Deciding that an aging parent needs to move to a nursing facility is heart wrenching, but often necessary to make sure they are safe. However, as more seniors face the possibility of having to move from their homes and lose their independence, technology could be the answer to allow them to age in place.
Smart Technology for Seniors
Today’s technology has brought forth numerous devices that can help take the worry out of an aging parent choosing to stay in their home. Wearables and smart devices allow for greater independence and smarter caregiving. There are technologies that track activity and inactivity in the home, falls, medication schedules and real-time health information such as vital signs or glucose levels.
Staying on Track with Medication
Devices can gently remind seniors when it is time to take medication, what medicine should be taken and alert caregivers by a call, text or email if medication is not taken.
Emergency Response Devices
Personal emergency response systems (PERS) offer more advanced features, and even the Life Alert has been updated to have its own smartphone app. Connect America summons help through a base station in the home, but also has a mobile PERS for outside the home that contacts 911 or a family member if the senior experiences a medical emergency. The stigma of having a monitoring device is lessening among seniors, leading to increased demand for this technology. With
40% of adults over the age of 85 living alone in the United States and the growing population of older adults, aging-in-place technology is only expected to continue growing in the years to come. Care providers who adopt technological innovations will be poised to meet the demand for in-home care as adults choose to age in place.