the limits of agetech

What ‘AgeTech’ Can — and Can’t — Do

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As the founder and director of MIT’s AgeLab, Dr. Joe Coughlin is one of our leading thinkers on the differences technology can make in our lives as we age. So the stance he took in his piece on “Buying Longevity” grabbed my attention.

In the piece — written just before the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas —  he noted the explosion of “AgeTech” devices and products aimed at the average consumer.

“Sleep trackers. Recovery scores. Health dashboards. Coaching apps. Devices that promise not just productivity or entertainment, but longevity itself,” he wrote. “What used to live in clinics, research labs, or wellness retreats is now packaged, priced, and placed on retail shelves.”

And his reaction: Hold on a second. While this technology provides some benefit, its costs are beginning to add up. And more importantly, technology by itself will not put more life in our years.

I feel the same way. I’ve often talked about how housing and healthcare — two crucial elements of quality of life for older adults — work best when the element of community is mixed in.

Community produces belonging and engagement, which in turn helps create a sense of purpose for each of us. And that, to me, is the secret sauce that makes the difference as we grow older.

Joe has noted that increases in longevity mean at traditional retirement age, one can expect to live, on average, 8,000 more days. Technology can do a lot for us in those 8,000 days, but it can’t deliver a sense of purpose.

As Joe writes, “The risk is not that we are investing too much in longevity science or technology. The risk is that we are underinvesting in the lived experience of longevity, such as connection, structure, meaning, and mattering to other people.”

In the end, it’s not a stat from a wearable device or feedback from a fitness app that motivates us to get out of bed each day. It’s much something much simpler: our relationships with other people.

investing in healthy aging

McKinsey Makes the Economic Case for Investing in Healthy Aging

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I like to highlight and promote new and innovative ideas around aging, senior living and care in this space. But I would not be surprised if some readers react by asking themselves, “Those ideas sound wonderful, but are they really practical?”

For those who have had that thought, I would point to a Sept. 2025 report from the McKinsey Health Institute that makes the economic case for investing in healthy aging in the U.S.

The report shows that initiatives that improve healthy aging often produce real social and economic benefits.

Many in our field — myself included — talk about the qualitative benefits of initiatives aimed at helping older Americans. But it’s good to see McKinsey take a quantitative approach to the issue.

McKinsey examined 18 interventions in eight categories (or “avenues,” as they call them), and estimated their potential return on investment. On average, for every $1 invested, the interventions produced a $3 return in economic and healthcare benefits.

In the chart shared below, McKinsey placed the interventions on a graph that rates their impact (x axis) and feasibility (y axis). The larger the circle, the greater the ROI.

mckinsey healthy aging interventions

Several interventions jumped out at me, led by the big blue circle in the upper-right corner: orchestrating volunteer-matching programs.

McKinsey gives that intervention an ROI multiple of 24.3 — significant benefit for minimal investment, in other words. On scales of 1 to 4, it rates above 3 in both impact and feasibility.

I’m not surprised this intervention would score well. It’s about engagement — pairing older adults with young people. And it’s about the power of volunteerism.

Those sorts of activities create connections and help older adults feel as though they’re making a difference. There’s no doubt that both are important factors in healthy aging.

Other interventions that stood out to me included:

▶️Subsidizing defensive driving courses (14.4 ROI multiple)

▶️Investing in at-home medication technology (7.6)

▶️Expanding scam awareness training programs (4.8)

▶️Enabling employment re-entry (4.3)

All of the interventions listed above scored a 3.0 or more on ROI, 2.25 or more on impact, and 2.0 or more on feasibility.

I couldn’t agree more with the assertion made in the report: We have reached the point where we need to make “a once-in-a-generation choice: adapt and reimagine systems to support longevity for all or risk stagnation with outdated structures.”

Or, as I often ask, will the longevity our society has gained in the last century be a triumph or a tragedy for older adults in the 21st century? Research like McKinsey’s can help chart the course toward a triumph.

aarp video millennials what old looks like

Why We Need a New Narrative for Aging

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I’ve been saying for some time that we desperately need a new narrative for aging in this country.

If you’re not sure what that means — or why it’s needed — three recent pieces do a great job of explaining why.

I’ll tackle them one by one:

1. AARP Asks Young People “What age do you consider to be old?”

In a video, AARP asked several young people to name an age that they consider “old,” and to show how they picture old people.

The responses were ages that few if any of you would call old: 40s, late 40s, 50, etc.

And when asked to show how an old person crosses the street or sends a text, the young people limped, shuffled, squinted and grimaced. It wasn’t pretty.

The video did a great job of showing the challenge we face: A generation (or generations) that holds a variety of out of touch, ageist attitudes.

2. The Wall Street Journal Shows the Difficulty of Navigating Job Loss for Older Workers

Veronica Dagher and Anne Tergesen write that “a bumpy transition often awaits people who get laid off or take buyouts late in their careers.”

One of the older adults interviewed was Kevin Crain, 64, who took early retirement from Bank of America. He found part-time work and his footing — eventually.

“Had I known there were ways to transition into retirement and still work and be engaged,” Crain said, “I would have thought about doing it earlier.”

Crain discovered there’s no roadmap available for our later years.

Many still expect to retire in their 50s or 60s and die in their 60s or 70s. But modern careers and lives don’t often work out that way.

This piece shows what’s at stake for older adults on a personal level. Older Americans not only struggle to find new jobs, they struggle to find the sense of identity and purpose that often go along with the work.

3. Axios Focuses on the Challenges an Aging Society Creates

The U.S. population of adults over 65 is growing, and the cohort under 18 is shrinking. Axios delved into this demographic trend and its potential effects — highlighting the problems.

The piece lists 11 states with more older adults than children and talks about the burdens these states face. They will need more careworkers, for instance. Economic decline could be next.

The thing is, this article assumes that older Americans are done being productive. They will be only a burden, with not enough young people available to support them.

We face a grim future if we assume older adults have nothing to contribute to society.  That’s a faulty assumption. They have plenty to offer.

Conclusion

These three pieces make it clear that the stakes are high, and stereotypes about older adults run deep.

That’s why we need a new narrative about aging.

It seems like a tall task. But if you want to feel hopeful, watch until the end of the AARP video. When the young people spend time with older adults, their attitudes change.

It’s evidence that we’re not stuck in the present. People, and society, can evolve.

What ‘Familiar Touch’ Can Teach Us About Dementia and Aging

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It’s not surprising that one of the most compelling discussions I heard at the 2025 NIC Fall Conference followed the screening of the award-winning film, “Familiar Touch.”

Familiar Touch is the rare film that portrays aging and dementia with honesty, nuance and care, and we were fortunate to have a session that featured three panelists and a moderator who provided real insights and actionable takeaways.

Here are what I thought were the key points from the session, moderated by Front Porch Communities & Services CEO Sean Kelly:

💡“Familiar Touch” is attuned to who Ruth, the lead character played by Kathleen Chalfant, is now and what she wants and needs — not just what she has lost through dementia.

The film doesn’t deny nor sugarcoat the realities of dementia. But as writer-director Sarah Friedland said, we carry the human spirit with us as we age. We don’t lose it at a certain age or because of a given ailment.

Chalfant’s Ruth is still looking to experience joy. It doesn’t help when many of those around react as if her life is over, fixating on what she has lost.

💡Panelist Kris Engskov, co-founder and CEO of Rippl, challenged our industry and the country to address what we’re facing: an epidemic of older adults with dementia.

That epidemic isn’t coming — it’s here. An increasing percentage of our residents have some form of dementia at some stage.

There are evidence-based best practices available, Kris said, which give operators the chance to do much more than simply warehousing residents. We can help staff connect with them, delay the onset of outward symptoms in some cases, and, most importantly, help individuals regain a sense of joy and human connection.

💡Changes in dementia diagnosis, care and treatment have been coming quickly, and it’s not likely to slow down soon. Monica Moreno, senior director for dementia care navigation for the Alzheimer’s Association®, urged operators to keep up.

There now are person-centered care training guidelines, for instance, and other avenues of support for residents and caregivers. Senior housing and care organizations must ensure their staff is up to speed, with the necessary training and the resource support of experts in the field.

Monica’s points led to a discussion about partnerships. Operators may not feel like experts in this rapidly evolving field, but the Alzheimer’s Association, Rippl and other organizations can offer help in the form of tools, training and the latest expertise.

💡“Familiar Touch” is a unique film which has enabled many needed discussions. Sean said it well:

“(The movie) really provides the rare, honest view of what it may be to be older. I think too often we see one or the other — it’s totally awesome, and we know it’s not, or it’s completely terrible, and we know it’s not just that. It’s both.”

helen mirren taylor hackford aging

Helen Mirren and Society’s Condescending, Negative Attitude Toward Aging

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Actress Helen Mirren made news recently with her visceral reaction to murmurs of  “Awwwww” and “Isn’t that cute?” when she and her husband, both in their 80s, hold hands in public.

“It’s like, excuse my language: ‘F*%$ off,’ ” she said during a recent promotional appearance. “There’s something very condescending about some people’s attitudes, and I think they think they are being kind and generous. But they’re not. They’re being insulting.”

Mirren’s strong reaction is understandable and justifiable. In the situation she describes, like many others, people assume that when you reach a certain age, you’re no longer qualified to exhibit what are really just normal adult behaviors.

To many younger people, an older couple showing affection is a surprise and a novelty. Their reaction shows it.

Mirren is right to label it as patronizing.

But in the same appearance, she made a deeper point which may be getting lost:

As you get older, she said, “you lose certain stuff, but you gain other stuff.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Yes, we lose things as we age. It might be physical prowess. Maybe some degree of mental acuity. Sadly, we lose some friends.

But what do we gain?

The top benefit, I would say, is gaining invaluable perspective with age.

The knowledge and experience we accrue brings wisdom about ourselves and about life.

We learn lessons.

We figure out what works for us and what doesn’t.

And we even discover that certain things that we’re at risk of losing, we actually may be able to keep them as long as we use them (see my recent LinkedIn post on losing cognitive skills as we age).

Thanks to society’s stubborn ageism — and the internalized ageism older adults often imbibe — we tend to focus on the negative aspects of getting older. We miss the positive aspects of aging.

That’s a real problem, because it’s never been more important to highlight those positives. Our society is getting older. And, on average, people are living longer.

If we want longevity to be a bonus instead of a curse, we need to recognize the benefits of being an older adult and restructure both our expectations and our social and economic systems to capture these benefits.

Imbued with perspective, experience and wisdom, older adults can help boost our economy, strengthen volunteer organizations and build stronger communities.

Or perhaps I should say they can, if we let them.

bob kramer slif talk 2025

A New Narrative of Aging Can Solve Big Problems

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We desperately need a new narrative about aging in the United States.

Why? Perhaps the biggest reason is that it will create opportunities to address some of our country’s most pressing problems.

I was happy to have the chance to describe these opportunities during my talk last summer at the Senior Living Innovation Forum (SLIF) in New Mexico. You can watch the full presentation below, but I’ll hit the highlights in the text, too.

Before I get to the ways a new narrative of aging can solve big problems, I’ll share the four reasons our current, outdated narrative doesn’t work:

➡️ It doesn’t speak to the realities of age and aging in 2025.

➡️ It doesn’t speak to the desires of Boomers, Gen Xers, or their Millennial children.

➡️ It is rooted in a framework of moral obligation that is at risk of collapsing.

➡️ It doesn’t speak to the needs of our society today — in fact, it often exacerbates those needs instead.

The fourth reason leads to the assertion I made at the beginning of this post: A new narrative about aging will create opportunities to address some of our most pressing problems.

In the current narrative, older adults are a burden and net takers — not givers or contributors.

But given the increase in longevity (and healthy longevity) we are seeing, there’s even more reason to view older Americans as a vital asset rather than a costly liability.

If we do, they are well-positioned to help solve some of the toughest challenges our society faces:

💪 Workforce: Immigration is decreasing and deportations are increasing. But adults aged 55 to 80 remain the largest untapped workforce in America.

💪 Volunteerism: If we encourage and accept older adults into the ranks of volunteers, they will create enormous social capital. Whether it’s mentoring, teaching, or even caregiving, their contributions are desperately needed.

💪 Loneliness: We’re seeing alarmingly high rates of isolation and loneliness among those aged 18 to 29. Intergenerational programming and housing — connecting younger adults with older adults — can help ameliorate this crisis.

💪 Healthcare costs: Older adults can help curb escalating healthcare costs by spurring a move from a “sickcare” system, where they drive volume and cost, to a “wellcare” system that prioritizes prevention, prediction and proactive management of chronic conditions.

💪 Community building: Sadly, we have become a badly fractured society. Who better than older adults, with their reserves of perspective and wisdom, to play a key role in healing those rifts, especially at the community level.

If we can’t change our narrative of aging, we’ll miss out on these opportunities. Instead, our problems will grow worse, while increased longevity becomes more and more of a  burden for older adults — and for our society.

Here’s the recording of my talk:

aging is not a disease

No, Aging Is Not a Disease

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I can’t believe I have to say this: Aging is not a disease.

You might have seen the same Wall Street Journal story that I did earlier this year, raising the question in its headline: “The Scientific Fight Over Whether Aging Is a Disease.”

Initially, I was appalled — anyone who considers aging a disease is stigmatizing a huge population group.

But it’s worse than that. I can’t help but wonder if some are seeking this classification for the sake of drug companies and others who want to promote the latest version of the “Fountain of Youth.” It’s an awful idea.

Chasing youth is practically our national pastime. But in the age of longevity, what many miss is the fact that a large percentage of older adults, especially Boomers and Gen-Xers, aren’t looking for magic potions, and we know we’re not going to feel like we’re 25 again. We have to be both honest and realistic about what I describe as the aches, pains and inconveniences that accompany our advancing years.

To get the most out of our later years, we focus on the advantages that come with being older, from the wisdom to make better choices to a fundamental happiness that is hard to come by earlier in life.

There’s real value in the experience, maturity and perspective of older adults. As a society, we risk losing it if we see everyone past a certain age as carrying the “disease” of aging. We’ll end up in a place where:

👉 Ageist stereotypes grow stronger as getting older is viewed as something bad and to be avoided.

👉 Those who have “succumbed to the disease of aging” are viewed as net takers in society.

👉 We’ll view the coming surge in the number of older adults as a disaster, instead of an opportunity to leverage added longevity for the benefit of all society.

Sadly, the labeling of aging as a disease seems likely to enable “get-young-quick” schemes that will prey on vulnerable older adults, while lining the pockets of people who are promoting their drug, their food, or their program as the key to eternal youth.

In the end, classifying aging as a disease might help these long-life enthusiasts — but it will do precious little for older Americans.

Illustration courtesy Wall Street Journal

Innovation for Senior Living

Are We Being Bold Enough? Bob Kramer Keynotes SLIF 2021

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Bob Kramer set the tone of this year’s Senior Living Innovation Forum by kicking off the first day of the conference with a provocative keynote speech. “Are we being bold enough?” asked Kramer. “No. The industry demands a significant shakeup.”

What does innovation mean for the next generation of senior living customers? Will they be our customers? Is increased longevity a blessing or a curse? Will the boomers be a vast resource that is both unwilling and unwanted as contributors to our society and economy? What does senior living have to do with it? And what about those who have been left behind in the longevity revolution?

According to Kramer, the upcoming generation of senior living customers “wants nothing to do with senior living” because the image that comes into their minds when they think about senior living is a negative one. It is our job, he said, to reimagine and redefine what senior living can mean for the next generation.

His keynote set off some lively conversations and debates, with several following speakers referencing and adding further insight to Kramer’s remarks.

Other highlights of the event include a talk from Nexus Fellow and Here founder Ryan Frederick about his book, “Right Place, Right Time: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Home for the Second Half of Life” and Fellow Sarah Thomas’ interactive session on experience design.

 

Watch Bob Kramer’s entire speech:

 

Photo courtesy of Influence Group.

 

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