Traverse City, Michigan – Representatives from Beacon Hill Living and other healthy aging experts will lead a panel discussion on “Shifting Mindsets, Extending Health Spans through Innovation” on Thursday, April 25 in Traverse City as part of Northern Michigan Startup Week.

 

The presentation will formally introduce Beacon Hill Living as a collaboration between Beacon Hill at Eastgate, Urbaneer Living and Seamless Ventures to build a series of Michigan communities deliberately focused on healthy aging. Bruce Thompson, CEO of Urbaneer Living, will be joined by Jeanne Jones of Senior Pathway Movers, Dr. Frederic Reyelts of Trinity Health and Tracy Cleveland of Munson Healthcare for a robust discussion on aging at 3 p.m. at Northern Michigan College’s AeroPark Laboratories, 525 AeroPark Dr. in Traverse City.

 

“We are seeing a significant demographic shift occurring in Northern Michigan as the older adult population is growing rapidly,” Thompson explained. “Our panelists will explore innovative solutions and strategies focusing on extending the health span, or the period of good health not affected by the challenges of aging.

 

“We hope the conversation will begin to shift mindsets and spotlight innovative designs for building longevity-ready solutions.”

 

After the discussion, Thompson will join Jeff Huegli, president and CEO of Beacon Hill at Eastgate, and Ben Look, a partner with Seamless Ventures, to provide a tour of a new prototype showcasing the integration of smart technology into an age-friendly living environment. Guests can view vignettes of three living spaces – bathroom, bedroom and living area – that integrate advanced technology with adaptable floor plans designed to cater specifically to the evolving needs of aging residents to support and enhance the well-being of their residents.

 

The vignettes will feature:

· Belun sleep technology, which is designed to speed up the diagnosis of sleep apnea.

· Magic Shields flooring, which absorbs the impact of falls and prevents bone fractures.

· Remote monitoring from Norbert Health, which measures vital signs from three feet with medical grade accuracy.

· CareAlert from SensorsCall, an app that learns the habits of residents and reports when something is wrong.

· XK300 Sensor from Xander Kardian, which measures microvibrations to track heart and respiratory rates, motion and presence.

· Zibrio fall-prevention solutions designed to screen residents for fall risks.

 

The new technology could be featured in the first Beacon Hill Living community, which is targeting a location in the Traverse City region. Future residents will have the opportunity to review and opt-in to the technology included in their homes.

 

Unlike other communities focused on those 55 and older, Beacon Hill Living brings the combined expertise of senior living from Beacon Hill at Eastgate, efficient and optimal design of a smaller footprint home from Urbaneer and access to the newest and best technical integration from Seamless Ventures to focus on healthy aging in place.

 

Residents will have the option to either purchase or rent a home in Beacon Hill Living. Each community will encompass 40-60 single-story homes under 1,200 square feet that will incorporate smart technology designed to increase their owners’ health span. Integrating a healthy interior environment with technology designed to monitor health, the Urbaneer-designed homes will form the heart of a sustainable, efficient and convenient community for those in their “third chapter,” as many individuals are redefining their goals, exploring new career paths and pursuing a different sense of purpose.

 

These communities will be curated by senior living experts Beacon Hill at Eastgate, who will develop service offerings that complement and support the homes and their wellness features. Initial plans for the neighborhoods include central gathering spaces, fitness facilities, walking paths, green space and a care facility, among other amenities that will “future proof” the need to move as residents age. Human-centered design principles will encourage the creation of an intergenerational community and the opportunity to age in place.

 

Seamless Ventures has done extensive research to better understand the needs of those entering and moving through their third chapters to shape Beacon Hill Living communities. The organization connects innovators with established organizations to help them develop and execute foresight and innovation strategies. In addition to introducing new partners to Beacon Hill Living, Seamless Ventures will facilitate the integration of smart technology into the new homes to monitor and track vital signs and other indicators to ensure a healthy environment.

 

More information on Beacon Hill Living is available at BHLiving.com.

 

About the Partners

 

Beacon Hill at Eastgate

 

Beacon Hill at Eastgate is home, family and security, dedicated to engaging seniors in an active and fulfilling retirement. Its state-of-the-art campus is a life plan retirement community that offers the complete continuum of care on one campus, including independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Beacon Hill integrates a more highly defined service model characterized by best practices in the areas of social and clinical services with excellence in hospitality. For more information, visit BeaconHillGR.org.

 

Urbaneer Living

 

Founded in 2013, Urbaneer is a market leader in compact living solutions, designing a suite of unique homes for the way people live today while anticipating the future. The company approaches home building from a product perspective, allowing for consistent delivery of multifunctional and flexible spaces. By leveraging innovative smart home and wellness technology, Urbaneer creates a unique occupant experience. Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Urbaneer partners with modular home building platforms to bring compact, configurable and connected homes to the marketplace. Its unique designs and convertible spaces make for compact homes that live larger and deliver a better resident experience. For more information, visit UrbaneerLiving.com.

 

Seamless Ventures

 

Seamless Ventures provides research, consulting, testing and related services to organizations focused on innovation, expansion and strategic growth. The Grand Rapids-based firm partners with established organizations to find best-in-class technology, business models and innovation platforms from around the globe, bringing together startups, entrepreneurs and the public sector to create, test and deploy new businesses. For more information, visit SeamlessVentures.com.