Author: Jonathan
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Why start monitoring before you think you need to?
“Myah sounds great, but I don’t need it yet. I’m getting along fine.” We hear this a lot, and it makes sense. Why spend money on something you don’t need? The assumption is that Myah is a response to a problem. This got me thinking: while we’ve built Myah to help prevent problems, is there…
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Cameras, check-ins, and the gap in between
Two families we’ve spoken to recently have put doorbell-style cameras inside a parent’s home. The appeal is obvious: a button to press if something’s wrong, a notification when someone comes and goes, face recognition to show who’s at the door, and a live view whenever you want to check in. It’s a completely understandable response…
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What to do when a parent refuses help: a guide for families
Your parent refuses help at home — and you’re stuck between worry and wanting to respect their independence. Here are some tips to help with this difficult conversation.
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Behind the wheel with 100 year old driving school
The 100 year old driving school ITV program has highlighted the issues of driving later in life and at the same time a new guide, Behind the Wheel, has been published to help older people stay safe on the roads. The guide (available in large-print and audio as well as online) contains advice on how…
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Active 10 minutes to get healthy
Over the summer there were a slew of announcements about the need to get fit in middle age to ward off major illness when older – aimed at those in their 40s, 50s and 60s. A key part of the recommendation is to get a bit more exercise into daily life. But how do you…
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Old people’s home for 4-year-olds
This week, I’ve watched this program on Channel 4. It received great reviews on social media and in the press. It enthralled all my family and was genuinely heart-warming watching the transformation of 11 frail residents in an old people’s home. The older people were first assessed physically and mentally and were typically losing their…
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Fall prevention excercises & technology for motivation
Two older women from my community have had falls in the last month – one resulting in a broken arm, the second no lasting injury this time, but previously she has broken both hips due to falls. I enquired about how she had found fall prevention classes and was amazed that she’d never heard of…
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Preserving Purpose key to positive ageing
Maintaining mental activity and social contact are life savers according to Public Health England, as social isolation is a killer condition linked to 30% increase in death. It is not just mental health that is affected but physical health too. This was one of the key messages from a recent conference of health and social…
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Musical Memories with Amazon Echo and Spotify
Earlier today I caught a piece of music I hadn’t heard for 30 or more years. Suddenly I could smell the polish from school days, and memories & emotions came flooding back. It reminded me that although my Dad lost the ability to express himself with words in later years he was still able to…
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Data safety first
A recent Which? investigation revealed that our personal contact details are freely collected and sold and can be use to defraud people . Smart meters, phones and social media give deep insight into our lives but it is not clear who owns the data or if it is being sold or shared. As we…