Surrounding Our Older Adults with Care
SUMMARY
At this year’s Rock Health Summit, we were inspired by the great minds and forward-thinking companies who are thinking about what aging in America looks like.
Although these companies are making huge strides in the aging space, we think there’s room for more disruptors and innovators who are preparing for the influx of baby boomers who will be in need of care.
To surround older adults with care, we, as innovators, believe there are three key areas of health to focus on: mental, physical and emotional.
In 2030, 23% of our population will be over 60 years old. In fact, older people are projected to outnumber children. As the daughters, sons, friends and grandchildren of this population, we have an obligation to surround them with care.
And when we say care, we don’t just mean healthcare. We’re talking about their entire well-being.
At Rock Health’s annual summit, two things were clear. First, there are a lot of great companies innovating in the aging and caregiving space. Companies like Neurotrack, Honor, OneMedical and Dispatch Health, just to name a few, are pioneers and creative problem-solvers in their categories. Second, the space is ripe for smarter innovation. And it got us thinking: What does it look like to help older adults live the healthiest versions of their lives?
As innovators in the healthcare space, we need to design solutions for people that people actually want. That means creating solutions that make technology an asset, not a burden, to older adults, caregivers AND providers. We need to design solutions that seamlessly fit into their whole life — emotionally, mentally and physically.
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room when we’re talking about older adults: ageism. If we’re lucky enough to make it into our 60s, it’s likely that we’ll all be facing this bias, too. This is a fight where we can pick up the torch and fight alongside them against the stereotypes of aging.
In a study at Yale, researchers found that those who are 50 years or older and who have a positive self-perception live on average, 7.5 years longer than their counterparts, who have negative self-perceptions of aging. Negative stereotypes are literally hurting our older adults.
Caddis, an online eyewear company, is pioneering how “age” is portrayed with a simple product: eye appliances — (also known as readers, how most recognize these types of glasses.) Caddis calls themselves the anti-anti-aging brand; their customers aren’t aging, they’re “moving forward.”
THRIVING IN SOCIAL CIRCLES
12 million older adults live alone — and that number keeps climbing every day. The effects of social isolation are devastating and has even been linked to a higher risk of death.
Socialization can be the difference between a healthy life and a diminishing one. Social interactions keep older adults mentally and emotionally fit. It reduces stress, depression and anxiety, all while increasing longevity, self-esteem and fitness.
Only 4% of older adults want to move into a nursing home, and by contrast over 61% prefer they want to stay in their home, even if it means bringing on a caregiver. So how can we make sure older adults who are staying home nourish their social circle? Thanks to innovative companies like Silvernest, a service that encourages older adults to open up their homes at a cheaper rent rate in exchange for help around the house, this is no longer the case. The more we surround our older adults with care, and the bigger the social circle, the longer —and healthier — life older adults can enjoy.
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BODY
Physical health needs to go beyond the person. It’s everything around us. It’s making sure that their environment is a happy and joyful place to be. Isn’t it time healthcare reflects this? It’s no longer enough to take blood tests, perform check-ups, and prescribe more medication and call that healthcare. As innovators, it’s our job to think beyond that.
Today’s most innovative companies are changing the way older adults even access care. Companies like Dispatch Health, make caring for physical health easier, by delivering healthcare to the home. And the innovations aren’t just happening at a start-up or tech level. Huge enterprises like Amazon and Walmart are making a difference in how our older adults access care.
Recently, Amazon announced the launch of Amazon Care — their version of healthcare for their employees that blends virtual and in-home care models. And Walmart is launching pilots across the country bringing adequate healthcare like x-rays, lab work and counseling to rural America. This is getting healthcare to older adults both when and where they need it.
But this shifting mindset doesn’t have to come from corporations or organizations. Seth Kaplan from Honor Health argues that there’s an opportunity to deliver simple care. Simple tasks like changing a light bulb or cleaning out the refrigerator so older adults aren’t exposed to bacteria, or worse, consume old food. That’s something anyone can do.
THE FUTURE OF CARING
So what's this mean for the future of this space? How can we help our older adults, companions, family and friends live their healthiest life? What we’re already seeing at Rock Health in the aging and caregiver space is truly exciting. Yet it’s still ripe for more — and it can come from any corner. Whether it's a start-up in Silicon Valley, or a Walmart in a rural area, reimagining what caring for older adults looks like is a wide-open frontier where only a few companies are showing up.
To care for them, we have to surround them with it. It’s in their home, with their friends, where they shop and how they’re portrayed to the outside world.
This space is moving fast, and it needs to. 93 million Americans will be 60+ in 2030 — that’s more people than those who live in California, Texas and Florida today, combined.
2030 will be here before we know it. There’s no time to wait. Let’s welcome our older adults into their golden years with the best innovation in healthcare they’ve ever seen.