Assignment Task:
Like many middle-aged people these days, Justine Craig, who lives in Sydney, often finds herself worrying about an ageing parent. Her father, Henry, is 85 years old and lives by himself on the Gold Coast, hundreds of kilometers away. 'He's a very independent soul,' she says. Many people in Justine's position feel torn; they want their parents to continue living in their own homes and pursuing their own lives, but are concerned about their parents' increasing frailty. Unlike others, however, Justine can at least feel she is doing something to help resolve this dilemma. As a partner at Knight & Moss, a leading Australian venture capital firm, she is planning to invest in business ventures that will develop new technologies that make life easier, less stressful and even healthier for older people who want to continue living at home.
Demand for such technologies could be enormous, since baby boomers are on the cusp of retirement. About ten per cent of the world's population was 60 years or older in 2000, but that figure will more than double to 22 per cent by 2050. Some countries will be especially hard hit by this factor: 28 per cent of the population in Italy and Japan will be over 65 years by 2030. In the developed world, there will be two old people for every child by 2050. After talking to a specialist in geriatrics - the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease in older people and the problems specific to ageing - Justine realizes that elderly people living on their own are facing many challenges. As people age, their sensory and cognitive functions, physical endurance and mobility may become impaired. Older adults may also experience depression and multiple chronic conditions that require complicated treatment regimens. Improper use of medications, inadequate food and fluid intake, lack of exercise, and urinary incontinence can make it increasingly difficult for the elderly to care for themselves, which increases the risk of hospitalization.
To date, Justine has been very disappointed by the number and quality of project submissions that aim to help older adults remain as independent as possible for as long as possible. Justine has approached you to generate new business ideas.
Questions:
What creativity techniques could you use to generate new ideas for submission to Justine?