Last week, we published the winners of a reader poll that selected the inaugural 50+ Innovation Leaders, presented by AARP. It’s an initiative that calls attention to the ways in which entrepreneurs are addressing the needs of the aging population. Smart living and wearables was one of several categories highlighted in the report, which can be downloaded here.

In the profiles of the winners, some identified what motivated them to work with the aging population and who their healthcare heroes are.

AliveCor produced the FDA-cleared Kardia to function as a mobile heart monitor. Founder and Chief Medical Officer Dave Albert shared what motivated him to develop a device to help aging populations:

The developed world is aging from Japan to Europe to the United States. Diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer are consuming more and more resources. We need to develop solutions for these problems that are practical and affordable for the aging population.

Stephanie Alves founded ABL Denim to improve the quality of life for physically disabled individuals to give them more flexibility on clothing options. Her step-sister inspired her to start the business, which also serves members of the aging population who experience increasingly limited mobility.

My step-sister, a baby boomer, became a wheelchair user after several failed back surgeries. To find fashionable clothing that was easier to dress in and non-harmful was impossible; there were only geriatric styles available. She inspired me to use my background as a designer in the fashion industry and lifelong history with family members with disabilities to start a business making clothing that offers in-style functional clothing, enabling greater independence, boosting self-esteem, and making the work of dressing easier for caregivers each and every day.

Shai Gozani, the CEO of NeuroMetrix, which produces the FDA-cleared Quell wearable device to relieve pain, was inspired to work with the aging population to address the chronic conditions he believes many technology companies inadequately serve:

There are far too many “cool technologies” chasing problems. Most wearable devices target the worried well but don’t address the major societal challenges. As the population ages, the impact of chronic disease, including pain, is rapidly growing with an estimated cost over $2 trillion annually in the United States. Technology can not only address costs but dramatically improve quality of life.

To learn more about the 50+ Innovation Leaders across smart living and wearables, healthcare delivery, medication management, entrepreneurial innovation and behavioral health, follow this link.