Burbank, CA, September 1, 2013 — The Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing is pleased to support the Stanford Center on Longevity Student Design Challenge, a competition aimed at encouraging students to design products and services to improve the lives of older adults by keeping them as independent as long as possible through innovative solutions.
The Design Challenge will kick off on September 24 and will culminate next spring. Student design teams will use input from people experiencing cognitive impairment such as memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as input from their family members, friends and others who care for them, to develop innovative and creative solutions to these real-world problems.
The challenge topic is chosen in collaboration with aging service providers and investors, who identify the most pressing needs. Finalists will be given the opportunity to present their designs and discuss possible further collaborations with interested industry partners. Front Porch Center staff will mentor one or more of the student teams throughout the process.
“The Student Design Challenge will focus on solutions to help maximize independence for people with cognitive impairment,” said Kari Olson, president of the Front Porch Center. “The Front Porch Center has a similar goal and is looking forward to mentoring these bright, young, creative thinkers as they come up with those solutions.”
A distinguished panel of judges will choose finalists and award prizes, including a $10,000 first prize, at a conference and ceremony at Stanford University in April, 2014. According to the Stanford Center on Longevity Student Design Challenge web site …
“This challenge is not just about direct care-giving and support for disease. It is about quality of life, personal independence, and helping people experience the best parts of life for as long as possible. Solutions may take the form of new products, services, or programs. They may apply directly to the person experiencing dementia or to the family and caregivers that provide support.”
The Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing works with technology and university partners to harness technology solutions that support and enhance wellbeing in older adults. Its core initiatives focus on how technology can: assist in maintaining brain health; enhance social connectedness; promote engagement and growth; empower control over health and wellness; prevent emergencies or serious events; and increase resources and support for formal and informal caregivers.
About Front Porch
Front Porch is one of the largest not-for-profit providers of retirement living communities in Southern California. Front Porch active adult and full-service retirement communities offer a full range of options from independent living to continuing care, along with specialized programs like memory support. With innovative communities and programs that meet the changing needs of people as they age, Front Porch communities represent a leading-edge approach to wellness in aging. Front Porch is comprised of 11 full-service retirement communities in California and two adult living communities: one in Louisiana and one in Florida. Of these, five are Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC). Front Porch, based in Burbank, Calif. and founded in 1999, is a not-for-profit organization that gives back to its residents and the communities it serves.
For Immediate Release
For more information contact: Mike Martinez, Senior Communications Director, communications@frontporch.net (818) 254-4248
