Quality Of Life For The Aging

Let’s keep changing the world, one product at a time. In this round, we’d like to improve daily life for the aging population. Let’s figure out how to help regain control over tasks that become harder as people grow older.

This week’s brief is aimed at maintaining the quality of life for the aging.

For those who don’t have firsthand experience, here’s a list of common problems that occur as the years roll by:
-Blurry vision, eye problems
-Slowed reaction time
-Weakened memory
-Diminished sense of taste or smell
-Loss of strength, dexterity
-Shaky hands
-Decreased hand-eye coordination

Although they’re not life threatening, these problems really chip away at the actions people are used to completing for themselves. Simple things like opening a bottle of medicine, clasping a bracelet, or chopping food for dinner become difficult. Pay attention to the tasks you do everyday. What do you take for granted? Imagine how those actions would be impacted if one or more of your senses were weakened.

Once you’ve identified a problem, think about how a product can solve that problem. What would help someone go about a daily routine like nothing has changed? For inspiration, here’s a list of products that have achieved this goal:
-Magnetic clasp (for bracelets, necklaces, etc.)
-Needle threader
-Still in development, and a recent Quirky submission, the easy grip leverage product for heavy pots and pans [link: http://www.quirky.com/ideations/74827]

Simple ideas are great, and we’re also open to more complex solutions. Our usual parameters apply: physical consumer products that would retail for less than $150 and do not require integrated software. We will conduct DMV research (design potential, marketability and viability) to determine which ideas would be a smart business decision.

You can submit one idea for free, and the deadline is Mon, Aug 8, at noon ET. If you have an idea that would make someone’s day-to-day a whole lot better, submit it to Quirky!