AARP wants to hear all about your ‘ageless’ innovations

The Chinatown-based AARP unveiled its “2017 AARP Innovation Champion Awards” on Wednesday. The competition seeks to highlight key innovations in caregiving — especially those that are “ageless.”

What’s “ageless innovation”?

Terry Bradwell, AARP’s chief enterprise strategy and innovation officer, explains it like this in a press release: “Too often we see innovation around products, services and even city infrastructure that focuses only on seniors or only on another age group. This is short sighted and inefficient. Instead we need to spark investment in what we call Ageless Innovation – innovations that are universally designed for all people – of any age.”

In pursuit of such solutions, AARP is accepting nominations (starting Wednesday, Feb. 15) for companies and individuals building tech in the areas of:

1. daily essential activities
2. caregiver quality of life
3. health and safety awareness
4. care coordination
5. social well-being
6. transition support

Nominate yourself or nominate a friend — just do it before April 15.

After the submission period ends, a panel of judges will evaluate each of the nominees before deciding on a final top five in each of the six categories above. The public will then vote to determine a winner in each category as well as one overall grand prize winner. This grand prize winner will walk away with $10,000 in cash, but there are plenty of fun prizes for the other finalists as well (like product development consulting from AARP).