For the last two years, many of us have only been able to see our elderly relatives through screens, trading physical distance for their safety. The vulnerability of aging people has been highlighted by the Pandemic. The tech community needs to pay more attention to age-tech.
Aging populations aren't limited to a few countries and "age-tech" isn't a niche sector. The number of people aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050, according to a recent World Health Organization report.
The shift in distribution of a country's population toward older ages started in high-income countries, but is now happening in low- and middle-income countries. Half of the world's population will live in low- to middle-income countries by the year 2050.
Globalization, technological developments, migration and changing gender norms are influencing the lives of older people in direct and indirect ways according to the WHO report. A public health response needs to take stock of the current and projected trends.
Tech giants are starting to create new services for their existing platforms and hardware. Amazon launched a new feature called "Alexa Together", which allows users to call out for help, an emergency helpline, fall detection, and a remote assist option, all of which can be used by caregivers. A simplified Nest Hub Max interface was piloted at retirement homes last year in an effort to help residents feel less isolated.
The elder care subscription for families is $19.99 per month.
I find that there are more interesting startups that focus on age-tech. It is heartening to see the number of companies developing tech for older people. I will be doing a round-up of age-tech companies at the event, but most of the announcements are embargoed.
Nobi has a smart lamp that can alert caregivers when a fall is detected.
Nobi has a smart lamp that can alert caregivers when a fall or irregular movements are detected and automatically illuminate the floor when someone stands up.
Nine companies were presented by the startup program of the nonprofit, which is called the AARP Innovation Lab. Many elderly people were helped to stay in their homes instead of going to nursing facilities. Wheel Pad, a modular work and home spaces that fit into existing structures and sites, is one of the companies that are included.
Tech can help elderly people and their caregivers.
Hardware can only go so far. The needs of caregivers are being looked at by startup companies around the world. Technology can help with the problem ofcaregiver burnout. Homage plans to expand into five more countries over the next two years. To assess caregivers and help match them with patients, it builds a profile of each provider and also works with nurses to evaluate how they are able to perform essential tasks. The matching engine uses all that data to find caregivers faster for families and patients.
Homage raises Series B to enter new Asian markets.
In the United Kingdom, Birdie is building software tools to support care providers, including ones that reduce administrative costs and enable real-time carer check-ins. The goal of the startup is to offer preventative care so that adults can live in their homes for longer as they age.
Changing family structures mean elderly people around the world have become increasingly isolated and that is a hard problem for technology to fix. Papa shows that addressing loneliness among the elderly can translate into a promising business model. The Miami-based startup, which currently operates in 27 states, announced last month that it had raised $150 million in Series D funding, led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
Tech can be part of the solution to changing social dynamics that means aging people are often far from their loved ones, and it's important that everyone reaches the end of their lives in safety, but also in comfort and with dignity. If you know of a startup that I should pay attention to, please email me at shu@techcrunch.com.
