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Monday, October 11, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

Growing Older / Liz Taylor
"Gerontechnology": the cutting edge of eldercare


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More Liz Taylor

Imagine:

• You have a chronic, life-threatening condition. The undershirt you wear monitors your heart rate, EKG, respiration and temperature, then alerts your doctor if there's a problem. This means you're able to continue living independently at home.

• An assisted-living facility combines pets, plants and live-in caregivers with residents who have advanced Alzheimer's. Rather than lock the doors to prevent residents from wandering away, the facility allows them to move around freely, thanks to tiny sensors that track each resident's movements. Residents' families monitor what's happening via their home computers, even from thousands of miles away.

• An 89-year-old woman with Alzheimer's lives at home for years beyond the norm because of a friendly voice that reminds her to brush her teeth (and how, if necessary), put her slip on before her dress, and take the frying pan off the stove if she forgets. Thus her 93-year-old husband is spared much of the exhaustion and health problems that are common when caring for a demented spouse.

Sound far-fetched? The reality is that these ideas — and many others — already exist or are on the drawing boards, spinning out of the laboratories and imaginations of a new kind of inventor — what one source calls "gerontechnologists" — whose purpose is to unleash the power of ubiquitous computing and turn high-tech research into new ways to care for frail older adults.

It comes in the nick of time.

Conference at Swedish


"Gerontechnology Today and Tomorrow," 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at Swedish Medical Center's Glaser Auditorium, Seattle. Cost to attend is $40, which includes a box lunch and take-home materials. For more information, go to http://www.gerontologyeducation.washington.edu/ and click on "Gerontology — Today and Tomorrow." Or call 206-543-8727 at the University of Washington, a major sponsor.

Today our planet holds the largest number of older people in human history. But in just 10 to 30 years, these numbers will explode as the boomers (one-third of our population) reach old age. People 85 and over are now the fastest-growing segment in America, and almost half of everyone who reaches 85 has Alzheimer's. Within a decade, 1-in-3 households is expected to have at least one family member with cognitive decline. At the same time, there will be a severe dip in the labor pool of people willing to work as caregivers.

Machines to the rescue

From the numbers alone, it's clear we're heading for a cliff as 76 million boomers become very old and very frail — some living well beyond 100 — and need years, perhaps decades, of expensive care. Given the impact of eldercare on today's families and pocketbooks, however, I'd say we're already part way there. Is it possible for machines to bail us out?

For a glimpse at the answer — and a look into our future — be sure to attend "Gerontechnology Today and Tomorrow," a conference Oct. 30 at Swedish Medical Center's Glaser Auditorium in Seattle. Through workshops and resource booths, speakers from across the country will tell their stories — how the convergence of technological innovation and cutting-edge research are beginning to give people more choices as they live well into old age.

You're likely to hear that the number of people with Alzheimer's is predicted to triple in the next 50 years, its victims at high risk for becoming disoriented, wandering and getting lost. If not found within 24 hours, many will die.

One solution: new tracking systems using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, initiated in 1973 by the U.S. Department of Defense for navigation purposes. Personal locator devices, worn like a watch, can pinpoint the location of lost Alzheimer's patients.

Researchers at the University of Washington are working on a different model — a hand-held device called the Activity Compass, which, if it detects that the person with Alzheimer's is lost, will actually point them in the right direction toward home before sounding the alarm.

Health Buddy, an interactive telemedicine program offered by Swedish Home Care Services, gives people with chronic conditions daily links to their doctors' offices. Sending vital data to their nurses each evening, the system keeps close tabs on any changes.

"Many people don't realize that minor weight gain, increased blood pressure or disturbed sleep are early signs of heart-failure deterioration," says Dr. Jon Younger, medical director, Swedish Home Care Services. "The Health Buddy checks these daily and alerts caregivers to worrisome signs. Often a minor medication adjustment prevents an emergency hospital admission."

According to research conducted by Mercy Heart Institute, the highly respected cardiac program at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, Calif., Health Buddy can reduce hospital visits by 73 percent, saving $9,151 per patient per year.

Says 81-year-old Seattle resident, Betty Cloudman, who uses Health Buddy for her congestive heart failure, "It makes me more aware of what my body's doing — and feel more secure."

Liz Taylor's column runs Mondays in the Northwest Life section. A specialist on aging and long-term care, she consults with individuals and teaches workshops on how to plan for one's aging — and aging parents. E-mail her at growingolder@seattletimes.com or write to P.O. Box 11601, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. You can see all of her columns at www.seattletimes.com/growingolder/.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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