Free iPads trial for elderly Japanese
Print Edition
MILLIONS of Japan’s older citizens could receive iPads under a program to supply the elderly with specially equipped tablets that remind them when to take medicine and advise on where to find community support services.
A trial program announced by Japan Post, IBM and Apple, will see 1,000 senior citizens given iPads free of charge for six months from October.
If successful, that distribution could be increased to 5 million by 2020, according to Apple.
Currently Japan Post provides a 1,000 yen (US$8.3) monthly service, dubbed “Watch Over,” whereby postal workers check in on elderly customers and report back to relatives about their well-being.
“We will start a trial service with some 1,000 iPads custom-made for the elderly, using our existing Watch Over service,” a Japan Post spokesman said yesterday.
It was unclear if users would later be charged for the devices.
Apple called the service “a first-of-its kind initiative aimed at improving the quality of life for millions of Japanese senior citizens.” It said it would deliver iPads with IBM-developed apps and analytics to connect millions of seniors with services, health care, community and their families.
Around a quarter of Japan’s 127-million population is 65 or over. That is expected to grow to around 40 percent in a few decades and products for older people are seen as a significant market.
Japan’s postal system sits on assets worth up to 14 trillion yen and many of the country’s elderly rely on it to receive their pensions.
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