Session: Technology for the Care Economy: Are you prepared for the Silver Tsunami?
The United States is facing a “silver tsunami” as 90% of adults plan to age in place. The AARP’s National Alliance for Caregiving 2020 Report says that 53 million adults in the U.S. today are caregivers. In addition, the 2020 AARP Research Report 'Caregiving in the U.S.' says that only 53 percent of caregivers report using “software or technological tools” to help them.
Technology for aging populations is behind the times, and filling this growing need for the ability to age-in-place is a major opportunity. I believe that technology providers can facilitate a better quality of life for aging adults and their caregivers, and provide them with worry-free independence. By adapting the cutting edge, connected artificial intelligence tech used by entertainment and retail platforms into the healthcare space, we can help provide seniors and their caregivers peace of mind. From managing medication, to Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS), and fall detection, caring technology for the next decade needs to be intelligent, intuitive, and affordable. Join me as I share my personal caregiving story and give a forward-looking tour of up-and coming technologies for the care of our loved ones.
Bio
With more than 26 years in tech leadership, Chia-Lin Simmons has worked for some of the most impressive names in the tech industry, including Audible (where she was part of the team that facilitated its sale to Amazon), Google Play, and Harman International (now a division of Samsung). She specializes in driving revenue, acquiring customers, building partnerships, and developing and delivering innovation into the hands of everyday consumers. In June 2021, Simmons joined NASDAQ-listed public company, NXT-ID, to develop PERS and other connected products for the care economy. In her short tenure, she has secured a GSA contract to provide more non-monitored PERS devices at no charge to veterans. Leveraging her background in artificial intelligence (including her own fashion-tech startup, LookyLoo) Simmons' plans facilitate NXT-ID and the care economy at large to develop better, more accessible products for aging adults and their caregivers, matching the pace of today’s youth-driven technological innovation.