SBIR-STTR Award

Many rural older adults are often forced to leave the homes in which they have raised families and lived for decades because they can no longer physically, financially, or emotionally maintain their homes. Until now, little attention has been focused on technological tools, social structures, and practical ways to empower people to remain in their homes. This proposal fills that gap. The demographics of Maine and the country illustrate the importance of this approach. Some 78 million Baby Boomers will soon be facing this critical juncture in their lives. Some will leave their homes and enter assisted living facilities, at a huge economic and social cost to themselves, their heirs and public resources. This project seeks to determine the feasibility of developing a practical and proactive business model and process for rural Maine citizens to successfully and productively age in place. The proposed will research will assist in helping people to create a vision and plan for their own aging which will help them conserve the resource that often means the most to them,their home,while also saving public funds which could better be used for other needs. OBJECTIVES: This Phase I SBIR proposal seeks to determine the feasibility of developing a practical and proactive business model and process for rural Maine citizens to successfully and productively age in place. Many rural older adults are often forced to leave the homes in which they have raised families and lived for decades because they can no longer physically, financially, or emotionally maintain their homes. Until now, little attention has been focused on technological tools, social structures, and practical ways to empower people to remain in their homes. This proposal fills that gap. The demographics of Maine and the country illustrate the importance of this approach. Some 78 million Baby Boomers will soon be facing this critical juncture in their lives. Some will leave their homes and enter assisted living facilities, at a huge economic and social cost to themselves, their heirs and public resources. This proposal will research the alternative: helping people to create a vision and a plan for their own aging which will help them conserve the resource that often means the most to them, their home, while also saving public funds which could better be used for other needs. Specifically, it is essential to fully understand the market in Maine for Global Wellness' aging in place products, services and business philosophy. Here our objective is to determine if existing government, business or nonprofit service providers are adequately serving the identified market. Is there a demand for and/or receptivity to Global Wellness' products, services and business approach? What information and service delivery systems are in place now to reach our target population? What's missing? What are the computer and Internet availability and usage among Maine's aging population? What is an affordable fee structure? Next, our objective is to adapt a known process of proactive visioning and planning to the specific tasks of helping to develop, guide and implement personal care and home management planning decisions and actions. Here, we will asses at what age/stage of life is the tool most effective, and whether the tool/process be used effectively by the already elderly or is it only useful to proactive planners. The objective is to produce a tool, which can be used effectively by family members and informal caregivers. Additionally we will determine the optimal information management system (IMS) for the Global Wellness business. Our objective is to produce a database that is comprehensive, reliable, secure and user-friendly. We must incorporate and protect customer information within this database in such a way as to protect confidentiality of customer data as well as restrict competitors' access to the database. Finally, our objective is to begin development of the business model, which will be further refined during Phase II and lead to commercialization in Phase III. APPROACH: We will begin by compiling a complete demographic portrait of Maine's rural elderly population utilizing U.S. Census data and existing, current studies from private and public sources, e.g. Maine's Center for Aging at the University of Maine in Orono, the Maine State Planning Office, the Maine Community Action Association, the Maine-University of New England Geriatric Education Center, and the Muskie Institute at the University of Southern Maine. Part of our approach here is to identify the target population and the geographic study area for a market survey and a pilot study to be done in Phase II Next, we will conduct a literature search focused on the culture of aging in New England and how this culture impacts Maine's elderly population. We will also compile a comprehensive list of service providers to the elderly in the target population area: public, private, for profit, nonprofit, formal and informal. This will require us to determine who is implementing aging in place wellness and information management systems directed to the rural elderly. Having identified a target population, and assessed what services are currently available to them, we will design, implement and analyze a survey directed to the target population, which captures their perceptions and expectations of aging. Once having collected and evaluated the research data above, we will determine if the a known method can be used by and with Maine's elderly to help develop, guide and implement personal care and home management planning and actions. We will administer this new prototype in the target population. We will then determine if it is a useful tool, which helps, Maine's elderly plan their futures, maintain a healthy lifestyle and remain in their homes and communities. We will also determine how the resulting software will interface with the Global Wellness IMS and business model. Through qualitative interviews with GW and associated parties (e.g. service providers), we will conduct a basic systems analysis. We will design a logical Database Structure by using standard Entity-Relationship. We will want to know how much human intervention is required to construct useful on-line resource directories and what resources will be required to host, administer and maintain the database. Once a prototype directory has been completed, we will construct and test a prototype search engine that will be more useful to our customers than a typical Internet search. The final step in our approach is to begin development of the new GW business model. This will include development of partnership and outsourcing criteria and identification of private and public agencies and entities that are best suited to co-implement the business with GW. We will determine how public resources can be leveraged to ensure private buy-in and investment. As a lead-in to Phase II, we will plan the details of the pilot study of the GW business model to take place in Maine in Phase II

America's rapidly aging population is a key factor in the escalating costs of health care, long term care and health insurance--problems of critical national importance. For most Americans, their home is their primary asset. A lack of planning, knowledge and awareness of the aging process among Americans is leading to the unnecessary loss of personal assets.The problems associated with aging in America are more pronounced in rural areas. Lower population density can lead to higher social and geographic isolation. Home ownership is higher in rural areas, with the homes themselves harder to maintain due to lower than average household incomes. In Maine, older than average housing stock exacerbates the problem. Most people are not prepared to remain in their homes for as long as they can. Global Wellness has found that many elders are eager to adopt a new model for their own aging, but are not sure how to go about it. There are ôplannersö among them, people who ôstress a carefully thought-out agenda of activities, resources and priorities around which to organize retired life,ö but our society ôlacks norms for structuring the transition into this later phase of maturity (Savishinsky, 2007).ö GW's ôwhole life planningö means inclusion of at least eight other areas of living in addition to financial: home, health, family, education, recreation, spiritual, professional/work, and community. GW's TSC¬ software and planning process can be used and valued as way to create a unique and motivating ôwhole lifeö action plan for their own aging. OBJECTIVES: Our overall approach and chief research objective is to continue developing and testing a range of planning services with a supporting software tool,Third Start Catalyst, to assist individuals, couples and families as they prepare for successful aging both in their homes and in their workplaces. GW will need to consider the following: (a) For facilitated and self-facilitated TSC,how can online instructions and user manuals be developed to address varying needs, concerns, computer skills of individuals and couples at different life stages? (b) How interested are adult lifelong learners in using the computer to develop their own Third Stage Life Portfolios? Are lifelong learners motivated proactive planners? Can the Third Start Catalyst become an accepted tool for use with Third Stage Life Portfolio planning by lifelong learners in Maine and around the U.S.? We will also develop an understanding of institutional (nonprofit, for profit and governmental) customer needs in reference to use of the Third Start Catalyst visioning and planning tool with their employees, clients and customers. GW will structure the TSC so that employers, government agencies and nonprofits will embrace and use it as part of their Health and Wellness programs. GW will conduct in-depth interviews with Human Resource Managers to address topics such as: Is this a potential business generation/retention tool to offer to customers? Is the tool useful to insurers in limiting their liability? How do employers view this for their employees? Do agencies see this as having potential value for their employees or customer populations? If so, how can this be made available to them? As a result of this technical objective, GW will be able to identify the highest priority market segment and marketing distribution channel for its first target of commercialization. We will also develop the business processes and support materials for delivering Third Start Catalyst planning services Development of the final products will depend on an evaluation of the time will it take individuals and couples to complete the TSC in both facilitated and self-facilitated settings. Then to support the TSC, GW will clearly identify the coaching, referral and support services required by each customer group. GW will continue to refine the GW business model to determine optimal structure and strategic positioning for commercialization. Based on our customers' needs, we will assess what kinds of functions GW should outsource and what can be accomplished within GW. As part of the support services, GW will need to develop an Information Management Systems (IMS) that is user-friendly and responsive to customers, staff, and outsourced support service providers. Price development: Key to acceptance by its customers will be the cost of this service. GW must create products that are affordable and value added. As part of this effort, GW will develop a pricing structure for the TSC and its services. Market Development: GW will begin to develop an overall brand that embraces the product and support services and create an innovative marketing plan. APPROACH: To further develop TSC software prototype for use with individuals and couples, GW will test the prototype with a representative sampling of individuals and couples throughout the study area in Maine. Under the guidance of GW, the CoA will conduct the survey at the following locations: Senior Management, Executives from Coastal Enterprises, Inc., Retreat Setting, Global Wellness facilities, Brunswick, Maine Adult learners, Merrymeeting Adult Education, Brunswick, Maine Civilian workers, Brunswick Naval Air Station, at Coastal Counties Workforce Inc., Training Resource Center, Brunswick, Maine Employees of a major retailer to be determined in Phase II, Hannaford Bros. supermarket, L.L. Bean, or other Clients of a major financial services company, to be determined in Phase II, AG. Edwards or other, bigger financial service company, such as Fidelity, Schwab, T. Rowe Price, AmeriPrise, possibly Smith Barney, with branch offices and clientele in Maine Seasoned Workforce Center members, Rockland Career Center, Rockland, Maine Adult learners, Penobscot Valley Senior College, University of Maine, Orono, Maine In Phase I the CoA was successful in profiling the wellness planning needs of individual older adults and couples through a random mailed research survey design. This research uncovered a potential market for Global Wellness products and provided further detail on the characteristics of potential end users. Phase II activities will expand on this knowledge assessing the feasibility of expanding and modifying the software package and services for other key groups of end users including groups/classroom style presentations, and institutional and government clients. Research will also look at the types of support services desired by individual and couple users. To develop an understanding of institutional customer needs in reference to use of the Third Start Catalyst visioning and planning tool with their employees, customers and clients, GW with assistance from CoA will develop interview questions will conduct in-depth interviews with prospective institutional customers in the pilot study area regarding Maines aging workforce and validate institutional marketing distribution channel requirements and preferences, including market segments such as insurance companies, hospitals and family-owned businesses. The CoA will train Global Wellness staff in the use of an interview protocol that will assist in understanding the applications of the TSC package for potential institutional customers. A sample of large employers will be selected that represent potential market segments. Interview probes and scripting will be developed in collaboration with Global Wellness and will measure the needs of potential institutional customers through the use of open and closed-choice items. Probes will assess the current retirement planning systems in place within each institution as well as the potential for implementing new systems and the barriers that may keep such institutions from creating retirement planning systems.