Nana technology

"Nana" Technology is Microchip based technology designed, intended, or that can otherwise be used to improve quality of life for older adults.

History and usage of the term

The term “Nana” technology was coined, defined, and categorized in 2004 by Andrew Carle, an internationally recognized expert on aging, senior housing, and assistive technologies. Carle additionally serves as an assistant professor and founding director of the Program in Senior Housing Administration at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Carle’s goal was to bridge what he referred to as the 'divide between Geeks and Grans', in which technology companies were failing to consistently develop products of practical value to older adults, with older adults simultaneously unaware of technologies that did exist and which could be helpful in their daily lives. Carle additionally felt that governments were not paying enough attention to issues relevant to aging populations worldwide – both in stresses on family caregivers struggling to allow aging parents to live independently for as long as possible, as well as on the critical shortage of long term care workers in both home and facility based environments.

A word play on the scientific field of nanotechnology, “Nana” technology is loosely directed to imply technologies for someone’s grandmother, or “Nana”. Carle was the first person to advance the use of this phrase with a formal definition, and one focused exclusively on microchip technologies, with the end result of naming a new and distinct subset of the technology services industry. Carle’s term and specific application were first nationally published in a feature article in USA TODAY on August 9, 2006 Nana Technology tools helps seniors be independent [1]. Since that time Carle’s term and/or definition has been published, quoted, or featured in or on numerous media worldwide including but not limited to: United Press International (UPI), Business 2.0, CNNMoney.com, CNBC, Smart Money, AARP Bulletin, Agence France Presse, KYODO News Service, the Australian Broadcast Corporation, Israeli TV, Washington Post Radio, and affiliates of National Public Radio, CBS Radio, and Fox Morning News.

Categories

In addition to the term and definition, Carle has established eight categories to date for “Nana” technologies, and as they pertain to areas most relevant to individuals over the age of 65:

Health and Wellness: Including technologies such as those for managing medications, monitoring vital signs, or treating medical conditions typically affecting older adults.

Safety: Including technologies for preventing or reducing falls, monitoring for or requesting emergency assistance, or tracking or preventing wandering incidents among individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementia.

Cognition: Includes technologies intended to improve overall cognitive functioning as affected by normal aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Alzheimer’s Disease or related dementia.

Communication: Includes technologies that allow older adults to communicate electronically via phone, email, video, or other forms of communication.

Sensory: Includes technologies that assist older adults affected by reduction or loss of vision, hearing, taste, touch, or smell.

Mobility: Includes technologies such as those that assist older adults in ambulation, transportation, or driving.

Lifestyle: Includes technologies that assist older adults in day-to-day functioning including meal preparation, housekeeping/home maintenance, bathing, dressing, etc.

Robotics/Whole Home Systems: Includes technologies that combine two or more of the above categories into a single system.

Examples of Current "Nana" Technologies

Carle has released or presented multiple Top "Nana" Technologies opinion lists, which have been published in numerous national and international media. Featured below is a sample of technologies he identified during a presentation at the 2008 AARP Life@50+ National Event & Expo in Washington, DC:

MD.2 medication dispenser: A “bubble gum” style table top dispenser that releases pills at pre-programmed times, while providing audio and visual reminders. If pills are not taken within a designated time, the machine automatically telephones up to five family members, friends, or a professional call center to report the missed dosage.

Jitterbug Wireless Cell Phone: Designed with simple to see and use features, including oversized buttons, increased screen size and brightness, and a cushioned ear rest.

BeClose: A wireless health service utilizing a combination of passive sensors (e.g. motion, door/window, bed, chair, etc.), web-based interactivity, and multiple communication modalities (e.g. email, SMS, telephone), to detect and alert caregivers to conspicuous periods of inactivity, anomalous activities of daily living, and potentially adverse events in the homes their care recipients.

Celery: A service that allows older adults to both receive and send emails, without the need for a computer. Computerless Email [2]

Loc8tor: Uses small radio frequency tags and handheld unit to locate lost items such as car keys, purse, or television remote. The device can also be used to locate a car in a parking lot.

SmartShopper: A small unit that can be placed on a refrigerator. Users speak needed grocery items into the unit, which uses voice recognition to store and print out an automatically categorized list when requested.

Looj: A robotic gutter cleaner that eliminates the need to move and/or climb a ladder multiple times.

Hanna Mail Chime: Sends a wireless signal to a countertop unit when mail is delivered, eliminating the need for multiple trips to the mailbox.

GrandCare Systems: An integrated system that uses motion sensors to monitor activity, provides tele-health documentation of blood pressure, weight, and other vital signs, and creates a dedicated TV channel for the older adult – which can be programmed with information by a distant family member or friend.

Future Technologies

Carle has repeatedly referenced “Nana” Technologies being researched or developed for future application. Examples cited by Carle have included a "GPS shoe" that can locate individuals with Alzheimer's who become lost, a medicine cabinet featuring both face recognition and voice communication capabilities, a “smart shirt” that can monitor vital signs and administer CPR in the event of an emergency, "sensory" shoe inserts that can provide older adults with the same balance as a 20-year old, and a personal assistance robot that can hear, see, and smell.

External links

• Andrew Carle Bio.
• "Mason Professor Dubs Products for the Elderly “Nana” Technology", by Lori Jennings in The Mason Gazette (Aug 8, 2006)
• Andrew Carle demonstrates Nana technology.
• Andrew Carle discusses Train the Brain.
• Andrew Carle on Fox News.
• Nana Technology Podcast on KUT.
• Nana Technology, by Phuonh Ly in Business 2.0, (Oct 2007).
• Definition in Double Tongued.
• Nintendo's Brain Age 2 Keeps Your Mind Active, (Sep 13, 2007).
• Tech Series II: Compromised imagination, (Nov 30, 2007).
• "George Mason University Professor names Top Ten “Nana” Technologies", GMU Press Release (Jan 9, 2007)
• ‘Nana technology’: It’s Changing Aging Services, by Kay Harvey.
• ‘Professor Names Grandparent Holiday Gift Ideas’ (Nov 17, 2008)