WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP Foundation has announced Care Angel as the winner of the 2016 Aging in Place $50K Challenge, a startup competition for entrepreneurs with solutions to help low-income adults age 50-plus live safely, independently and comfortably in their own homes as they age. With submissions from startups throughout the nation focused on "design for all" housing and caregiving solutions, the new award competition named Care Angel, Home for Life Design and CareAcademy as finalists.

Care Angel is an AI-driven caregiving assistant that revolutionizes aging-in-place and the care of loved ones. The award winning patent-pending software technology is designed to call an older adult every day by phone and inquire how the senior is doing, whether they took their medications, and asks about their appetite, sleep quality, blood pressure and glucose readings and other health-related questions. With the $50,000 from AARP Foundation's 2016 Aging in Place challenge, Care Angel will launch a #CareitForward program to provide free check-in care calls, including one year free services for 5,000 low income seniors who do not own a smartphone but could benefit from monitoring.

"We know that the majority of Americans want to remain in their homes as they age," said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation President. "But we also know that there are more than 19 million older Americans living in unaffordable or unsafe housing. We need big and bold solutions like these to help meet the diverse needs of our most vulnerable seniors and allow them to remain essential members of their communities."

As millions of older adults struggle with inadequate housing, the Foundation, in collaboration with Aging 2.0, invited startups from across the United States to submit proposals for innovative solutions to aging in place, with the winner receiving a $50,000 cash prize. Care Angel was named the winner by a panel of judges from the public, nonprofit and private sectors with venture capital, startup and innovation expertise.

The $50K Aging in Place Challenge is part of AARP Foundation's Innovation Prize, designed to seek out promising ideas and unlock new opportunities to help solve the problems so many low-income older adults face as they age. AARP Foundation strives to create and advance effective solutions that help vulnerable older adults secure the essentials and unlock new opportunities for vulnerable older adults nationwide.

To learn more about the competition click here: www.aarpfoundationprize.org

About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation works to ensure that low-income older adults have nutritious food, affordable housing, a steady income, and strong and sustaining social bonds. We collaborate with individuals and organizations who share our commitment to innovation and our passion for problem-solving. Supported by vigorous legal advocacy, we create and advance effective solutions that help struggling older adults transform their lives. AARP Foundation is the charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org.

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SOURCE AARP Foundation

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