Homes Renewed Ventures, LLC (HRV) received a $755,523 Project Grant from the National Institute on Aging within the Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health. The grant was awarded under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to develop an interactive mobile application to provide customized guidance and photo documentation for the proper specification, placement, and installation of grab bars to support aging in place. The app aims to automate the design process...
This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), under CFDA 93.866 Aging Research, provides $1,895,620 to Vest Inc. to further develop and commercialize a novel accessibility mounting system and assistive technology product line to support independence and safety for older adults and persons with disabilities. The key products to be delivered include: A comprehensive design review and development of priority attachments for the modular, expandable rail system through focus...
This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging (CFDA 93.866 - Aging Research) provides $811,228 to B.A. Maze, Inc. to develop the At-Home Health Station (AHS), a plug-and-play modular system designed to simplify digital health experiences for individuals with cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (CI/ADRD). The AHS system aims to promote health function and independence through remote patient monitoring, while also providing caregivers a platform for...
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) awarded a $1,249,235 Project Grant under the Aging Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.866) to Nasoni, LLC, a self-certified small disadvantaged business and manufacturer, to develop the ACTIVE-H2O smart faucet system. The smart faucet is designed to enhance independent living for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and dementia by integrating intelligent sensors, automated flow/pressure/temperature control, task reminders, and computer vision...
This Project Grant award of $1,000,000 from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) program aims to develop a new method for conducting efficient, accurate, and accessible home assessments to support aging in place for older adults and people with disabilities. The project will leverage emerging technologies such as 3D sensing, augmented reality, and machine learning to create an automated home assessment system that can detect and...
This Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging (CFDA 93.866 - Aging Research) provides $596,250 to the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) to develop a smartphone-based hand grip strength (HGS) measurement solution. The goal is to create a mobile dynamometer that can assess patients' physical frailty as a biomarker of surgical risk, enabling better pre-operative planning and monitoring for patients undergoing medium to high-risk cardiac procedures. The project...
The Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging awarded $865,905 under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to Careband, Inc. to develop the Appraise to Assist system. This project grant will support Careband and its partner Eperture LLC to engineer a system integrating Careband's wearable device and Eperture's tablet platform. The system aims to passively and unobtrusively monitor, empirically measure, and facilitate engagement...
This Project Grant award of $910,000 from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) supports the development and validation of the AVA AI-powered, video-based mobile application for reliable at-home fall risk assessment of older adults. The project aims to validate the AI and evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of AVA as an effective tool for routine fall risk assessment, targeting both older adults and their caregivers. The key activities include...
This Cooperative Agreement award, provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Older Adults Home Modification Grant Program (CFDA 14.921), enables experienced non-profit organizations, state/local governments, and public housing authorities to deliver home modification services to low-income elderly homeowners. The $1,452,837.38 grant, awarded on April 15, 2025, will fund the installation of adaptive equipment and home improvements like grab bars, railings,...
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded a $1,254,219 Cooperative Agreement through the Older Adults Home Modification Grant Program (CFDA 14.921) to Tri-Valley Inc., a non-profit organization, to provide home modification services to low-income elderly homeowners. The grant aims to enable seniors to safely "age in place" by funding low-cost, high-impact home modifications that reduce fall risks, improve safety, and enhance functional abilities. Modifications may...
EXPANSION AND VALIDATION OF NOVEL MOBILE APP FOR GUIDING HOME MODIFICATIONS FOR AGING IN PLACE - PROJECT SUMMARY IN THIS PHASE II SBIR, HOMESRENEWED VENTURES, LLC (HRV WASHINGTON, DC) WILL BUILD ON OUR PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO EXPAND AND VALIDATE AN INTERACTIVE MOBILE APPLICATION (APP) FOR GUIDING HOME MODIFICATIONS (ENVIRONMENTAL INTERVENTIONS) CRITICAL TO AGING IN PLACE (AIP). HOME MODIFICATIONS (HM) ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FALLS PREVENTIONS, IMPROVED ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING (ADLS), AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING. HOWEVER, OVER 95% OF EXISTING HOMES IN THE US ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR AIP, AND A PREVENTIVE OR PROACTIVE PROCUREMENT OF HMS REMAINS AN UNMET NEED. IN ADDITION, APPROXIMATELY 72 MILLION AMERICANS WILL BE AGED 65 OR OLDER BY 2030. THUS, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO UPDATE 100 MILLION EXISTING HOMES. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY, NO TOOLS PROVIDE ACCESS TO STANDARDIZED INSTRUCTIONS, TRAINING, PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS, AND HARDWARE SELECTIONS TO ENSURE ACCURATE AND EFFICIENT INSTALLATIONS. HRV AIMS TO ADDRESS THIS UNMET NEED BY DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE AND REPRODUCIBLE SOLUTION FOR EFFICIENT, COST-EFFECTIVE, AND QUALITY HMS TO SUPPORT A PREVENTIVE OR PROACTIVE PROCUREMENT OF HMS, ENABLING OLDER ADULTS TO AIP LONGER. IN PHASE I, HRV DEVELOPED A PROTOTYPE APP THAT USES SITE-SPECIFIC INPUTS FROM A CONTRACTOR OR HANDYPERSON TO GENERATE CUSTOMIZED GUIDANCE AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPER SPECIFICATION, PLACEMENT, AND INSTALLATION OF BATHROOM GRAB BARS. THE APP SIMULTANEOUSLY ALLOWS PHOTO DOCUMENTATION OF THE INSTALLATION PROCESS TO VERIFY COMPLIANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS. INFORMED BY THE PHASE I OUTCOMES, INCLUDING PROVEN FEASIBILITY OF THE APP CONCEPT TO SYSTEMATIZE HM AS WELL AS THE SPECIFIC FEEDBACK PROVIDED BY END-USERS, WE AIM TO REFINE AND EXPAND OUR APP'S FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITIES AND RIGOROUSLY VALIDATE ITS EFFECTIVENESS AS A PRACTICAL JOB SITE TOOL. TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS, WE WILL PURSUE FOUR SPECIFIC AIMS: AIM 1 WILL PROVIDE THE DESIGN CRITERIA FOR A BROADER RANGE OF HMS CRITICAL TO INDEPENDENT MOBILITY (CLIMBING STAIRS, MOVING IN AND OUT OF THE HOME) AND PERSONAL HYGIENE (TOILETING AND BATHING) TO BE PROGRAMMED IN THE APP. AIM 2 WILL ENHANCE THE APP USABILITY AND USER EXPERIENCE BY EXPANDING FEATURES AND FUNCTIONALITIES CRITICAL TO THE USER'S EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY. A NEW PROTOTYPE WILL BE READY FOR EXTENSIVE TESTING AND VALIDATION AT THE END OF THIS AIM. IN AIM 3, WE WILL DEVELOP THREE PHYSICAL MOCK- UPS TO SIMULATE REAL-LIFE SCENARIOS IN WHICH CONTRACTORS WORK TO COMPLETE THE PROPOSED INSTALLATION. FINALLY, AIM 4 WILL BE A VALIDATION STUDY ASSESSING THE APP'S ABILITY IN GUIDING INSTALLERS TO CORRECTLY INSTALL HMS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE INSTALLER'S EXPERIENCE. THE OUTCOME OF THIS AIM WILL DEMONSTRATE APP REPRODUCIBILITY IN ENABLING CONSISTENT HM SOLUTIONS IN REAL LIFE. THE PRODUCT OF PHASE II WILL BE AN ENHANCED AND RIGOROUSLY TESTED, AND VALIDATED COMMERCIALIZATION-READY PROTOTYPE. THE DATA GENERATED DURING PHASE II WILL BE CRITICAL TO BOOSTING CUSTOMER/END- USER CONFIDENCE. OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MILLIONS OF AGING ADULTS RESIDING IN THEIR HOMES THROUGH OUR INNOVATIVE SOLUTION.