Music.
Good morning everyone I'm Amy Friesen and this is Artful aging with Amy today on the show I'm speaking with Dan McEwen and director of marketing development and Modi Tech Canada.
This is a company that has caught my attention and I love introducing you to new and Innovative businesses and products in the senior space.
Modi Tech has combined physical activity with their motive you video library
to encourage seniors and those living with dementia to be more physically and cognitively cognitively active as well as socially connected.
Welcome Dan thanks so much for joining me today
Amy thanks for having me this is exciting I'm so happy to have you here and then I know that you can help them this wonderful technology so much better than I can so could you please share with our audience,
who motor Tech is and what a motive you is all about.
Hey glad the Amy but I do have to start by congratulating you on Artful aging and tea and toast such amazing support you providing to family members of their navigating this transition in life to retirement in senior living communities.
Q
All right so two multitec although I represent the Canadian office here in beautiful Ottowa Monty Tech in fact started as a pilot project in the city of Bergen Norway back in 2013.
Something about those Nordic countries have a step ahead of us sometimes.
I will the Department of Nursing homes wanted to increase physical activity for their residents they went out and purchased some active-passive Peddlers.
But realize very quickly that you need the right motivation to stay in the activity long enough to get the benefit and have the desire to come back day after day.
So the staff got innovated and asked our team which we're doing dinner on don't production at the time to make some video roots,
from the streets of burgundy routes that these cyclists would recognize,
and they coupled it with the bikes and did a little bit of a pilot project looking at the benefit of addition adding these videos excuse me
to the bikes and needless to say the results were incredible better sleep better appetite more responsive behaviors for those with dementia.
So the team made more and more what did you videos for the the cyclists and titled it as I dead Modi view it's motivational viewing
we've come a long way from the roots and Bergen to over 2,000 videos from 40 different countries and continually growing every year
in collaboration with those that are using our products so where their memories from where did they want to cycle through where were there Vape happy vacation spot,
that's how we make our video so we continue to be passionate about supporting seniors living in long-term care retirement to attending day activity centers,
meditate increasing physical cognitive and social connectedness.
That's amazing I'm like I said I'm so happy to kind of display
the company and what you guys are all about now before the show I always ask my guests to share with me what drew them to their profession and interest and I have to say Dan I love your story could you share it with us.
Well thank you Amy I'm going to be with strange story I've always had a heart for seniors credit my nana for that just a lovely lady and I love hearing her stories.
I would actually in Academia I was doing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Ottawa studying Rehabilitation Sciences really again fall prevention was my domain.
Um so I joined a cabbie funded projects its Center for aging and brain health Innovation at Bree are continuing care and the University of Ottawa and we were actually assessing Modi view in the long-term care home then.
And so I saw the results not just on the main users the cyclist residents that were pedaling on and reminiscing but also those that weren't participating would turn in their chairs and sing along and reminisce with us,
even the staff member was bopping along and they were dispensing medications in the room
so I said this is amazing I ended up leaving the project and joined multitec as they were planting their their Roots here in Canada to start increasing the user sites across Canada.
That's amazing and I have to poke a little fun at you Dan because you had mentioned that you had heard the song yellow polka-dot bikini when you wrote In.
And this has been a staple at a lot of reviewers lies and even mine I've worked in the seniors industry for 20 years now so you're if you're not sure if the song Here's a sample I'm going to play for oh no.
Music.
Now I'm sure is gonna be stuck in all of your hands for the rest of the day and you are welcome.
I appreciate that Amy it's so true the song I was talking about that the staff member was bopping along to was yellow polka-dot bikini and the the resident that weren't participating with me.
Started singing along and here I was having no idea but the words and they would sing everywhere to that song with the smiles across their face so it's a really joyful moment and I thought you know what the addition of music to motor you just takes it to that next level,
I knew this would work but event
let's discuss some of the benefits you're seeing with Mona view what have you seen the biggest benefit to be.
What starting the physical domain a stationary cycling is a great activity for everybody it's a safe inclusive activity low impact on the joints
improving the endurance and strength in the legs which has.
Has implications on your functional Independence maintaining as an active participant in your daily living tasks is so important so the pedaling aspect whether it be with the feet,
or would the upper extreme these can maintain your Independence some of the bikes have a passive motor thinking people recovering post-stroke,
post hip fracture or later stage Dimensions helps Drive the legs for it is a passive movement is better than no movement at all
then you can track that and see how they're actually actively passive pedaling more frequently now so there's that physical domain
the cognitive domain the dealing that pride of reminiscence you may not remember too many details currently but the home that you're living in,
but you'll be able to call some of those happy memories and that's why I have this background up this is the Rideau Canal in Ottawa I've got lots of childhood happy childhood memory skating the canal with my mittens grabbing a beaver tail and a hot chocolate,
again warm warm fuzzy memories for me so that cognitive aspect these calming rides down that familiar place.
And then the social aspect is about connecting with people both culturally and religiously there's all sorts of implications that are coming out all these benefits that people are experiencing.
And I'm really happy that you use that background because it does show it show it mean
it shows people a little bit more about what we're talking about but it's also lovely it's lovely background and I'm going to look into more I'll have a conversation with you later to see some of the other videos because except they're all over the world.
I also mentioned at the top of the show that motive you also helps people stay socially connected could you expand for me on that.
This social aspect is so incredibly important especially during this endemic that we stay connected with each other
I'm one example our visitors that come in sometimes the grandkids don't really know what to talk to Granddad about
but if you bring motive you into the topic Granddad beams with pride and talks about his time in the military in this country,
or the honeymoon that I took with your grandma to this country and they can share stories and socially connect with each other residents cyclist can connect to Canada is so Multicultural at what that's what makes us great.
And if you get to Residents that speak the same language together pedaling together and they reminisce together there's something special in their socially connecting them for sure.
Terrific and just back onto the fact that the videos are from all around the world are you finding that that's really beneficial for seniors because there's a lot of seniors.
They can't travel anymore or some that didn't get to travel and then they get to see all these.
New spot I watched the video of the lady on your website and leaves escaping me you have to tell me when.
She was you know so excited to be able to go back to Israel and then she said to me which touched my heart.
You know I can now I'm going to go and talk to my family about and tell him where I was home I was in Italy or what not what did you do today Mom I went to Italy right now like how how are people finding being able to kind of pick where they're going.
Oh my goodness they love it there's as I said that the pride of going back to your hometown right revisiting it especially if you don't live in that City anymore and as you said you don't get out very much anymore.
Or travel anymore and so to be able to visit Paris and to see the Eiffel Tower and listen to Edith Piaf,
some homes compliment Modi with some food from that country make it a full experience right we can then pedal in Australia without the fear of the bugs and the critters,
and we can maybe try some Vegemite if you're so inclined.
It's wonderful my favorite video is I haven't been able to travel much of Asia any of Asia to be honest with you and so the to go through Marina Bay in Singapore Oh what a beautiful spot.
And again that nice calm right down my beautiful spot really takes the focus off of the the pedaling and into that Happy Travel experience.
Wondering as well I love the fact that you're saying that you know the homes the recreation directors are also incorporating like foods from that area and whatnot and.
Definitely happy with that you probably wouldn't get as much.
When you're when you're eating and pedaling if you can keep one alone motion right and I think that integrating that in the retirement home or the long-term care home it sets it all up.
To just be that more much more active a lot of people feel like their when they move to long-term care when they move to retirement that
the end of the line that they aren't going to be social that they're going to stay in their room or whatnot there's lots of people that choose to do that but I feel like.
Travel is such a big part of a lot of our lives or it's been you know around us a little bit so how is everybody reacting,
in the retirement homes in the long-term care homes and and on top of that I know you said the staff is dancing and stuff what have you seen,
from staff because I bet you you know as a previous Recreation director having something like that at the tip of my fingers would be super beneficial for not only my planning,
but also to be able to provide my residents with something super.
How's the lead is something super cool it's something Innovative something different and and bless those Rec therapists and the staff in the care communities they do their best with what they got,
and they do an amazing job they never cease to amaze us at Modi Jack,
and so to support them in providing the video and musics and the pedals so that they can engage them in the Resident that is in physical activities is an amazing opportunity for us to support these staff.
I'm the staff love how easy it is to use it's going to seem kind of silly that I say something like that as an innovator
are we try to keep motive you as simple to use as possible we know that the staff can get frustrated with buttons and cords and cables and parameters that they have to set up.
So we work with the staff to continue to listen and learn to make motive you as easy to use as possible something as simple.
Hygiene so using a touchscreen laptop or a tablet that can easily be cleaned thinking contact precautions these days is something that's critical for our success.
Um
nothing I could go on forever but I'm sure you got some other questions for me although it's really lovely all of our viewers know that I have worked in with the retirement center for so long and so I
it totally has home with me that you know the ease-of-use it's not that you know people have trouble setting things up generally but.
I can tell you as a former Rector actor that they have about this much time and so
yeah right and so the thing is if it can be as easy as possible and now we've all went through covid
you know how can we make it as clean as possible as almost transferable what you know Mabel ends and then you know Jack wants to hop on or whatever and it's like how can we make that process fast.
So that everybody can get a chance that really wants you know wants a chance when you say
without question and that's that they said listening and learning is something very important for us so if
if the listeners if their staff and Care Homes I want to encourage them to always feedback information to innovators like Mochi Tech we love to hear from you.
And continue to develop motive you 2.0 3.0 to better serve you and the cyclist that's where our heart is.
We want to not just do things for the sake of doing it to make it a shiny product but to make sure that there's function in there.
Come driving home have you come across I don't know if you can answer this but have you come across at all any seniors that have been cyclist that are on you know.
Digging this new invention and why you know hop on because not only did it like the travel aspect but they also used to be cyclist or anything like that.
Yeah talk about valued activities right if you were a cyclist in your earlier days you should be able to provide it with it a way to actually Express that interest in to participate still
so I love sitting with the cyclists and trying to keep up with them I mean forget age some of these cyclists can pedal for hours it seems.
And so it's amazing that provide that opportunity to Pedal whether they're even in a wheelchair again upper extremities whatever cycling will look like for that cyclists that residents use me let's do that,
um and then again to the cycle in Italy right without the the hills and sounds good to me.
Dan before we go and before we end today could you tell us more about your annual competition I believe it's cold war Road War,
but I can't even say it out loud Road the world for seniors that I get it you got it you got it.
Yeah absolutely Road worlds for seniors is bargaining probably my favorite part of working at multitec it's our annual competition that we run in the fall for all of our users of course it's optional but we get a high acceptance rate high participation rate.
But we do is keep track of the distance that Cycles put in on their bikes and then we start to compete and we crowned Champions whether it be a champion within that Care community.
Internationally nationally we running men's champion and Women's Champion best team when it comes to distance and best support team because no athlete is complete without the support team but my favorite part
is we congratulate and celebrate every cyclist on their accomplishments.
Everyone that participates in the road worlds for seniors get to metal regardless of how far they go.
One quick story I'll share I attended a medal ceremony after rotors are Cena's done and I was handing out medals in congratulations.
And there was this 92 year old gentleman I believe he was walking with a Rollator came up and he had a metal hanging off of his
is Rollie then I said oh did you already get one said no no this is from last year
and he's starting a collection and he calls up his grandkids he's down he says I just got another medal for competing in his International competition,
give an idea last year covid be damned we had over 5,000 participants from 126 teams in 11 different countries one of our corporate goals,
is to make Road world through seniors the largest sporting event by participant number
we've gotten stiff competition in the Boston Marathon the New York Marathon but we'll get there someday we're continent that I think that's fantastic I'm not sure if I missed it but what's the timeline for it.
Yes a rogue world to seniors will run for four weeks in the month of October this year.
Great 11 and I want to say you're not the only one that struggles with that name we didn't actually come up with it there's a UCI Road World Championship or professional.
Okay and back five years ago they had it in the city of Bergen again where we hail from,
and there was no arrangement for the seniors that they had pedaling for the the kids in the daycares and the school system and even corporate office place instead of cycling but there's no range meant for the senior so we thought well we forgot.
Athletes we've got cyclist let's run our own competition so we got the road worlds.
Sportiness I love it I think that anything that also helps break down the sticky stigma around being a senior around getting older.
It's also what I'm trying to do with our show here as just give information and get people involved all the time right.
So then how can people reach you how can they register for the competition can you tell us a bit more.
Yeah gladly is you can check us out online obviously a motive U.C a we're on all the social media channels so checks out Facebook Instagram Twitter
send me a message at info at multi-cat does here and let's talk about getting your athletes your dedicated athletes competing in this year's worlds for senior.
That's awesome well Dan thanks so much for joining us today and telling me and our audience more of a moat attack and the motive you are really appreciated so thanks so much for that.
My pleasure and as we said multi tag Amy I want to encourage you to have a Lon keep it up wonderful.
For more information on Dan and Mona Tech head over to Artful aging with a me.com I've also put up a link to a video of Sylvia is which is the senior cyclist that we were talking about.
To show you what this type of technology has done for her and her.
And there you have it please take a moment like and share our full aging with your networks help other families find and how,
are sorry find the help that they need remember support is only one conversation away and for me to all of you I hope that you have a wonderful Wednesday.
Music.
