Posted by Peter Radsliff on Tue, Sep 22, 2009
Here are ten reasons to get a Presto computerless email system for your grandparents this Holiday season:
1. It will let you contact grandma or grandpa when you really don’t have time for a 30 minute phone call.
2. You can eliminate excuses from extended family members for not staying in touch with the grandparents.
3. You can send digital photos to "gran" so you have something to talk about the next time you see her.
4. It's easy to send a list of important dates and events (birthdays, graduations, etc.) so grandma and grandpa don’t forget.
5. You can finally create and deliver Google map directions by email when they call to ask how to get somewhere.
6. You can also forward an authoritative article that proves to Grandma that you were right all along.
7. You are able to give the gift of bragging rights over their neighbors in the retirement village by sending same-day photos of their grandkids doing something spectacular.
8. Buying Presto for grandma and grandpa as a gift this holiday will save the family from enduring more “You never call” guilt trips.
9. You will make your grandparents the envy of all of their friends.
10. And finally, in finding the perfect gift for grandma or grandpa, you are also finding the perfect gift for you and the rest of the family, because you will never again need to get photo prints from the drugstore and send them via U.S. Mail. In fact, you can snap a photo with your iPhone, and email it to Grandpa who will get it a few hours later. And for grandma, how cool is that?
Posted by Peter Radsliff on Tue, Sep 22, 2009
Although the term nana-technology was coined in 2004 by Professor Andrew Carle of George Mason University, a pertinent question is whether this type of technology, focused on improving the quality of life for older adults, is working? As the country faces questions of fundamental access to health care, is the quality of life for seniors being lost in the shuffle?
As the CEO of a company that creates a "nana" technology, I see more and more pressure put on families trying to raise their own kids while helping take care of aging parents (the so-called “sandwich generation”). I also see more and more companies springing up with different variants of products and services to address this burgeoning market. But what I don’t see is any of those companies gaining any serious attention within the debate about restructuring healthcare.
When you consider the cost savings of aging-in-place versus moving a senior to an assisted living facility, even a delay of one MONTH would pay for a LIFETIME of Presto computerless email service. Considering that many caregivers live far from their parents, one would think that a tool that allows them to schedule medication or appointment reminders, send Google maps or web articles—not to mention photos of the grandkids—would be of high importance to help parents age-in-place while easing the work of caregiving. Besides, whether at home or in an institution, enabling extended family members to be only an email away from Grandma or Grandpa is priceless.
So if the value is so obvious, why isn't the government looking to Presto or any of the other nana-technology companies to help drive down the costs of caring for our aging population? Is it because the greatest generation is also the invisible generation, like so many elders have become before in American society?
Let's stop talking about “death panels,” and start talking about LIFE-panels, and investigate those nana-technologies, from Presto and others, that are ready and waiting to improve the quality of life for both grandparents and their sandwiched kids. Let's get the word out, and help millions of families in need know that help is available if they need it.
Posted by Peter Radsliff on Tue, Sep 22, 2009
Hi everybody! I'm Peter Radsliff, CEO of Presto Services Inc., developer of the Presto computerless email solution for seniors. It’s very important to me to let you know about the latest news about the Presto solution, the company itself, and other advances in technology that can help our elder loved ones age-in-place. So this blog is where you can find all sorts of information on these topics. In fact, we are continuing to focus on other extremely exciting caregiving-focused solutions that we will premiere in late 2009. So I recommend subscribing to the Presto Blog RSS Feed to stay abreast of developments in the field of elder technology.
If you are unfamiliar with the company, here is a bit about Presto…
Presto was founded in 2004 to find a better way to connect families using communication technologies that had been widely adopted by all but 58% of Americans over age 65* who don't go online. Since the initial launch of the Presto Mail service in late 2006, hundreds of thousands of people have finally enjoyed the ability to deliver to their elder loved ones a simple email with digital photo attached on the same day it was sent. As amazing as this sounds in 2009, getting email is still a revolution in independence for the majority of senior citizens.
Since Presto’s initial launch, we have found that many people use Presto to aid in remote caregiving of their parents, using Presto to deliver medication reminders, online maps and directions, boarding passes, and tax forms—the things the rest of us take for granted. In November of 2008, the company provided a system-wide upgrade called PrestoConnect. This provided an entire set of online tools to enable remote management of the Presto system, whole-family communication monitoring, pre-scheduling of future email deliveries, delivery confirmations and much more. In essence, we shifted Presto's features to be a tremendous aid for family caregiving, in addition to family communication.
I'd like to give my thanks to all Presto users who have turned this wonderful system into the vibrant ecosystem it is today. And, thanks to the dedicated people at Presto Services Inc., who come into work every day thinking of new ways to make the world better for our elder loved ones. You guys rock!
Peter Radsliff
*source: Pew Internet & American Life Project