40 wellness s THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • JANUARY 15, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Aging and the New Technology BY SHELDON ORNSTEIN In the business section of the New York Times, an article appeared that was entitled “The Fountain of Old Age.” The subtitle that introduced the article declared, “She May Not Look 74 But She Feels Like It.” The article goes on to inform the reader that MIT researchers have designed Agnes, short for Age Gain Now Empathy System, to help product developers, researchers and marketers to empathize with their target audience, i.e.: the older adult. Agnes is an artifi cial suit created to replicate the physical limitations and experiences that life imposes on persons in their advancing age. The suit has hooks and harnesses and elastic bands that restrict joint and limb movements to simulate the physical restrictions and other related problems of aging. This age empathy suit comes from the MIT AgeLab where “Agnes” was built to help manufacturers better understand the older adult by creating innovative products as a way of acknowledging and supporting a healthier lifestyle. Agnes illustrates the physical discomfort that the elderly experience as they age, with features such as a helmet attached by pre-stiffened cords that cause arthritic neck restrictions and yellow goggles with a dim cloudy coating, simulating cataracts and macula decline. Aging is a phenomenon and therefore requires new tools to give new hope to the aged person coping with these physiological changes. The focus is to develop new technologies that help professionals as well as the laity to better understand the physical exigencies that the older adult experiences; provide opportunities that did not exist before; and open new markets for further product development without fear of these new products having a short shelf life. In the past, many industries have tended to shy away from openly marketing to older people, wrongly viewing them as an unfashionable demographic group that might doom their products with young and hip spenders. The idea is to attract new markets that are agefriendly and ultimately profi table for the marketer. For example, the Ford Motor Company has developed a hands-free parallel parking system making backing up easier for the older adult who has a problem turning and twisting because of arthritis in the neck muscles. This lends credence to the idea about reducing unnecessary stress levels experienced by the older person. As I recall, the device was originally intended to appeal to younger drivers who also enjoy smart technology. Recently, millions of baby boomers have turned 65 in the United States. They have been anticipating not only their Social Security entitlement, but a life expectancy that is higher than that of any previous generation. According to recent statistics on aging, the number of people 65 and older is expected to double worldwide by 2050 and possibly sooner. As a consequence, older individuals may never entirely retire in order to maintain a sustainable income. And if the prediction about the “boomers’” anticipated success is correct, unlike generations past, then the Irish poet Dylan Thomas accurately identifi es this prediction in his poetry by declaring: “Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” The philosophical scenario of the older person is, in fact, to strive to live independently whether in their own homes or in various community senior settings. New technology can create that path to further independence. A recent TV commercial dramatizing an elderly woman who declares, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up,” as a catastrophe that represents the old business of old age. The new business of old age involves societal services that promote wellness, autonomy, hope and above all, social connectivity with others, young and old. A well-known writer once said that if the elderly are to be masters of their lives, hope must be fi rmly embedded in their everyday existence. Our responsibility is to continue giving unlimited support and encouragement to those ideas and concepts that embrace an ever-changing, aging society. An unpublished poet I once knew and admired, expressed it this way: “Hope is the mainspring which keeps us more or less interested in life until we reach the windup” (S. Schuman). Sheldon Ornstein Ed.D, RN Dr. Sheldon Ornstein is a registered professional nurse with a doctoral degree in Nursing Organization. He has specialized in the care of older adults and has published many articles on the subject. He has done post-graduate work in gerontology and has taught at several universities. In 2013, he was inducted into the Nursing Hall of Fame at Teachers College, Columbia University. tem
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