Affordably Aging in Place: Cooktop Safety CEO David Eby on Nurse Rosa's INsights

We are thrilled to share that our CEO, David Eby, was recently featured on the Nurse Rosa's INsights podcast alongside Dr. Pamela Toto of the University of Pittsburgh to explore what it truly takes to help older adults stay safely in their own homes.

Affordably Aging in Place: Cooktop Safety CEO David Eby on Nurse Rosa's INsights

Two Innovators, One Shared Mission In this episode of Nurse Rosa's INsights — a nurse-led healthcare leadership and innovation podcast hosted by Rosa Hart, RN — David Eby joined Dr. Pamela Toto, PhD, OTR/L, occupational therapist, professor, and Director of the Healthy Home Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of independent living. Together, they explored how the right tools, the right mindset, and the right support systems can make aging in place not just possible, but sustainable and safe.

Key Insights from the Episode:

• The Personal Side of Innovation: David shared that his work at Cooktop Safety is deeply personal — he is an active caregiver for both of his parents, who are in their mid-eighties. That lived experience directly shapes every product decision, grounding the technology in the real needs of real families.
• Cooking Fires: The Underappreciated Risk: A central theme was why cooking remains the leading cause of residential fires nationwide, and how AI and IoT sensor technology can act as a quiet, always-on layer of kitchen protection without stripping away an older adult's sense of independence or autonomy.
• Closing the Clinical Gap: Dr. Toto brought her 20+ years of occupational therapy expertise to discuss the gap between evidence-based best practices and what older adults actually experience at home — and how emerging technologies are helping to bridge it.
• Strength-Based Care: The episode highlighted Dr. Toto's signature philosophy: a strength-based, rather than deficit-based, model of care that focuses on what people can do, using environmental changes and technology to extend independence rather than define limitations.
• What Caregivers Need from Technology: The panel explored what both professional and family caregivers need from smart home tools in order to do their jobs better — with Cooktop Safety's sensor cited as an example of technology that supports caregivers rather than replacing them.
• Getting Agetech to Market: The conversation addressed the role of funding, awareness, and cross-sector collaboration in ensuring that life-changing agetech reaches the people who need it most, faster.

The Future of Aging at Home As the episode reinforced, aging in place is not a passive outcome — it requires proactive planning, smart environments, and a care model built around capability. From a sensor that quietly prevents a kitchen fire to a researcher redesigning how we think about senior care, the future of aging at home is already being built.

Watch the full episode on Nurse Rosa's INsights