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New Organization Goes to Washington to
Promote Eldercare Technologies
March 16, 2004 - A new group pushing to
attract more government interest and money for new techniques to help
older adults and their caregivers is in Washington today for product
demonstrations and information sessions aimed at Congress and federal
agency officials. CAST (Center for Aging Services Technologies) is
organized by. technology companies and university research centers.
They say the technologies being shown
today promise to enhance care and increase independence for older
adults while limiting increases in the nation's exploding long-term care
costs.
The aging services technology
demonstration on Capitol Hill, they report, is the largest such demo
ever assembled. CAST is a program of the American Association of Homes
and Services for the Aging. Companies participating in the
demonstration, in the Dirksen Senate building, include General Electric,
Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, Intel Corporation, Motorola, Philips Medical
Systems/Comcast partnership, Viterion - - A Bayer/Panasonic Company and
Sears Methodist Retirement System.
Universities taking part in the event
are Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Oregon Health and Science University/Elite Care, University
of Michigan, University of Rochester, University of Virginia and
University of Washington.
The aging services technology demo will
feature existing technologies applied in new ways as well as prototypes
still in the lab. "These technologies could empower seniors to live with
dignity wherever they want for as long as they like," said Eric Dishman,
chairman of CAST and director of Proactive Health Research at Intel.
"These companies and universities are
taking the lead in identifying solutions to an impending global crisis
of the aged," explained Russell Bodoff, executive director of CAST.
Every seven seconds a baby boomer turns
50. Within six years, the first of 76 million baby boomers will turn 65.
Within a few years after that, older adults will make up the single
biggest demographic group in the country.
"Those who think we can put off dealing
with the age wave until it engulfs us are mistaken," warned Bodoff.
"Many American families who are caring for aging relatives believe the
crisis is now. Technologies are badly needed to help deal with this
growing concern."
"We could save billions of health care
dollars by applying technology to foster prevention, early detection and
new ways for families to care for their loved ones," Dishman said.
"There are truly revolutionary technologies sitting in labs today."
CAST believes the age-wave crisis
requires a radical intervention in the system for caring for the
elderly, and that technology needs to be at the heart of that
intervention.
CAST is pushing for the private sector,
universities, government and aging services providers to work together
to advance the development and application of cost-effective
technologies. CAST also proposes that Congress encourage partnering
among federal agencies that are developing information technologies,
military technologies and health-related technologies to apply
technological solutions to improve quality of care and quality of life
for older adults.
Bodoff said many already are rising to
the challenge. In the year since CAST was launched, he said, "More than
200 companies, universities and aging services providers have come to us
to ask: 'Can we participate? 'What can we do?' 'How do we help society
prepare for the upcoming aging challenge?' 'How can we use our
technological know-how to help Mom, Dad and Grandma?'"
The Center for Aging Services
Technologies (CAST) has brought together researchers from universities,
technology companies, aging services organizations and government
representatives. CAST is focusing on the application of technologies
that will help identify potential solutions to the aging services
challenge faced by the global community. CAST is a program of the
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). AAHSA
is committed to advancing the vision of healthy, affordable, ethical
aging services for America. The association represents 5,600
mission-driven, not- for-profit nursing homes, continuing care
retirement communities, assisted living and senior housing facilities,
and community service organizations.
CAST's web site is
www.agingtech.org. AAHSA's Web site is
www.aahsa.org.
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