October 1 is Seniors Day, and conferences about aging were held across Canada. At a seniors’ conference in Montreal, the topic was how technology can help people “age in place” and stay in their homes. It was a day of activities, lunch and information for older adults and caregivers. The AgeWell Network conference says 20 per cent of Canadians are 65 and older, and knowledge is vital. Varsha Bhat is an advocate for older adults and hosts the “Aging with Dignity” podcast. “What is palliative care? How did you manage to organize all your parents’ finances? So, a power of attorney. And I realized we should have this information. We need to have this in our hands. And these are my parents’ peers in their eighties and nineties.” The focus is on how technology can ease the aging process, with seniors giving their opinions. Dr. Samira A. Rahimi says sharing seniors’ voices is important when researching and designing technologies. “The importance of sharing their voice and such research and design of the technologies rather than being passive. And the users of the technology want them to be active in designing, development and implementation of the technology.” For example, one attendee said, “AI can be smart, but it needs to be safe. I don’t want a talking companion to whom I’m going to give my passwords!” Ben Alexander of Raymex Lift demonstrates a wheelchair that can help pick up a fallen user. “A simple fall on the ground results in a call to the ambulance, where a patient is waiting all afternoon to get off the ground,” he said. The seat of the wheelchair can be raised and lowered easily to help someone get back onto it from the floor. The lift is made in Nova Scotia. Developed in Montreal, Aerial AI monitors the home without cameras or microphones. Offering minimal invasion of privacy, it uses Wi-Fi and can send an alert to a caregiver if needed. Negar Ghourchian is the chief AI officer. “We want to know if your mom or dad opened the door in the middle of the night and just left the home. So, we’re creating all, like, relevant information for tracking dementia, Alzheimer’s or if they’re having eating disorders. They don’t visit the kitchen, for example, for their meals a few times per day.” Because being safe every day can allow seniors to stay in their homes. Debbie Tonge isn’t a senior yet, but says getting informed is key. “There is so much out there in society and we also need to do our part as seniors and go out and find what’s out there, reach out to others, see what’s available in the community and see how we can benefit.”
