SBIR-STTR Award

The project will systematically examine the feasibility of developing decision-support software and related materials to help older persons make individual plans and key decisions about a wide range of options for financing longterm care. The project team will work with an expert panel to 1) identify possible capabilities for decision-support computer software; 2) determine if it is feasible to develop appropriate decision-trees; 3) explore the feasibility of using existing databases, software tools and computer models to facilitate product development; 4) conduct research on the perceived need for and potential benefits of decision- support software for older persons and for professionals in the field of aging, using focus groups with three age ranges (40-59, 60-70, >70) and 30 telephone interviews with professionals in aging and financial planning; 5) develop detailed specifications for decision-support software and related materials based on the recommendations of the expert panel and the research findings; and 6) analyze the feasibility of the new product design (analyses of needs, demand, technical feasibility, production, financial and legal).National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Proposed commercial application:The project will develop two consumer- oriented software products for planning the financial aspects of long-term care; (1) a module for the best-selling Quicken Financial Planner, targeted to middle-agers doing general retirement planning; (2) our own product, Your Long-term Care Counselor and its Consumer Guide, targeted to older persons and their families, and to financial planners, insurance agencies, employee assistance programs, and geriatric care managers involved in more current long-term care decisions.Thesaurus termsaging, computer assisted medical decision making, computer program /software, computer system design /evaluation, extended care, health care cost /financing, interactive multimedia computer assisted instruction, computer human interaction, retirement human data, human middle age (35-64), human old age (65+)National Institute on Aging (NIA)