Aging in Place: Using Technology to Live Independently

Welcome back to the last installment of our Aging in Place blog series. Last month we covered home renovations to consider. Hopefully this helped to identify a few ways that you can make your loved one’s environment safer so that they can remain at home for as long as possible.



In today’s tech-based world, more and more seniors are embracing technology more than ever. Tech moguls are scrambling to push their products to seniors to promote ease in everyday activities. Think about your wearable technology that monitors blood pressure, daily steps, and even talk-to-text. Many electronics can help older adults stay in their own homes longer.

Check out what technology can do:

Tablets and Smartphones

Tablets and smartphones can help to promote social connections with video calls or social networks to keep older adults involved. Living at home isn't just challenging logistically, it can also create an isolated feeling for seniors.

Many smartphones also contain assistive technology designed to help with hearing loss and dexterity issues. There are plenty of voice activated apps to control your phone these days rather than needing to type messages or navigate through the phone (Siri or Alexa).

Wearables

Wearable devices (smart watch) can measure heart rate, steps, calories burned, and sleep quality. You can read the charts to ensure your loved one is getting the care they deserve at home. You can also track vitals such as blood pressure, temperature, oxygen, and hydration. These tools are able to track health while your senior continues to go about their day without focusing on constantly tracking their body. You can also enable fall detection for emergencies. This is an automatic response to a fall where aging adults do not have to remember to push any sort of button.

Emergency Response Systems

When aging adults wear emergency response devices, they can push a button or have the fall automatically detected to alert caregivers. There are options that include GPS tracking incase of a fall while running errands or out for a walk. Some allow for two-way communication to communicate in real time.

Medication Dispensers or Reminders

When an aging adult struggles with memory, forgetting medication can be highly dangerous. This can be a major factor when considering in-home caregivers. There is also a technology that can produce reminders. Phones or tablets can be set to ring when it is time to take your medication. There are also dispensing systems to help with the proper dosage.

These options may be intimidating to aging adults at first, but given the ease-of-use and benefit of staying at home they are definitely worth trying! Need some more tips? Give us a call at 610-365-4099.

We hope you enjoyed our Aging in Place series! Please continue to visit our blog for more tips on home health care and advice for caregivers in the future!