We’re living longer. But are we ageing better? When do we begin to age? When do we start preparing for retirement? When do we begin to screen for life threatening conditions?
With a shift in mindset and the advancement of science, the future of healthy longevity seeks to prolong health and overall wellbeing across the life span. New solutions are being developed around the world today that will dictate the quality of longevity now and in the future.
Healthy ageing is no longer limited to the physical and medical support of the maturing population. It seeks to support emotional, social, educational and financial wellbeing of individuals.
Analysis of innovations that impact healthy ageing
We began our exploration by combining various recent academic research on innovation in healthy ageing. We then examined research on related companies using syndicated data sources, regardless of size and maturity, to get a comprehensive view of ageing related technology. These innovations and some related examples have been divided into eight segments based on their areas of impact in the human “healthspan” and then split across three categories representing the stages of the ageing process as shown below.
Analysis: This reading taught me a lot about the current technological innovations that are helping to support the aging population. I was specifically impressed with how AI is being used to monitor and detect diseases in early stages, and how virtual reality is being used to help older adults maintain their cognitive health. Since these are ways in which technology can be beneficial instead of disruptive to older adults, it makes me wonder what ways we can make mobile banking more beneficial than disruptive to their lives as well. Mobile banking itself is a very beneficial, convenient way of managing finances, but for older adults who do not know how to use apps and interact with a digital user interface that well, it may appear more harmful than helpful. It also makes me question what ways we can make banking technology more inclusive for the older population, especially those with hearing loss, loss of sight and other sensory issues.
Citation:
8 tech innovations that support a healthy ageing population. World Economic Forum. (n.d.-a). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/11/8-tech-innovations-that-support-a-healthy-ageing-population/
