Interview with Ms. Trudy Hart...

         Ms. Trudy Hart is a real estate agent that works with many seniors. She has had this vocation for twenty years. In her experience, each senior looks for different places to live based on individual preference. Those who need assistance usually look for assisted living or nursing homes. On the other hand, more active seniors might look for a senior living facility or a community of senior apartments. Ms. Hart has to consider different things when looking for places to show the senior client. The senior’s personality influences who the seniors want to live among. Some would like to live in a regular community with children, while others prefer seniors only with no children to deal with, or a less congested quieter neighborhood. For other seniors, who might have health needs and mobility problems convenience to transportation, stores, and medical facilities is what I keep in mind when finding a new home for them. It seems that seniors don’t have a trend of moving about to different places. Some seniors as they age move to live with or near other family members, while others continue to live in their present residence, and some move out of state after retirement; it will usually depend on the senior’s health and family situation. 

Our Senior Partners...

          Beatrice and John Gallagher are our senior partners and they currently live in Bayside, New York. They were born in the Bronx and Queens, respectively. They also have a really big family: six children (including in-laws), eight grandchildren, and many siblings. Both are well educated with college degrees. Beatrice Gallagher, the Dragonbotz’s senior partner, has a Masters in Education and previously worked as a teacher in a high school. She is now retired and gardens, reads, plays instruments, and cooks in her spare time. She gardens, and grows figs, lemongrass, rhubarb, and garlic. The Gallaghers own their home with a nice yard and garden to keep them busy.

         Some problems that they believe seniors face are taking care of their home, isolation, economic problems, and health issues. Problems the two have with technology are being computer illiterate, being scared of computers, and not knowing how to use a smartphone. Some of the innovations that these seniors would like to have are motorized wheelchairs/power chair at a reasonable price and an electric car.

         Having a robot is one of the things in the back of their mind. If they had a robot, they would like it to shovel snow, mow the lawn, and turn the lights/heat on and off.

Some things that they believe the younger generation can help with are sharing their concerns, interests, and information with seniors; and perhaps help seniors become familiar with today’s technology to help make their lives better.

By C. J.  C.

Visiting Seniors at Queens Herald Church...

Visiting Senior Citizens at the Queens Herald Church

         The Dragonbotz robotics team went to Queens Herald Church in Flushing, NY to interview senior citizens. Overall, the team thought the experience was challenging. For example, the interviews were done while the seniors were eating lunch, so this was a little bit of a distraction. Another challenge was that the majority of the seniors there only spoke Chinese, so we had to depend on a couple of translators, our Coach Anne was one of them.

         Dragonbotz team members were surprised to learn that seniors had quite a lot of hobbies. They included making stained glass, knitting clothes, collecting stamps, beading, and folding origami. One elder even did woodworking, and made cabinets/closet shelves for an orphanage in China! Others read the Bible, traveled, and talked with church friends in their spare time.

         The physical health of the seniors was fairly good. However, one person in particular had a cane. He had back problems, and was a bit shaky in trying hold a hot cup of tea while walking back to his seat, but he made it without spilling it. In fact, most of the seniors were able enough to set the tables for lunch and clean the area after eating. Showing that seniors can be independent.

         The condition of the senior citizens was well above average. One person though did have epilepsy. Epilepsy is a brain disorder, which causes seizures. The woman, along with others, had to take pills every so often. They sometimes forgot to take them, and that was one of many troubles seniors have – remembering to take their pills and vitamins.

         When asked if they had a robot what they would like it to do, the seniors said that they wished for it to clean, cook, remind them to take medications, and assist them in walking. Overall, the experience of interviewing senior citizens at the church was memorable. The Dragonbotz team learned a lot about seniors and that there is a lot that needs to be done for them.

By C.J. & S.C.

*

Interview with "senior" FLL coach...

The Dragonbotz team interviewed their robotics coach, Ms. Veryl Greene, who is a senior citizen and probably one of the oldest FLL coaches in NYC.  They discovered that Ms. Greene has a variety of interests, hobbies, and difficulties in her daily life.

For example, Ms. Greene likes to dance hip-hop and salsa. She is a nature photographer and camper. She is also likes to build with LEGO and she is not a shame to admit that she is an AFOLR (Adult Fan Of LEGO & Robotics). She is especially talented in constructing robots out of LEGO Mindstorms kit.

However, Ms. Greene has certain problems doing some of her favorite activities. She has an eye condition, Macular Degeneration of the retina. Eventually, she may not be able to drive to go camping by herself. She has trouble seeing how to fit tiny LEGO elements together and configuring NXT-G programming for her robots.

Besides this, Ms. Greene needs to take medicine pills and vitamins daily, but sometimes forgets to take them; like a lot of other seniors. She is retired from full time teaching with the NYC DOE, but she keeps very busy with her pets, still does some teaching, and of course coaching, so she needs a reminder of some sort to ensure that she takes her medicine and vitamins. So, Ms. Greene would like a reminder robot to tell her to take her pills, also what day it is, when her favorite television show is about to come on, and more. She likes technology, computers and iPads, because it helps her to continue to read and write. Most of all, Ms. Greene would like to have companion like the robot in the movie “Robot and Frank.” She says, “That would be Way Cool!”

By P.P.

Senior Citizen Statistics

Did you Know?


Senior citizens account for 6% of the world's population.
Source: http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB5058/index1.html


40.3 million people in the United States were 65 or older as of April 2010.
Source: http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/statistics/older-americans.php

There were 3.4 million seniors (65 and over) in poverty in 2009.
Source: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb11-ff08.html

After age 65, an American has more than 70 percent chance of needing help with the activities of daily living like dressing, bathing, and using the bathroom.
Source: http://www.seniorcaremarketer.com/seniorcare_statistics.htm

800 seniors have home attendants in New York.
Source: http://www.nyfsc.org/services/support_homeattend.html

30% of family caregivers caring for seniors are themselves aged 65 or over; another 15% are between the ages of 45 to 54.
Source: http://www.seniorcaremarketer.com/seniorcare_statistics.htm

About 1/3 of the elder population over the age of 65 falls each year and risks of falls increases proportionately with age. At 80 years, over half of seniors fall annually.
Source: http://www.learnnottofall.com/content/fall-facts/how-often.jsp

Falls are the leading cause of death due to injury among the elderly 87% of all fractures in the elderly are due to falls.
Source: http://www.learnnottofall.com/content/fall-facts/how-often.jsp

Getting help after an immobilizing fall improves the chance of survival by 80% and increases the likelihood of a return to independent living.
Source: http://www.learnnottofall.com/content/fall-facts/how-often.jsp

Up to 40% of the people who have a stroke have a serious fall within the next year.
Source: http://www.learnnottofall.com/content/fall-facts/how-often.jsp

A whopping 90% of seniors have developed hypertension or are at risk of developing hypertension. This type of blood pressure can lead to complications such as heart attack and heart failure.
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Health-Statistics-for-Senior-Citizens&id=5374263

There are 7,000-10,000 individuals who turn 65 every day. By 2030, every 1 in 5 drivers will be a senior citizen

Source: http://www.kcet.org/shows/yourturntocare/talk/facts-about-seniors-driving.html

8.3 million seniors face the threat of hunger every day in America.

Source: http://www.mowaa.org/page.aspx?pid=281

Movie Review: Robot and Frank

         The Dragonbotz robotics team recently went to watch a movie called “Robot & Frank.” “Robot & Frank” is a movie based on a senior who is given a robot to assist him. Frank, the senior, is against the move in the beginning, but then realizes that it was all he ever needed. This movie really depicts the everyday struggle seniors have and how help is always needed. This movie revolutionizes a house nurse into a life sized robot. You never know. Maybe, in a few years, robots will help us all! Don’t forget go and see “Robot and Frank”!

by C.J.C.

2012 Maker Faire

The 2012 Maker Faire at the Hall of Science, on September 30, was a huge success for the FIRST LEGO League team the Dragonbotz. We were there to talk about the FIRST and the FLL new season.


Our robot was designed to 
complete a mission from the 2012-13 FLL Senior Solutions competition. In this case, the problem was that a Lego chair was separated into two parts; one was on the field, and one was in base. Our robot went onto the field to drag the piece of the chair on the field into base. In base, members connected the two chair parts. Then finally, the robot pushed the completed chair back onto the field and positioned it under the table. This successful mission was a result of the team thinking, building, programming, and testing. 
Alongside showcasing our robot, we also spent some time presenting our Dragonbotz posterboard. Everyone had a great time.

by S.C.