The Thrive Center Unlocks an Innovation Hub for Senior Living

The nonprofit Thrive Center in Louisville, Ky., which opened last November, highlights state-of-the-art technology and provides education to improve the quality of life and care for seniors, reports HealthTech . The center has interactive technology exhibits, event spaces, and conference rooms, and offers a collaborative and learning environment for tech companies, senior care providers, academic researchers, and the public, says CEO Sheri Rose. "We want to be a hub of innovation focused on aging care and bring in senior care providers who are looking to adopt the technology, but also seniors who are ultimately impacted by the technology innovation," she notes. The Thrive Center is underwritten by more than $2 million, including grants from both local and state government organizations, and in-kind contributions from tech companies and Louisville-based senior and home care companies. Examples of technology available at the center include Samsung digital displays, a video wall that shows educational content, tablets, virtual reality headsets, and wearables. The Thrive Center hosts more than 12 interactive experiences, and will focus on different themes every eight to 12 months. The center opted to initially concentrate on memory care and dementia, given that the population of Americans with Alzheimer's disease is expected to explode from about 5 million now to 14 million by 2050. "It's like a museum," Rose says. "We have to stay relevant. One day, I want someone to say, 'I've been to the Thrive Center,' and I'll say, 'You saw it when it was about memory. Have you seen it now with the latest theme and new technology.'"