It’s official. We’re getting older and there are increasingly more of us. The World Health Organization predicts the world’s population of 60 and older will double to 22% by 2050 from 12% in 2015, and noted, “The pace of population ageing is much faster than in the past.”

The population of the elderly worldwide grows for the simple reason that people are living longer. Aging, explained WHO, is what “results from the impact of the accumulation of a wide variety of molecular and cellular damage over time,” and that means the increase of health conditions and diseases of “geriatric syndromes.”

At CES 2021, products were introduced that will soon boost seniors’ quality of life TechRepublic looks at a few:

Bulo
Image: Breathings

BULO

A CES 2021 Innovation honoree awardee, the BULO is a customized breathing and exercise guidance device that measures and analyzes lung capacity, lung endurance, and lung muscles. The Breathings Co. product measures breaths through an IoT device and smart mobile app.


Image: Caregiver Smart Solutions

Caregiver Smart Solutions Core Kit

This kit consists of tiny sensors placed around the home to monitor activity. The manufacturer says it allows users to retain their independence, dignity and live on their own as long as possible. It uses machine learning and artificial intelligence, and family can stay informed on how their loved ones are doing such as:

  • Are they eating enough?
  • Are they sleeping enough?
  • Are they using the bathroom normally?
  • Are they lethargic and just sitting around?
  • Is it early onset of dementia or are they just being forgetful?

Installation is simple, download the app, plug in the Smart Hub and place sensors. Retails for $500 with a $50 monthly subscription fee.

SEE: CES 2021: All of the business tech news you need to know (TechRepublic)

Carepredict Touchpoint
Image: Carepredict.com

CarePredict Touchpoint

This remote activity monitoring app is a companion to CarePredict’s smart wearable Tempo, that tracks subtle changes in daily activity patterns that precede health conditions. The activity data is displayed and provides alerts to concerns such as missed meals, restless sleep, increased fall risk, or increased sedentary behaviors, allowing for early intervention and preventive care. The CarePredict.com product is a CES 2021 Innovation honoree award winner.

Nobi Smart Lamp
Image: Nobi

Nobi Smart Lamp

One of the scariest things that can happen to an older person living alone is a fall. One-in-three people who are over 65 fall at least once annually—and 66% of them are injured seriously. In fact, falls are the most significant cause of fatalities in the elderly, and 50% who fall and are on the floor for more than an hour die within six months of the fall. The Belgian-designed Nobi Smart Lamp detects a fall and ensures help is on the way. It’s scheduled to be available at the end of the year and will be available for rental for a total of $120 a month, or, for an average apartment size, can be purchased for $2,490, with an additional $20 monthly subscription fee.

OrCam Read
Image: OrCam Technologies

OrCam Read

This CES 2021 Innovation Award winning-product from OrCam Technologies is a “first-of-its-kind” pen-sized, wireless, point-and-click handheld device, activated and guided by two precision lasers. It reads a full page of text out loud from any printed surface, including digital screen.

Rendever VR for seniors
Image: Rendever

Rendever

Even before the pandemic, more than 50% of the elderly experienced depression or isolation during a stay at a residential facility. Those experiencing loneliness have developed into “a modern mental health epidemic,” Rendever’s promotional material states. Exhibited at CES 2021, this is a virtual reality platform to help seniors overcome social isolation. Rendever allows users to share synchronous happy VR images. Families can also upload personal photos, videos, and 360-degree footage of events to share with loved ones.

XK300 Autonomous Health Monitoring Solution
Image: Xandar Kardian

XK300 Autonomous Health Monitoring Solution

Manufacturer Xandar Kardian describes this as the “world’s first non-contact, continuous and completely autonomous” health-monitoring solution that uses “proprietary radar tech.” It will provide early deterioration detection in a home setting. The XK300 Autonomous Health Monitoring Solution is a CES 2021 Innovation.