Tips for introducing aging in place technology products

I was thrilled to find the “perfect” list of  tips for introducing nearly any aging in place technology product to an older adult who is not technology-oriented.   It’s the result of a pilot study done by the folks who created a device called Memo which is geared towards the care providers of an older adult who has short term memory loss.   I wish that all of the aging in place vendors did similar pilot studies to improve their products.

Here are their tips, verbatim:

• “Products should not be mailed directly to the elder’s home or opened by him or her.  The family (or another caregiver or friendly person) should eliminate the packaging and present it personally.
• The caregiver should become familiar with the device and prepare a little introduction prior to presenting it
• The introduction should occur at a pleasant get-together rather than at a stressful time.
• The introduction should be described as ‘a way we can keep in touch better” or “a way to help us (not you) remember important things” or “something that will help us stay organized”.
• The caregiver should remain and provide a tutorial and give assistance as necessary.
• Including fun and personal messages or uploading photos will ehp the elder see the device as interesting and engaging and they’ll want to look at it often.
• Consider starting with just one or two elements, like the date/time and photos, and add more over time.
• Above all, Memo must not be presented with blame, guilt, criticism, or shame about forgetfulness.
• Reminder messages and To Do lists should be thoughtfully considered and written in a way so as not to alienate or upset the elder (e.g., “all your bills have been paid this month”, rather than “quit worrying about your bills – you paid them”.
• If the elder has an immediate negative reaction, take it lightly, put Memo away immediately and try another time, in another context.
• The caregiver should try to phone a few times in the days afterward and prompt the elder to see the new photos or check out the new widget, walking  them through the process if necessary.”

And, not only did they provide a list of great tips, but they posted a memo describing ways to make sure that the product works well and features that were improved after the pilot study and a list of improvements to expect over the next year based upon input from the crowd at the 2011 American Society on Aging Conference where the product made it’s debut. They also have a very liberal return policy, taking into account the fact that an older adult may be resistant to the product to the point of rendering it useless.

Great job, folks at Memo, I look forward to testing out your product!