Interesting article titled Key to funding for eldercare technologies? Pilots, just published in CNET. A few quotes:

• “No matter the size, a pilot not only serves as a means to vet whether an eldercare technology will work, but it also generates much needed data for insurance companies and government entities to weigh whether they might be willing to pay for such technologies, according to panelists Tuesday at the fourth annual Healthcare Unbound conference.”
• “Other pilots included a group of 35 participants in 2003 with IBM and the American Society on Aging. The 18-month pilot examined how seniors ages 65 and over used IBM’s software to change the way a Web site is viewed, such as its font sizecolors, size of the page and other features, Gaudet said.”
• “Front Porch, a California-based organization that operates a network of retirement communities, began a pilot two years ago with Dakim, using its Dakim (m)Power Cognitive Fitness System.”

I’d say the key goes beyond pilots: we need good quality and published research to engage policy makers and insurance companies. And a bigger focus on prevention and wellness, as we saw in the post Bill Clinton on health care and wellness.