2 new technology applications for elders

Digital Tools Help Prevent Falls: Besides causing serious injury and even death, falls among the elderly can also be expensive – costing up to $75 billion a year in the United States. For a tiny fraction of that cost, researchers at the Oregon Center for Aging are using digital tools to determine an older person’s risk of falling so they can design interventions to prevent those falls from occurring. The center is sponsored by Oregon Health and Science University, a Center for Aging Services Technology member, and Intel, a CAST sponsor. Read the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/business/08unboxed.html?_r=1



Intel Introduces Portable Text Reader for Visually Impaired: Intel’s new Text Reader uses a camera and text-to-speech software to help people with visual impairments read a variety of materials. Users point the device at the reading material and take a picture. The device can then either read the material aloud or let users magnify the text so they can read it themselves. The new device, which can also play talking books, comes from Intel’s Digital Health Group, a CAST member. Watch this great video: http://www.intel.com/healthcare/reader/video.htm