Step into the downsized, remodeled home of an increasing number of aging baby boomers in Baton Rouge and it’s likely the place is “smarter” than where you are living.
Among the potentially eye-catching features: motion sensors that respond to a range of medical conditions, voice-activated technologies, smart thermostats, automatic lighting and senior-friendly bathroom fixtures like zero-degree showers. Collectively, these amenities are allowing Baton Rouge’s aging population to enjoy both high living standards as well as easy access to care in their own homes.
In short: A baby boomer’s home isn’t their parent’s house, and the home improvement options are only expected to improve in the coming years.
As part of a larger aging-in-place movement that’s gaining traction nationwide, a wave of incoming related technologies are expected to fetch some $1 billion in investments this year from venture capital firms and other companies—roughly double the amount investors spent just three years ago.
While these investment dollars might be slower to flow to Baton Rouge, senior residents, and the organizations and businesses serving them, are nonetheless anticipating side effects of this national movement to ripple throughout the Capital Region in the near future.
“It’s broader than just an Alexa for seniors,” says Matthew Rachleff, founder and ambassador of the Baton Rouge chapter of Aging 2.0, a San Francisco-based business connection and innovation organization for those working in aging and senior care. “The opportunity in the aging space is massive.”
Read the full story about this industry’s growth from the latest edition of Business Report.
