The pace at which new technology becomes available increases with each passing year. Older adults who are less familiar with these advances may be unaware of the many ways these new technologies can improve their lives.
However, older adults are also increasingly adopting new technology. The Pew Research Center indicates that current data shows that 61% of adults 65 and older own a smartphone, 44% own a tablet, and 75% report being internet users. 1
Older adults and their caregivers can build on this knowledge base and learn about some useful products available that can help with everyday needs around the home. These technology-based additions to daily living can assist with safety, personal care, connecting with others, and practical tasks. Let’s take a closer look at 4 ways technology can help older adults at home.
1. Technology for safety
Safety can be a major concern for older adults and their families. Difficulties with mobility, for example, can increase the risk of falling. Or, challenges with memory can lead to unsafe behaviors like wandering. When it comes to safety, technology can be a great way to decrease the worries that issues like this can cause.
Fall sensors
Each year in the US, 1 in 4 older adults will fall, sometimes leading to serious injury. 2 One way technology can help with this is with wearable medical alert devices that can detect when a person has fallen. With a monthly subscription, the device will notify its parent company’s emergency alert service that the wearer has experienced a fall, and help can be dispatched.
You can see the National Council on Aging’s fall monitor recommendations here.
Technology for adults at risk of wandering
Older adults with dementia are at high risk of wandering, with as many as 60% wandering at least once. 3 Thankfully, technology can play an important role in addressing this concern, too.
GPS technology is great at more than just helping you find your way while on the road. To help with wandering, GPS technology has been incorporated into devices that can be worn.
From devices that can be worn in a shoe to more complex technology that even allows caregivers to listen to what is happening around their loved one, this technology can help pinpoint the exact location and direction of travel of a person who has wandered away from a safe environment.
User-activated emergency alert devices
Sometimes paired with devices that can automatically detect a fall, user-activated emergency alert devices allow someone to call for help at the push of a button. These devices will call for help from emergency personnel if you’re in trouble and activate the alarm. In some cases, they’ll even notify family members you’ve designated as emergency contacts that you’ve activated help from emergency responders.
Video monitoring systems
Video monitoring can help caregivers keep a close eye on older adults who are prone to wandering. These can include night vision and motion sensors, to alert caregivers to potentially dangerous behaviors that may lead to falls. And devices like the Amazon Echo Show can let you “drop-in” virtually to talk to someone like a video intercom system.
Automatic stove shutoff devices
Aside from calling for help in an emergency and helping to locate older adults who’ve wandered, technology can come into play with other safety concerns too. An automatic stove shutoff is a perfect example of this. Forgetting that the stove is on could have disastrous consequences, but technology that prevents this can increase peace of mind.
Examples include:
- Stove shutoff timers that can be pre-set
- The FireAvert, which interacts with your existing smoke detector to shut off the stove in the event of an alarm
- Motion detectors that will turn the stove off if you move too far away, including smart monitoring systems like the iGuardStove, which can send caregivers alerts and allows remote access to safety settings
2. Smart technology around the house
Enhancing safety isn’t the only way technology can benefit older adults. There are many ways in which technology around the home can also enhance daily life and make everyday tasks easier.
Voice reminders
Staying organized can be a challenge for anyone, but memory issues make this even more complicated. What if an automated voice reminder could prompt you to take your medication or that an important doctor’s appointment was happening? Multiple technologies can help with this, including Amazon’s Alexa through the use of an Echo Dot, or Google Assistant.
Creating shopping lists on demand
Voice-activated systems aren’t just great for notifications and reminders, they can also be used to verbally create notes, lists, calendar entries, and more. If mobility challenges make it hard to get to pen and paper, or arthritis interferes with your writing, a simple voice command can add milk and bread to your list for later.
Energy saving technology
The latest in energy-saving technology can also help you save on your electric bill when it comes to things like heating and cooling costs. With heat waves making the news, this could be a good thing. Examples include:
- Smart light bulbs- designed to automatically turn off the lights when everyone leaves the room or leaves the home
- Smart thermostats- popular brands like Google Nest, Ecobee, and more will adjust the temperature based on factors like whether anyone is at home. They’ll also remind you to do maintenance like changing the filters and show you what your energy consumption is, so you can adjust settings if you need to.
- Smart ceiling fans- easy to switch on and off from your phone, these fans can also adjust to the temperature in the home to turn on and off automatically based on need.
- Smart plugs and outlets- these can be used to automatically switch off appliances that are not in use, and you can also remotely turn off an appliance from your phone.
Doorbells
Getting to the door when the doorbell rings might be a challenge if you have mobility concerns. The latest in smart technology for doorbells can eliminate that, allowing you to answer the bell and even see and talk to the person at the door remotely- from your sofa and by using your smartphone or voice-activated digital assistant and television.
It’s also another great safety device, because you never have to open your door to visitors you don’t recognize. Common examples include the Ring and Nest video doorbells.
3. Technology for personal care
Personal and even health care needs are another area where technology can lend a helping hand. Using technology to assist with these needs can often make better health more accessible. Consider the following examples of technology in personal care:
Digital pill dispensers & medication organizers
These smart devices can help you remember to take medications on time and even pre-sort out all your doses. This can be especially helpful for older adults with dementia who may become confused about which medications to take or forget doses.
The Hero medication system, for example, can store up to a 90-day supply of 10 different pills and tracks doses taken, allowing caregivers to monitor medication use. Or a simpler medication organizer like the Med-E-Lert automatic dispenser helps prevent doses at the wrong times, with programmable alerts, a locking mechanism, and timed dosing.
Smart water bottles
If remembering to stay hydrated is a challenge, smart water bottles will track your water consumption and alert you to stay on track with a goal. Some even have a self-cleaning option. Always check with your doctor to find out what a safe water consumption goal is for your situation.
4. Staying connected with technology
The COVID-19 pandemic has especially highlighted the importance of technology in staying connected with others. There are multiple ways to do this, from video calls using smartphones to group video calls using computers and tablets. The GrandPad is a perfect example of tablet technology geared toward older adults and is pre-set with easy selections including a video chat app.
New technology can ease worries and make life easier
As you can see, technology offers many ways to improve your safety, ease worries for family and caregivers who may be involved in daily care, and make everyday life easier.
It can be helpful to recruit family and caregivers who are more familiar with household technology for the task of setting up new devices if it feels overwhelming. This creates an opportunity for shared time together as you choose devices together and learn about how to use them!
Always remember to include any professional in-home caregivers in this process by notifying them about any devices that are in use. They can often help with their use as well and should know how to interact with the devices for maximum benefit around the house.
Caresify’s caregivers are experienced in providing in-home care of all kinds, even when advanced technology is involved. If you’d like to learn more about the caregiving services available, you can read more on the Caresify homepage, or call 888-799-5007.
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