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Webinar: Smart Assistive Technology Driving Changes in Management of Continence

Author: CCSATC & Simavita

Published By: CCSATC 

Published On: 17 March 2016

In this webinar, Leonie Mulheran from Simavita will discuss the prevalence of incontinence and importance of management in both the younger and the aged population and gender specific issues. Importantly, Leonie will discuss the role that Smart Assistive Technology could play for the Service Provider & the Consumer as well as economic impact and future possibilities. 

This webinar can be accessed by following the link below:

Smart Assistive Technology Driving Changes in Management of Continence

Category: Domestic Assistance Future Trends & Possibilies Local Perspectives Mobile Technologies Quality & Standards Smart AT General Smart Homes & Environmental Controls

Added by Lisa Kelly · 8 years ago

How Playing 3D Video Games Could Help Boost Memory

Author: Honor Whiteman

Published By: Medilexicon International Ltd.

Published On: 12 December 2015


Good news for all of you video game buffs out there; a new study finds playing 3D video games may help boost memory, possibly opening the door to a new way to maintain cognitive functioning as we age.

 

Video games are not normally viewed in a positive light in terms of health; previous studies have claimed they promote sedentary behavior, while violent video games have been linked to aggressive behavior and reduced self-control.

 

Increasingly, however, researchers are finding video games may have some benefits. Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported on a study that found Tetris could reduce cravings, while other research suggested story-based video games could help people with autism.

 

Now, researchers from the University of California-Irvine (UCI) suggest the benefits of video games could reach even further, possibly helping people with dementia or other conditions associated with memory loss.

 

They publish their findings in The Journal of Neuroscience.

 

3D video games improved memory performance by 12%

 

Study coauthors Craig Stark and Dane Clemenson, of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory at UCI, asked a number of non-gamer college students to play one of two video games for 30 minutes daily for 2 weeks - either the 2D game "Angry Birds" or the 3D game "Super Mario 3D world."

 

Students took part in memory tests both before and after the 2-week gaming period, which involved them viewing images of specific everyday objects. They were then shown images of the same objects, new objects and objects that differed slightly from the original images and were asked to categorize each one.

 

Such tests engage the hippocampus - the brain region associated with memory and learning - according to Stark, and previous studies he conducted showed that the ability to perform well on such tests reduces as we age.

 

Compared with students who played the 2D game over the 2-week period, those who played the 3D game improved memory performance by around 12%.

 

To put this in context, the team notes that between the ages of 45-70, memory performance normally reduces by around 12%, suggesting that 3D video games could help maintain cognitive functioning as we age.

 

But why do 3D video games appear to boost memory while 2D games do not?

 

3D games may increase neuronal growth, signaling in the hippocampus

 

Previous studies by Clemenson and colleagues found rodents that explored an environment showed increased neuronal growth and signaling in the hippocampus, and the team notes there are similarities between the environment the rodents explored and the 3D game the students played.

 

Stark explains that 3D games contain more spatial information than 2D, giving the player more to explore. What is more, 3D games are significantly more complex, meaning the player has more to learn.

 

Stark adds that video games activate cognitive processes, including visual, spatial, attentional, motivational and emotional processes, as well as critical thinking, problem-solving and working memory.

 

"It's quite possible that by explicitly avoiding a narrow focus on a single [...] cognitive domain and by more closely paralleling natural experience, immersive video games may be better suited to provide enriching experiences that translate into functional gains," he explains.

 

Next, the team plans to determine whether 3D video games or other real-world exploration experiences can help reverse cognitive declines in older individuals.

 

"Can we use this video game approach to help improve hippocampus functioning? It's often suggested that an active, engaged lifestyle can be a real factor in stemming cognitive aging," says Stark. "While we can't all travel the world on vacation, we can do many other things to keep us cognitively engaged and active. Video games may be a nice, viable route."

 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/303789.php

Category: Future Trends & Possibilies International Perspectives Research Smart AT General Videos Virtual Environments

Added by Lisa Kelly · 8 years ago

Google Glass Apps for People with Disability Trialed by Telstra

Author: Media Access Australia 

Published By: Media Access Australia 

Published:  2016 

"The potential benefits of Google Glass for people with disability are becoming a reality thanks to a partnership between Telstra and app developers b2cloud.

Two Telstra employees – Kelly Schulz, who is blind, and Peter Miller, who is hearing impaired – were each given a Google Glass device with assistive apps installed. “These apps have been developed to see what could be done with technology to make the lives of hearing and vision impaired people a little easier,” said Telstra on itsblog(link is external).

In the video embedded below, Schulz demonstrates shopping using an optical recognition app on her Glass device. The app identifies a bag of peas and reads out the label. “To have that hands-free ability to identify objects, being connected to a fast network, being connected to the world and have it all private in your ear, on your head – fantastic!” said Schulz.

For Miller, an app provides a transcript of conversations in real time right before his eyes. “I can be a more active participant in meetings and conversations and I can walk into any meeting whatsoever without needing to book any special [captioning] services,” he said.

Tim O’Leary, Telstra’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said, “It’s the same technology for able people and people with disability. […] There’s a real sort of equity I think with the technology. The design is the same for everybody and that makes a huge difference for people’s self-esteem.”

Although Google Glass is not yet available to purchase in Australia, projects such as this will help ensure that the benefits of the technology for people with disability are realised by the time it enters the market. However, price may be a barrier for some with the device currently selling for over US$2,000."

Access the full story here: 
http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/digital-technology/google-glass-apps-for-people-with-disability-trialled-by-telstra

Category: Hearing Smart AT General

Added by Lisa Kelly · 8 years ago

Google Glass Apps for People with Disability Trialed by Telstra

 Author: Media Access Australia

Published by: Media Access Australia

Published: 2012

"The potential benefits of Google Glass for people with disability are becoming a reality thanks to a partnership between Telstra and app developers b2cloud.

Two Telstra employees – Kelly Schulz, who is blind, and Peter Miller, who is hearing impaired – were each given a Google Glass device with assistive apps installed. “These apps have been developed to see what could be done with technology to make the lives of hearing and vision impaired people a little easier,” said Telstra on itsblog(link is external).

In the video embedded below, Schulz demonstrates shopping using an optical recognition app on her Glass device. The app identifies a bag of peas and reads out the label. “To have that hands-free ability to identify objects, being connected to a fast network, being connected to the world and have it all private in your ear, on your head – fantastic!” said Schulz.

For Miller, an app provides a transcript of conversations in real time right before his eyes. “I can be a more active participant in meetings and conversations and I can walk into any meeting whatsoever without needing to book any special [captioning] services,” he said.

Tim O’Leary, Telstra’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said, “It’s the same technology for able people and people with disability. […] There’s a real sort of equity I think with the technology. The design is the same for everybody and that makes a huge difference for people’s self-esteem.”

Although Google Glass is not yet available to purchase in Australia, projects such as this will help ensure that the benefits of the technology for people with disability are realised by the time it enters the market. However, price may be a barrier for some with the device currently selling for over US$2,000."

Access the full story here: http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/latest_news/digital-technology/google-glass-apps-for-people-with-disability-trialled-by-telstra

Category: Hearing Smart AT General

Added by Lisa Kelly · 8 years ago

Uninvited Guests

Author: Superflux, Jon Ardem, Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Jon Flint 

Published By: Vimeo

Published: 2015 

"Uninvited Guests is a short film that explores the frictions between an elderly man and his smart home.  Thomas, aged 70, lives on his own after his wife died last year. His children send him smart devices to track and monitor his diet, health and sleep from a distance. But Thomas has always been fiercely independent, happy to live in an organised mess. He struggles with the order and rules imposed on him by the objects that are meant to make his life easier. In a world where ’smart objects’ will increasingly be used to provide care at a distance, how will we live with these uninvited guests? This film was created by Superflux Lab for the ThingTank project."

For further information visit: http://www.superflux.in/work/uninvited-guests

Watch at: https://vimeo.com/128873380



Category: Domestic Assistance Future Trends & Possibilies Local Perspectives Mobile Technologies Robotics Smart Homes & Environmental Controls

Added by Lisa Kelly · 8 years ago

Learnings from Scotland’s Innovation Programs - Janette Hughes

Author: Janette Hughes and CCSATC 

Published By: CCSATC

Published On: 6 January 2016


Janette lead the Wellness and Health Innovation project and most recently the Scottish ‘dallas’ programme – Living it Up, which developed a transformational and scalable digital service model for the over 50’s, focussed on co-designing services that enable them to remain healthy, happy and safe.  This webinar gives a brief overview of the Scottish ‘dallas’ Living it Up Program.

This webinar can be accessed by following the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqXuCILAmB



Category: Allied Health Connected Health Domestic Assistance Future Trends & Possibilies International Perspectives Smart Homes & Environmental Controls

Added by Lisa Kelly · 8 years ago

NDIA AT Strategy Paper

Author: NDIS

Published By: NDIS

Published On: October 2015

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was founded on a simple goal – to provide all Australians who are born with or acquire a permanent and significant disability before the age of 65 with the necessary supports to live a better life and one of inclusion. Advancements in technology will be crucial as the Agency works towards achieving this goal.

To read more please go to: 

http://www.ndis.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/AT-Paper.pdf

Category: NDIS

Added by Elizabeth Dodd · 8 years ago

Live Forum: Virtual Reality Session with leading developers and Service Providers

Presented by: Norman Wang from Opaque Multimedia, Ben Sheehan from Altish, Stewart Koplick from Endeavour

Recorded On: 12 January 2016

This Live Forum was specifically held and recorded for the Community Care Smart Assistive Technology Collaborative Platform.  

This forum's aim was to provide attendees with the opportunity to hear from leading experts and Service Providers and have the opportunity to engage directly through an interactive online forum.

Introduced by Anne Livingstone, Expert Reference Group Chair, National Chair of Australian Aged Care Industry Technology Council National Home Care Group and Research& Development Lead for Community Resourcing.

This is part of a series of sessions being facilitated by Community Resourcing for the Community Care Smart Assistive Technology Collaborative












Category: Virtual Environments Videos

Added by Ash-Lee Hall · 8 years ago

Online hub developed to assist people with hearing loss

Author/s: Natasha Egan

Published By: Technology Review

Published On: November 16, 2015

A new website aims to provide a one-stop hub for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired to discover new technology and learn from experts and peers about which products may help them.

Techfinder has been developed by not-for-profit organisation Conexu Foundation, which seeks advances in communication technology to improve the connectedness of deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired Australians through education, research and advocacy.

Conexu chief strategy officer Rachel McKay said one in six Australians is affected by hearing loss but surveys show half of them were unaware of the myriad tech products and communication tools that could help. That, or they were simply overwhelmed by the constantly evolving technology now available, she said.

The website has been designed with the input of focus groups to make it useful and user-friendly and draws on the knowledge of experts at the cutting-edge of technology around the world to provide the latest information.

Techfinder aims to respond to the day-to-day needs of people and addresses all aspects of a person’s life from learning to working and socialising.

Site features include:

product reviews

tech resources

blogs

forums

how-to guides

ideo tutorials

Visit www.techfinder.org.au or www.conexu.net.au for more information or watch an explanation video, which is available in audio and Auslan versions: Welcome to Techfinder.org.au Video



To view the original article go to:  Technology Review


Category: Hearing Videos

Added by Ash-Lee Hall · 8 years ago

A pilot study of telepractice delivery for teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss

Contributors: Gabriella Constantinescu, Monique Waite, Dimity Dornan, Emma Rushbrooke, Jackie Brown1, Jane McGovern,

Michelle Ryan1 and Anne Hill

Published By: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, by Sage Publishing

Published On: 2014

 

Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) is an early intervention approach for teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss.

However, conventional in person AVT services may not be accessible for children with hearing loss living in rural and remote areas. Thus children in rural and remote areas are at risk of further isolation in their community as they struggle to achieve their full potential in education, vocation and society. Telemedicine (also known as telepractice in this context) may improve access to specialised treatment like AVT for children with hearing loss and a number of programmes are emerging.

In Queensland, the Hear and Say organization provides both in person AVT and a telepractice programme (eAVT).

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the eAVT programme in promoting the spoken language development of young children with hearing loss.















Category: Hearing Rural & Remote Service Delivery

Added by Ash-Lee Hall · 8 years ago