We sent each of you a video earlier this year called "Imagine the Future of Aging," featuring a four generation family whose patriarch is 87-year-old Ernesto, who can stay at home because of sensory ,monitoring and communications technology embedded in his life. This is no "Star Wars" episode. This video features technology that is in some stage of prototype development today. Technology is here. We need to anticipate what it can do to help older people and those who care for them. I encourage each of you to view that video with your staff, board and community leaders. It has a study guide to facilitate technology planning. High tech enables high touch which improves quality.

While the "Imagine" video envisions a futuristic scenario, many of our members are embracing available technologies and developing new ones that make life better. They are helping residents in apartments and home settings with emergency call devices with that notify caregivers of problems. These are becoming commonplace.

Some nursing home members are using hand-held devices for caregivers to document care electronically. There are also medicine carts mounted with wireless devices to record medication deliveries. Organizations like Methodist Senior Services of Mississippi, and Moravian Manor in Pennsylvania are using these types of technologies. Soon, these kinds of devices will also be commonplace and may help define the quality difference between who is excellent and who might not survive in the nursing home sector.

Other members are using technology with sophisticated clinical quality improvement tools to improve clinical care. Some can even predict bad clinical events and make recommendations to staff on how to prevent a negative outcome. Our own members in New York developed a program with software called "Equip for Quality," as an example. Others like The Kendal Corporation, Erickson Retirement Communities and Rest Haven Christian Services are investing in clinical systems that integrate care and services throughout their communities and beyond to improve quality and health status of all their residents - regardless of level of care or facility in which they live.

AAHSA members like Ecumen, Eskaton and Front Porch are developing very specific products with technology companies to help older people beyond their walls. Some are doing joint research with companies like Intel or Living Independently. Sears Methodist Center even created a new company called "Senior Safe@Home" to expand their mission of service.

Rogerson House in Massachusetts is using fitness technology to create a wellness program called "Rogerson Fitness First." A company called "Its Never 2 Late" shared a remarkable system used by Christian Living Campus in Denver. It features video games and art to help severely impaired residents express themselves and communicate with their grandchildren, who use technology as a way of life. I observed a stroke patient being coached through the use of the technology. Watching this severely disabled person engage and enjoy the program could bring tears to your eyes.

Other members are turning to universities to partner on the research and testing of very practical products to improve life quality. Dr. Robyn Stone and I recently visited the lab of Dr. Majd Alwan of the University of Virginia. Dr. Alwan is a founding leader of CAST and chairs our "Pilot Projects" committee, which is charged to help all of us advance member involvement in practical research. Imagine my pleasant surprise to see the logos of Volunteers of America and the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan society in Dr. Alwan's lab as partners in applied research.

Many members are emphasizing technology as a major part of their strategic plan. I read annual reports and newsletters sent to me that reflect this interest. The annual report from Teresian House, a long-time culture transformation leader through the Pioneer Network, says the "...new long term vision of Teresian House is to evolve as a technical leader in social, medical and spiritual care..." Imagine linking spiritual care and technology. Wow! Sister Pauline is always on the cutting edge.

Wesley Enhanced Living of Philadelphia asks the strategic questions in their 2005 annual report called "Compelling Difference":

"How Can Wesley Enhanced Living be more efficient and productive with the resources we currently have? How can we enrich life for those who are dedicated to living?... One possible approach to both challenges includes technology-based solutions."

The McGregor Home and Pacific Retirement Services are exploring smart housing on a broad scale. CAST member Elite-Care in Oregon now has a smart campus of independent and assisted living. It has been featured world-wide, recently on NBC Nightly News.

There is also technology that can help us in facility and maintenance planning. Our platinum business sponsor zumBrunnen, Inc. has a remarkable program that can help any member with construction and maintenance planning for the future. AAHSA used zumBrunnen's services for the capital maintenance planning for our headquarters.

A fundamental issue in technology for an aging population is the electronic health record. Peter Kress, a technology guru with ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, has been leading the national charge to standardize a comprehensive and secure health record plan to solve this fundamental problem for the people we serve. This is an enormous undertaking and Peter, along with other CAST members, are leading this policy-making process. Without a portable personal health record, care for the people you and I serve will be fragmented and difficult.

Recently, through member leadership provided by Kathy Bakkenist of Ecumen, a bill has been introduced in Congress to create a focused national agenda to advance aging- services technology. The coming weeks are a crucial time and we will be asking you repeatedly to contact your elected officials and tell them how this legislation can help speed to the marketplace technologies that can transform aging. This legislative initiative is an excellent example of how members and business leaders are working together to transform our field.

Technology. Why should we care? First, technology is here to stay. It's everywhere. More than some of us want. I don't like the idea of my car telling me how to drive. I can see how Blueberries, Blackberries or Raspberries facilitate communications, but as I stood for a prayer in church a few weeks ago, I saw a man working his Blackberry with his head bowed. Maybe the Blackberry gave him a high tech spiritual connection to the Almighty I don't have. I still rely on old fashioned prayer, inspiration, The Bible and advice from people who are better than I am to seek divine guidance. I'm probably out of touch. Maybe a Blackberry in church would give me a divine pipeline.

However, I have seen enough use of technology to know that it can make work life better for staff and quality of life better for the people we serve.

High tech can facilitate high touch. When I visit health care members, I ask nurses how much time they spend on paper work versus patient care. The frequently tell me they spend 50 to 80 percent of their time on paperwork. That's not why they became caregivers. We can become so obsessed with getting the paperwork right that we forget about the person being served- especially with regulatory pressure we face.

Technology - it can catalyze the transformation of your organization. Sister Pauline and the Teresian House are right. We should all be the technology leaders in social, medical and spiritual care and service delivery.

And if God inspires me through my Blackberry, I'll write about it. On second thought, maybe not...