Seniors, caregivers and entrepreneurs turn to tech as Canada's population gets older than ever

From robots that carry laundry baskets up the stairs to apps that help seniors communicate some in the technology sector are focused on how they can improve the lives of Canada's aging population.

At AgeTech Innovation Week, more than 25 vendors turned out to show off the latest tech and research.Toronto senior Lorna Earl came out of curiosity, but also as a member of the Toronto Council on Aging and her condo's health and wellness committee.

"We have so much more than I ever imagined would be available," she said. "It's very exciting."

Earl wants to see how the products are incorporated not just into individual homes but communities too.

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"I'm a baby boomer and I say that proudly," she said.

"Technology has followed us all through our lives. We do push the limits. And in fairly recent years, the limits are being pushed by an aging population that is used to having good support, good access and will advocate for themselves."

Over the next three decades, Statistics Canada projects thatthe number of people aged 85 and older could triple from 861,000 to 2.7 million.

By 2051, the agency says almost one-quarter of the population could be older than 64 meaning there'll be nearly 12 million seniors. Those projections are one of the driving forces behind a rise in technology focused on improving the lives of seniors and their caregivers.

University of Toronto professor Alex Mihailidis is the CEO of AGE-WELL, which hosted the multi-day event. He says one of the most important aspects of the event is educating people about the technology available to support them in their own homes.

"Obviously our population is getting older, we know that it's going to potentially be a challenge for us to deal with in terms of maintaining the health and wellness of our population. So the best thing that can happen is for us all to remain in our homes and communities of our choosing as we grow older," he said.

Mihailidis says technology isn't meant to replace caregivers, himself included, but to give them peace of mind by giving them the ability to stay connected with aging loved ones and knowledgeable about their health.

"I think we all have this expectation of technology being part of our health and wellness growing older, that's what this network is all about, helping to accelerate that," Mihailidis said.

Transferring patients 'at the push of a button'

Jayiesh Singh, CEO and co-founder of Able Innovations Inc watched his mother sustain injuries moving and transferring patients after working for years in long-term care homes. Knowing the problem was widespread, he says, was one of his motivations to create the ALTA Platform, a robotic patient transfer technology.

At the moment, Singh says the way people are moved in and out of their beds isn't often a dignified process.

"What we've done is develop the first of its kind technology that allows only one frontline staff to do it at the push of a button, it's really effortless," he said, adding that it's "a very comfortable experience for the patient or the resident.".

Already, Singh said a hospital in Ottawa is using the ALTA Platform and several other clients are in the works across North America. His future goal is to develop the technology in such a way that it can be used by people so they can get in and out of bed at home.

A stair-climbing robot

At Frank Naccarato's booth, the president and founder of Quantum Robotic Systems shows visitors how to operate a robot named Rosa, a robotic stair climbing assistant.

With an app Naccarato says is simple to use, you program in a destination and off Rosa goes. He says she can carry up to 50 pounds but his team is prototyping versions that can carry 500 pounds.

"It's a robot that will hopefully help seniors and people with mobility issues stay in their homes longer," he said.

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UBC researchers are studying how the social companion robots can be used in elder care.

Naccarato was inspired to build a robot capable of carrying up and down steps by his own parents' struggle in their two-storey home.

"If you've ever carried a really heavy laundry basket on stairs, it's inherently a dangerous thing to do. Stairs are a big obstacle for people seeking to age in place," Naccarato said.

Some devices are already in use

Mark Chignell, founder of Centivizer Inc, creates "interactive and rewarding technology-based activities tailored to stimulate physical and cognitive functions of the elderly."

One of his products is already being used in 12 long-term care homes across five provinces.

The game requires the user to cycle on the spot, while watching a screen with views of hundreds of places around the world making it feel like the resident is really in motion.

"A lot of older people don't get enough exercise, and if you don't get exercise you go downhill really fast," said Chignell, who noted that it's especially challenging for people with mobility or balance issues to exercise.

"A seated exercise is really powerful for older people," he said.

While Earl is excited for the future and the ways in which technologies are continuing to develop, she hopes people remain the focus.

"Technology is cool, but it's not a panacea," she said.

"We're all aging. So it's about older and younger people working together, as well, thinking about what the world we want to live in looks like."