengthy and involve many people. And at every level, the starting assumption for all parties is usually to not adopt new technology, due in part to the importance we place on taking care of older adults responsibly and respectfully.

• Older adults are frequently not eager to add one more new tech gadget - especially one that might make them feel less independent.

• Families are hesitant to let a loved one serve as a test subject for unproven technology.

• Senior living operators are inundated by requests to pilot - frequently by founders who fundamentally don’t understand their problems and needs. See: Brian Geyser’s comment that founders frequently don’t bother to check whether a facility is private pay or Medicare-funded.

• Researchers are frequently consulted too late in a startup’s journey to validate - or not consulted at all.

• Government entities have the most funding and insight into vulnerable populations that may not have the same needs as private pay populations many startups target for pilots.

Stakeholders are hesitant to test cutting edge technology for older adults, before it’s been adequately de-risked. But that’s a chicken-and-egg problem, that can only lead us to stagnation, when we owe it to our older generations to innovate.

So where does that leave us?

The Institute on Aging (San Francisco) has been helping to convene and facilitate a collaborative innovation initiative called the Reimagining Care Coalition. While this initiative is in the early stages, it is focused on enabling and improved experience for older adults, their loved ones, and the staff of organizations who serve them while addressing urgent demographic and funding challenges.

In June, I joined the Institute on Aging in San Francisco for an eye opening “Reimagining Care” session, where Mari Branzuela presented the notion of a Living Lab.

Living Labs are user-centered, open innovation ecosystems where various stakeholders work together to create, prototype, and validate new solutions in real-life contexts. They bridge the gap between research, development, and market implementation, and I believe we can leverage the Living Lab model to more effectively develop and test new AgeTech.

Living Labs in the United States are few but mighty.

There are several notable Living Labs in existence today. They focus on technology to support healthy aging, and leverage strong community partnerships across relevant stakeholders to test cutting edge AgeTech solutions.

• Thrive Center (Louisville, Kentucky): Focuses on aging-in-place technologies and innovations to improve the quality of life for older adults.

• Belmont Village (La Jolla, California): Integrates cutting-edge technology and research to enhance residents' well-being.

• Well Living Lab (Rochester, Minnesota): A collaboration with Delos and the Mayo Clinic, conducting research on how indoor environments impact health and well-being.

• Healthy Home Lab (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): Focuses on innovations in home healthcare technology to support aging in place, in collaboration with AARP.

AgeTech NYC Living Lab

We owe it to our older adult population to build an ecosystem that leverages the rich petrie dish of talented New Yorkers working in aging.

It’s time for a New York Living Lab.

Consider this an open call: if you would like to be part of the New York-based team testing cutting edge technology that serves older adults, please email [email protected]. We are specifically looking for folks from the following groups to volunteer their time this quarter as startup advisors, but welcome support however it may come:

• End-users: Older adults and their caregivers who use or are impacted by the innovations.

• Senior Living and Home Health operators: Facilities and communities providing care and living arrangements for older adults.

• Researchers: Academics and scientists conducting studies and analyzing data.

• Public Authorities: Government bodies and policymakers supporting and regulating living labs.

• Healthcare Providers: Hospitals, clinics, and caregivers implementing and benefiting from health-related innovations.

Conclusion

An AgeTech NYC Living Lab represents a unique opportunity to harness the collective expertise and resources of leading universities, government bodies, startups, and senior living communities. By fostering collaboration and focusing on real-world applications, this Living Lab will support advancements in senior care and aging-in-place technologies. I’m hopeful the New York aging ecosystem can collectively help accelerate development of the next generation of AgeTech.

Stay tuned to hear more about the forthcoming AgeTech NYC Living Lab!

Learn more about Bay Area initiatives

If you’d like to learn more about Living Labs and Reimagining Care in the Bay Area, please reach out to one of the folks below:

Mari Branzuela is a dedicated advocate of enhancing Senior lives through technological innovation, currently spearheading a Living Laboratory initiative in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Stephen Johnston (co-founder of Aging 2.0), Katey Webber (IOA), and Preston Burnes (IOA) are leading the Reimagining Care Coalition initiative and happy to connect with anyone who might be interested in learning more.

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P.S. - I feel like everyone and their mother is hawking an AI video call transcription service these days. After trying a bunch, I found one I actually like: Soar Scribe. I told the team how much I love what they’re doing, and they kindly passed along a discount code for readers. Just sign up with this link and use referral code "AgeTechNYC" for 30 days of free use.