May 17, 2024

ELLI-Q – A Companion for Older Folks

senior lady with dog
Photo by Ryan Reinoso on Unsplash

ELLI-Q is a cute little robot-like device designed to assist older folks.  It is especially helpful for older adults living alone.  And I’m all in favor of anything that allows older adults to stay independent and n their homes as long as possible.

ELLI-Q looks like a little featureless robot attached to a base with an integrated tablet.  It is kind of cute and inviting, which is kind of the point.  It doesn’t look like intimidating high tech, so it is much more likely to be used.

Simple Conversations

ELLI-Q incorporates proactive AI, which means not only does it respond to verbal conversation, it actually initiates it.  It can greet you and ask how you are doing, just like a human companion.  It will tell a joke, play music, play games, or give you the news and weather.

Assistance With Daily Tasks

The device can help you keep track of taking your medications.  It can set reminders for your appointments.  It can even help with finding local professionals or arranging transportation (looks like that is through a partnership with UBER.)

Keeping Up With Your Health

Besides keeping you up to date with your medications, ELLI-Q will proactively ask you how you are doing.  It can track things like blood pressure and heart rate for you.  And with your consent it will contact trusted loved ones with any health concerns.  One note the company does emphasize however is that ELLI-Q is not an emergency device.  It will not call 911.

To help keep you healthy it can encourage exercise by playing follow along videos on the tablet and keep encouraging you along the way.

Connections With Others

We read everywhere that keeping connected is the most important thing as we age.  ELLI-Q encourages keeping connections in several ways:

Video Calls

The device allows you to easily make video calls to friends and family.

Messages

ELLI-Q makes it easy to send and receive messages.  And of course that includes images so it’s easy to share memories.

Notifying Loved Ones

As mentioned the device can inform loved ones of even minor health concerns.  This way they can hopefully be addressed before they become serious.

Again, it’s all proactive.  One thing I noticed in the demo was how ELLI-Q encourages you to stay in contact with others.  After receiving and hearing a message ELLI-Q immediately asks if you want to reply.  This encourages the back and forth conversations with others that are so vital

Affordable

A device like this is only useful if it is affordable.  Looking at the company’s website it looks like the cost is about $50 a month, plus a $250 setup fee.  While this isn’t nothing, at least it isn’t thousands of dollars and available only to the rich.  The company says they work with several aging agencies to assist with the cost.

I’m excited to see new tech coming out that helps older adults.  I can’t wait to see what else the future may bring.  If you want to learn more about ELLI-Q the company’s website is:  

https://elliq.com

Additionally you can search YouTube for some good videos showing the capabilities of ELLI-Q.  Seeing it in action is really interesting!

Filed Under: Health, Personal Development, Things To Do, Uncategorized Leave a Comment
August 2, 2022

My Experience With An AeroGarden

Bowl of Lettuce
Image by Pexels from Pixabay

I first heard about AeroGardens a while back but didn’t really pursue it.  An AeroGarden is a self contained hydroponic gardening kit.  It allows you to grow some things year round indoors.

The product consists of a tank, light source, air pump, plant food, power supply, and seed pod starter packs.  Depending on the model there are electronics that keep track of the days since you planted, when to add plant food, and low water reminder.  Most of the units are compact.  Mine was about 18 by 8 inches.

Christmas Present

I finally took the plunge and bought my first kit as a Christmas present for myself.  I used to like to garden, but with a busy life I mostly stopped several years ago.  An AeroGarden seemed like an easy way to get back into it in a limited way. My unit came with an assortment of six varieties of lettuce.  (My unit can accommodate six pods at a time.)

As usual I procrastinated for about a month before opening the box and giving it a try.  Setup was really easy.  It consisted of the following steps:

  • Rinsed everything off.
  • Filled the tank with water to the indicated mark
  • Add two capfuls of the provided plant food
  • Pop the seed pods into holes in the top of the tank.
  • Plug in the Power supply.
  • Set the date and time on the front of the unit

That’s about it.  I heard a little air bubbling and adjusted the bank of lights that provide artificial sunlight for your plants.

Then I just let the unit do its thing.  The light automatically came on at 8:00 AM each morning and stayed on for about 16 hours.  I guess that is the optimum growing time.  It only took a few days until the seeds sprouted and it was fun to check on the progress each day.  Initially I didn’t have to add water very often.  There is a little port on top to check the water level and add when needed.  Every 14 days a red light comes on to remind you to add plant food.  It only takes a very small amount so the bottle lasts a long time.

Soon it was harvest time and I used a pair of scissors to trim off my lettuce.  We’re big salad eaters so it always gets used.  And it tastes great!  Just like you would expect from right out of the garden!

The plants grow big fast and I found I could harvest about once a week.  The amount from my six plants was enough for one day’s salad for my wife and I.  So we had fresh salad all winter and spring.

I’ll probably end up getting another unit and try growing some cherry tomatoes.  It looks like so far you can grow lettuce, herbs, tomatoes and peppers.  I’m sure others will become available over time.

Several Kinds of Units

AeroGarden makes several units from small to very large that would be like having your own indoor farm year round.  You can buy the units on Amazon or directly from the manufacturer.  Sales are common.

Any Cons?

There aren’t too many cons to an AeroGarden after your initial investment.  They do have to be cleaned about once a month.  You do have to be careful not to spill water or plant food while refilling.  And I was a little nervous about leaving the unit plugged in while we were on vacation.  Water and electricity unattended, what can go wrong!  I guess it would be fine as long as someone checked on it once in a while

Great Way to Start A Green Thumb

An AeroGarden is a great way to get that green thumb started.  Give one a try and let me know what you think!

Filed Under: Health, Hobbies Leave a Comment
February 11, 2022

10 Easy Health Changes

Big colorful salad
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash

Walk daily

This one is probably the easiest and yet the most beneficial.  Walking is just so good for you.  There are physical and mental benefits.  Try different routes outside or invest in a treadmill.  A treadmill takes away the excuse of poor weather!  Just do it!

Park In Back Of Lot

This one is mentioned often but really is true.  It has the added benefit of lessening the possibility of your car getting those nasty shopping cart dings.

Eat A Little Less

I’ve been trying to practice this one myself lately.  It is not a full fledged diet, but those few less calories can add up over time.  I’ve found that once you get in the habit it gets easier.  I read somewhere that it takes a while for your  brain to catch up with what is going on in your stomach.  This means that when you stop eating a little before you feel full you will probably feel full anyway in just a few minutes!

More Fruit, Less Sugar Desserts

You have always been given this advice, and the advice is good.  Experiment and find what works for you.  My favorites have become organic blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and Fuji apples (they are very sweet!)  Give it a try.

Read On Treadmill

This one has become a habit for me.  Some people like music or watching tv, but I’ve found the time flies when I read.  Sometimes I even end up doing extra time when I’m trying to finish a chapter or reading an especially exciting passage.

Eat Less Carbs

This is another area that can be a big help even if you’re not on a real diet.  It is generally understood that eating too many white carbs  is not good for you.  Unfortunately, today’s foods are often full of exactly that.  Besides cutting back on whote carbs there are some carbs that are better for you.  For example brown rice is better than white rice.  Do some research.  There is lots of good information out there if we bother to pay attention to it.

More Salad

This is another of the more obvious ones but we all know those greens are great for you.  There is so much variety available and it’s easy with prepackaged lettuces and spinach.  Go for it but pay attention to that dressing!  (see below)

Find Low Calorie Salad Dressing

The dressing can make a salad into the equivalent of a not so healthy dessert.  Just look at the calories and fat on the label.  And that is usually for only one or two tablespoons, and who uses that little amount?  I’ve fought this one myself forever; I love my Blue Cheese dressing!  And I’ve found that low calorie versions just don’t taste that great.  What I have found is good is simply to drizzle on a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar.  It doesn’t take much.  But I still allow myself Blue Cheese once in a while!

Go To Bed Fairly Early

Some people are night owls, and if that works for you, great.  However most of us need our seven or eight hours.  Start skimping and all kinds of problems can develop.  Also most people are most productive early in the morning, so a reasonable bedtime is very beneficial.

Learn Breathing Exercises

This was a new one for me.  I only learned the benefits recently.  Give it a try to help with all kinds of things, from lowering blood pressure a little, to reducing the possibility of a panic attack.

What ideas do you have?

Filed Under: Health, Personal Development Leave a Comment