“Health Compass,” “Health Buddy” and Other
Advances to Navigating Caregiving Safely, Effectively to be Featured

Washington, DC, September 29, 2003 – Led by the SPRY Foundation (Setting Priorities for Retirement Years), a leader in helping older Americans remain independent and age successfully, 54 public and private sponsoring organizations are jointly hosting “Computer-Based Technology and Caregiving for Older Adults” this coming Thursday and Friday, October 2-3, at the National Institutes of Health/Natcher Conference Center, in Bethesda, Maryland. More than 250 health professionals and caregiving managers, university and academic researchers, medical, behavioral science and technology researchers, ethicists, policy staff and members of the media will learn the latest advances in computer and Internet-aided caregiving from 40 national experts, who will present their research and demonstrate the latest technology.

Among the features at the conference will be “Health Compass,” a web-based, interactive program to improve access to high quality health information for older adults developed by
The American Federation for Aging Research and the Merck Institute of Aging & Health, the “Health Buddy,” a remote, computer-aided patient monitoring system created by Health Hero Network, and the TeleHealthcare system produced by Viterion, a joint venture between Bayer and Panasonic.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will showcase a new package of computer-based programs designed to provide better, lower-cost health care for veterans.

Dr. Russell E. Morgan, Jr., SPRY president, said, “The conference is jam-packed with the most up-to-date information on how computers can and are helping us to live healthier, more fulfilling, independent lives as we grow older. Computer-based technology is the future, and
the future is now!” SPRY (Setting Priorities for Retirement Years) Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) research and education organization that helps people prepare for successful aging. SPRY emphasizes planning and prevention-oriented strategies in four key areas: health and wellness; mental health; financial security; and life engagement.