Each year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) provides us with amazing demos and concepts, including technology specially designed for seniors and caregivers. The technology showcased this year (Jan 9-12, 2024) to help seniors and those with disabilities included: a glove that helps control tremors; a smart device that can check your health at home in less than a minute; an AI solution that can help improve sleep and stop snoring; and other technology designed to help seniors live longer, better, more comfortable and independent lives.
These are some of the fabulous and futuristic products from CES 2024 that would be particularly helpful for some elders, some persons with certain disabilities, and their caregivers:
- Digital Asset Manager: Revenant Systems All-Life Digital Asset Manager (ADAM) app enables users to securely upload their digital legacies from their cell phones and, when the time is right, deploy technology to release those assets to specified individuals. This enables individuals to provide direction on how to access important digital information on their phones.
- Hearing Impairment: Hearing impairment is a common condition that affects one in three of people over 65 and one in two octogenarians. “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 tech includes an “in ear computer” that reads out texts or emails. OrCam Hear is another device that uses AI technology to give assistance to those who need it with hearing. It samples people’s voices, creates profiles for those voices, then takes what they say and communicates it more clearly to those who have difficulty hearing. It enables users to better understand conversations in crowded areas.
- Vision Impairment: OrCam MyEye is a small device to help with vision impairment. MyEye can be clipped to any pair of glasses, and it uses artificial intelligence to scan and read any text, whether it is on a screen, a book, a sign, or a menu. The device can also recognize faces, colors, and money. The device speaks the information to the user through a mini speaker or a wireless earpiece. Lumen glasses for the blind are a headset that is worn around the forehead and directs the user toward avoiding any obstacles and hazards, giving the visually impaired an effective way to get around without a dog or human companion leading the way.
- Speech Impairment: Whispp’s language independent AI technology and calling app converts whispered speech and vocal cord-impaired speech into a clear and natural voice of your choice. You can click on “original” to hear the original voice or use “amplified” to amplify the voice and remove background noise. By providing recordings, your Whispp voice will even sound like your own healthy voice!
- Home Health Check: BeamO from Withings is a revolutionary device that lets you do a complete health checkup at home in just one minute. It measures your body temperature, heart rate, blood oxygen level, and electrocardiogram with a touch of your finger. It also has a digital stethoscope that lets you listen to your heart and lung sounds. The company’s goal is to launch BeamO in the summer of 2024, but it is awaiting FDA clearance.
- Better Sleep/Anti-Snoring Pillow: Motion Pillow, an AI-powered anti-snoring pillow won the Best of Innovation award at CES 2024. The Motion Pillow has a range of features, including noise reduction and highly sensitive snoring detection, effectively addressing around 130 different concerns. The Motion Pillow has a sophisticated AI algorithm that learns from your snoring and adapts to your needs.
- Medical AI Bed/Health Platform: Ceragem’s Master Medical Bed is a product that combines massage, modular medical devices, and IoT (Internet of Things) and AI technology to provide a personalized health management platform. It can address various health issues such as abdominal pain, lymphedema, and sleep quality, with its innovative modules that can be used within the bed frame or as stand-alone devices.
- Glove to Control Tremors: Approximately 200 million individuals globally suffer from hand tremors (primarily those with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor), greatly diminishing their quality of life. The GyroGlove is the world’s most advanced hand stabilizer that aims to help people with hand tremors regain stability and control. It uses gyroscopic technology to counteract the shaking and provide instant relief.
- Washer and Dryer Combo: GE Profile Ultrafast 2-in-1 washer/dryer combo is a full-sized washer and dryer in one machine that works as fast and just as well as two separate machines. It’s a great product for the senior community because you no longer have to remember to move the wet clothes from the washer, requiring fewer trips to the laundry room. It handles large loads — up to 10 pounds— in two hours so you’re saving time. Picking up cold, wet clothes is sometimes a challenge for folks with arthritis, so this could benefit them greatly. Plus, the unit is super compact, which is perfect for people who are either downsizing or already living in smaller residences.
- Mental Fitness: Freestyle+ uses game play to help individuals build mental fitness. Different parts of our brains can be useful for certain applications in our life. For example, your medial lateral prefrontal cortex is important for creativity, while the cerebellum fosters music retention. These and other parts of the brain can be stimulated to achieve a desired outcome through games, such as those on Freestyle+ and other apps.
These are just some of the amazing health devices and technological solutions for certain elders and those with certain disabilities that were showcased at CES 2024. They can help you improve your well-being and enhance your quality of life. For additional senior technology, please read my many prior articles on the subject!
Plan in Advance for Peace of Mind
Hopefully the technology described and others that are on the horizon will help make quality of life better and caregiving tasks easier for certain elders, persons with certain disabilities, and their caregivers! Peace of mind is also important for good quality of life. If you or a loved one have not yet done Incapacity Planning, Estate Planning, or Long-Term Care Planning, please call us to make an appointment today:
Northern Virginia Elder Law: 703-691-1888
Fredericksburg, VA Elder Law: 540-479-1435
Rockville, MD Elder Law: 301-519-8041
Washington, DC Elder Law: 202-587-2797
About Evan H Farr, CELA, CAP
