“Trip Advisor” for independent living products? Download the report

You may recall that last October I reported the launch at Naidex South by the Years Ahead Partnership and Newcastle University of a feasibility study into a scheme for rating assistive technology.

Demographic changes and pressure on public finances are leading to radical changes in the statutory provision of simple assistive technology. Simple aids for daily living – such as walking sticks, mobility aids, tools for arthritic fingers and swollen feet – are now increasingly appearing in a variety of existing and new channels. You only need to look in the small ads of the Sunday newspaper supplements.

However, there are challenges to the emerging market. Public awareness of the existence and benefits of simple living aids is low, the take up is limited by stigma and negative associations of old age and disability. And healthcare professionals are nervous about such developments – not surprisingly given the Office of Fair Trading’s recent investigation into unscrupulous traders taking advantage of ill-informed consumers.

This joint study looked into the feasibility of a consumer-led product rating system which would raise awareness, improve customer confidence, help de-stigmatise the products and offer re-assurance to professionals.

The majority of people surveyed were in favour of an online consumer rating model with a panel or accreditation system to provide further rigour. A kind of “Trip-advisor” for assistive technology and living aids.

We were one of the organisations consulted as part of the study and share Maggie Winchcombe of Years Ahead’s view that “such a scheme has a vital part to play in empowering us all as consumers of [Assistive Technology], designed to help us live our lives to the full into great old age”.

And wearing our designer hats, we believe too that such a scheme will also encourage designers, manufacturers and retailers to really focus on the consumer – and this means producing and selling products which are well designed, innovative and attractive as well as functional.

The next stage for the “Raising the Standard” team is further research and consultation about the design of the rating scheme.  We will keep you posted.

YOU CAN NOW DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE (Click on Download) 

Image  - ShowerSandal 

Tomorrow Together – join in the conversation about re-imagining the future

Something very exciting happened yesterday. I was sat around a table at the RSA in London as one of a panel of  experts talking about what it means to get older and what products and services would allow us all to do that well. And then, this is the exciting bit, how we might go about achieving that aim.

The roundtable discussion was organised to kick off a new initiative from the UK’s innovation agency, The Technology Strategy Board called Tomorrow Together which is about encouraging people to talk about what they want in later life. The panellists included Nigel Campbell and Mat Hunter from the Design Council, Geraldine Bedell, editor of Gransnet, Denise Anstey, British inventor, Stephen Burke of United for All Ages and Kevin Johnson from Cisco.

According to findings released today, a staggering 90% of people in the UK are not looking forward to older age with concerns about health, mobility, wealth and social interaction ranking highly. Nearly half of people think that better products and services to sustain independence would change this with 79% of people wanting more innovation in products and services for older age.

The good news is that what became apparent from the discussion last night was that there are already very many passionate people engaged in innovating in this area. In the UK we certainly do not lack the skills or creativity to bring forward new products and services, more it is about bringing together the people, the businesses and the institutions to work together in a more focused way. And also about persuading those who have not yet embraced the challenges and opportunities of our ageing population to get on board.

As Jackie Marshall-Cyrus from The Technology Strategy Board says :”We need urgent innovation. It’s time for the talented, passionate brains of today to re-imagine and rethink for the future and work on tomorrow, together”.

As someone who has been working for a while now with some of our most talented and passionate brains at the University of Brighton, I wholeheartedly endorse this view.

I think this is a very opportune time to launch Tomorrow Together but it will only make a difference if we all join in the conversation and discuss how we can all work together in the UK to imagine and then help create a better future

So please do get involved at www.tomorrowtogether.org.uk and for those Tweeters amongst you, by following @tomorrowtogethr or the hashtag #innovateforage.

Exciting stuff.

To read my blog post on the Tomorrow Together website CLICK HERE

Image: Displacement Jug by Sophia Fong

Three ways to engage older people with social media

I have come across three projects recently which set out to engage older people with this new thing called social media.

Last week I wrote about Diane Atkinson’s SKYPE project which aims to introduce older internet newbies to the possibilities of communicating wth relatives and friends using SKYPE.

One of the entries to the “Designing for the Future” competition with the University of Brighton last summer was student Jono Redden’s project called “Pets“.  Jono was exploring the idea of loneliness amongst older people. “Pets” are are lighting fixtures designed to evoke the shapes of domestic pets such as cats. They are connected to the internet and in particular social media sites and as the number of friends who come online increases, the brighter the light shines reminding users of a world (albeit virtual) outside the isolation of their own home.  This was the first time I have seen the virtual online world made manifest in this way.  A really interesting idea.

This week I was contacted by the people behind Hugmail, a new app and online service specifically created to help make it easier for different family generations to keep in touch. 

Aran Potkin of Hugmail explains that : “Driven by the knowledge that 40% of grandparents live over an hour away from their grandchildren, many struggle to see their family as often as they would like. A lot of grandparents and older relatives also miss out on a lot of family news and photos because they don’t own smartphones and aren’t on Facebook or email. 

That’s why we created Hugmail – the message service that turns digital photos stored on your mobile, Facebook or computer and sends them as postcards anywhere in the world for £1.49.” 

As a product Hugmail is not so different from online greeting card retailers such as Moonpig but it is unique in focussing on the older market and in particular, the challenge of keeping families connected where not everyone is online. I do like the postcard format – there’s something very cheering about receiving a postcard and many are artworks in their own right. And it is a very quick and simple way to keep in touch.

 It does strike me, however, that the older person need not always be the recipient. An increasing number of older people are online (see our Facebook page). And I think Hugmail would also be a great way for grandparents to keep in touch with their grandchildren by sending them postcards, maybe as reminders of the days out they have shared, which would be lovely keepsakes for those children as they get older.

The Jigsaw Club – older people doing it for themselves

Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of Eve, my friend now in her 90s, who is tackling getting older with considerable aplomb.

This week I learnt of her latest project. Eve was speaking to a friend who runs a charity shop which had a great many donated jigsaws. Whilst the jigsaws were popular, the volunteers simply did not have time to check that all the pieces of each puzzle were in the box so the jigsaws often languished in the stock room.

Up steps Eve who suggests that she could get together a group of friends who would happily check and complete the jigsaws so as to enable them to be sold.  And so the Jigsaw Club was born.

Once a week Eve and her friends get together over a cup of tea and do jigsaws -  not only does it help the charity, the activity, as Eve says ”keeps both brain and fingers moving”.

What a lovely idea  – and a win, win for everyone involved.

Introducing older people to the wonders of SKYPE

Just before Christmas I heard of an interesting project to demonstrate the benefits of SKYPE  to residents of local retirement homes.

As Diane Atkinson of Cressida (www.cressidasolutions.com) explains: “ We take our laptops into local retirement homes to show the residents how wonderful SKYPE  is.  We do all the hard work, the retired person just sits in front of the laptop at the appointed time, they do not touch the laptop, they do not need to learn how to use it, we do it all and they just sit and talk to relatives and friends anywhere in the world. 

We have such fun practising with them, having them SKYPE other residents in different rooms and pretending they are in Australia (last time we did it, as well as discussing the weather in Australia, the talk was about Barbies and mankinis!!)  It is such a laugh.

We know from experience that elderly people love talking to their relatives and seeing them on screen is such a treat for them. Certainly with grandchildren, it’s probably the only way they will communicate! 

It is also easier for relatives and friends far away to see their loved ones.  Perhaps due to work commitments or family they cannot visit every week, so this is a way for them to see their loved ones and by seeing them can detect things that cannot be seen speaking over a phone line.” 

The project is not without its challenges, however, Diane has told me that it can be difficult to get hold of the details (email addresses/SKYPE name/phone numbers) of the relatives far away, who would benefit from this service. Also with the time difference, there are three different time slots, mornings to speak to Australians etc, evenings to speak to UK/European working people and Sunday afternoons to speak with Americans etc.. 

I think this is a really worthwhile project. Most retirement homes have someone who comes in every week to help residents use their own computer; this is a service for those who do not own a computer and have no wish to learn how to use one, but are able to video link with their relatives and friends.  Not only are older people being encouraged to use technology and get on line, but most importantly it sounds like good fun for everyone involved.

For more information about SKYPE, CLICK HERE

Bringing childhood memories to life with Spoken Memoirs

Last year I wrote about Lewes-based Sarah Hitchings and her business, Spoken Memoirs which records personal life histories using high quality digital equipment to create a broadcast quality CD.

This Christmas I finally got to see an example of Sarah’s work with the publication of my father’s childhood memories covering the years between 1941 and 1954.

In addtion to two CDs of Sarah’s interview with my father, there is also a written transcipt illustrated with some precious family photographs.

Whilst none of the material is new to me, many of the stories having been told to us throughout our lives, it is fascinating to read them all together as one narrative.  The verbatim quotes in the transcript also capture my father’s voice perfectly.

The finished result is an extraordinary record for the family to keep for future generations. How amazing to be able to read the words and hear the voice of one’s ancestor!

There are many ways of capturing and storing memories via digital archives and social media but Spoken Memoirs make the whole process really easy and by using taped interviews, ensure that the final memoir is as coherent and comprehensive as possible.

For more information about Spoken Memoirs, visit  www.spokenmemoirs.co.uk

12 gifts ideas to help someone make a fresh start in 2012

Our fantastic  Move It or Lose It! chair-based exercise DVD has been featured on the It’s in the Stars blog as a great gift idea to help someone make a fresh start this year.

“12. If your parents or grandparents have become less mobile or a loved one is temporarily incapacitated, help them get fitter with the Move It or Lose It DVD of chair-based exercise.”

To see the post in full, visit http://www.itsinthestarsonline.com/12-gifts-to-help-someone-make-a-fresh-start-in-2012/

Perfect age-friendly Christmas gift ideas for Mums, Dads and Grandparents

£10 and under

The perfect gift for the seasoned traveller, these Travel Notes are designed to be just the right size, small enough to tuck into a pocket but large enough to include notes, photos and keepsakes.

Make light work of peeling all those vegetables this Christmas. Known as The King of Peelers, this OXO Good Grips potato peeler is simply the best peeler you will ever try! The OXO Good Grips range was originally designed with arthritis in mind and all the tools are very comfortable and easy to use. 

Or  treat someone special to a Weekend Pamper kit from the Green People . The ultimate organic spa experience, perfect for more mature skin.

Under £20

For the golfer in your life, the Bionic Golf Glove is the only golf glove to be designed by an orthopaedic hand surgeon.  Promising longer distance and greater accuracy these gloves are made of top-grade cabretta leather to make them feel like a second skin.

This practical Gardening Journal is the perfect place to make notes as the seasons change and record future plans  with its colourful loose-leaf section and storage pockets.

Keen gardeners might also like our OXO Good Grips tools which are designed to give maxmimum strength for minimum effort. OXO Good Grip’s pruners have a hardened, steel cutting blade with non-stick coating, and soft, comfortable, non-slip grips to maximize cutting strength and power.

Or how about one of our colourful handmade double handled mugs?  The unusual two handled design makes holding them a delight and is particularly comforting when you are feeling under the weather or just wanting to relax

Or for those keen on researching family history, this lovely Family Tree file  comes complete with keepsake box.

Under £50

Our gorgeous Typhoon shopping trolleys are sure to cut a dash on any high street.  Let this smart shopping trolley take the strain with its fully insulated cooler bag and, two spacious side pockets for additional storage and a drawstring and Velcro fastening to keep items safely tucked away.

Or how about the versatile Trabasack, part bag, part table? So much smarter than the average laptray. Perfect for picnic lunches or using the iPad, crafting or even eating breakfast in bed.

As featured in Design Week and brimming with character, our best selling handmade doublehandled teapot, has a helpful second handle by the spout, making it easier to pour. 

Under £100

Treat someone special with our ever popular Healthy Back Bags in gorgeous soft leather. Style with comfort, these bags manage to combine practicality with elegance, whilst taking the strain off your back.

Over £100

Any Christmas gift  list would not be complete with an Alex Table Lamp. See life more clearly with the ultimate in reading comfort. Perfect for reading the Sunday papers.

A chilling story about unscrupulous companies preying on older people

I heard a worrying story today about unscrupulous companies preying on vulnerable older people.

My friend, a lady in her 90s, received a phone call from someone wanting to visit her to discuss a “change in terms for her care alarm”. She agreed a time but feeling a little uneasy asked her daughter to be present.

At the appointed time, a tall man arrived and asked first to use the toilet which was slightly odd. Then he came into the sitting room and asked if he might have a cup of tea. At this point, my friend’s daughter was getting rather suspicious and started quizzing him about the company he represented. It transpired that he did not work for the company which supplied my friend’s current care alarm but a rival company and he was there to persuade her to switch contracts.

Feeling not a little discomforted, my friend’s daughter asked the salesman to leave.

My friend’s daughter has notified the appropriate authorities but the damage is done.  Both my friend and her daughter have been shaken by this whole espisode.

What struck me was that this is not a dramatic tale in that (fortunately) nothing was stolen and no-one was attacked.  But these sort of insidious and underhand sales tactics can badly undermine a person’s confidence and there is something so cynical about directing them at our vulnerable older people who are often too polite to say no.

iHUS – an instant granny annex

Need extra space for a carer, a granny annex or simply just a downstairs bathroom or wetroom but can’t face the upheaval of re-configuring your home or building an extension? At Naidex South this year, I came upon a solution – the pre-fabricated iHUS.  

By chance, Grand Designs on Channel 4 last night was all about pre-fabs. Kevin McCloud went to visit Alan Dawson who had built much of his house in his workshop before transporting it to site.   

The iHus follows similar principles to the Grand Designs pre-fab but is much quicker to build. The whole unit is put together in the factory and then simply winched into place. I am told that standard installation time including groundworks is just 2 weeks. 

An iHUS can be of any size, with a range of different bespoke finishing touches, inside and out, and with as little or as many rooms as are needed.  The units can be manufactured  to any finish and specificaiton, from roofing styles to the number of plug sockets. And most importantly the exterior can be finished to match your home. 

Planning permission is usually required. 

When you want to move, you can either leave the iHUS in place (it is an accredited extension that exceeds British Standards) or take it with you. 

iHUS was founded by Trevor Smeaton and Mark Smith who believe they have found a gap in the market by combining high quality accommodation for older and disabled people with an innovative approach which enables families to stay together comfortably. They work with a team of occupational therapists and design and adaptations experts to make sure they understand the needs of their customers – not many builders do that!

I think the iHUS is a great idea with huge potential and could be the solution for lots of hard pressed families wondering how they are going to cope with multi-generational caring.

For an example of how installation of an iHUS has worked for one family and some more photos, read Chantal and Chris’ story here:http://www.ihusaccess.com/chantal-and-chris-say-thank-you-ihus

For more information, visit www.ihusaccess.com