The amount of technological advancements that we’ve made over just the past 10 years has been uncanny. Although there are many different types of technology that are beneficial to the population as a whole, there are many technologies that can help us even more as we age. These technologies range from things such as camera systems all the way to smart watches. All of these different technologies have their own specific benefits to seniors in how they can impact their lives.
1. Amazon Echo. Amazon Echo may be one of the most versatile and potentially life saving devices for seniors. Amazon’s speaker can allow seniors to more easily interact with family members through their hands-free calls option. Not only can Alexa help you take phone calls, but it can also allow you to create grocery lists, check the weather, and allow you to set alarms for when you need to take your medication. Devices such as the Echo Show also allow you to get face to face screen time with caretakers or family members. Although all of these features are useful, where the Alexa truly shines is when paired with your carbon monoxide detectors, smoke alarms, and broken glass sensors, these all combined allow for the overall safety of your home to be increased drastically.
2. Simplisafe Video Doorbell. Another product that focuses on increasing the overall safety of your home is a video doorbell. Video Doorbells can help identify whether the person at your door is just the local girl scout asking you to buy her cookies or whether it may be someone sinister. These video doorbells are great for seniors who want the extra security of knowing exactly who’s at their door before they open it. These doorbells are motion activated and allow you to have it so it will record anytime there is motion, or just when actual people are at your door. The cameras are perfect for monitoring the front area of your home for any possible issues.
3. Smart Watches. Something that most people wouldn’t necessarily think as much of a tech item that would benefit seniors is a smart watch. Smart watches such as the Fitbit Versa 3 have features that can help track things such as your heart-rate, oxygen saturation levels, and your breathing patterns. This information can be critical to ensuring that your body is operating in a healthy and proper way. These smart watches also have things such as sleep trackers which can tell you exactly how you sleep each night. Sleep tracking can help show you exactly when you were asleep, restless, or when you were awake. Smart watches are a great tool for keeping your health in check.
4. Senior Home Monitoring Systems. Companies such as Seniors Home Services offer 24/7 monitoring systems that don't use any cameras. These systems use motion sensors and AI to help identify possible problems in the home, which can be essential for preventing falls, and reducing readmission rates to the hospital. Another thing that these 24/7 monitoring systems can detect is leaving the stove or detecting if a fall has happened. Lastly, most companies including Senior Home Services include a wearable button that can be worn as a necklace or bracelet for when you're outside of the home to keep you safe.
5. GrandPad Tablet. The GrandPad tablet aims to take out the difficult features of a traditional iPad, and simplify the user experience. Although having this minimalist user interface, it still has the same features as a traditional tablet. The features included with this tablet range from web browsing, video and phone calls, music playback, games, photos and camera function, and much more. When looking at aging-in-place, this tablet can also allow you to do tele-health visits with doctors to help make sure your health is in check. This tablet is great for the senior who may want something more to do with their time, however doesn’t like the hassle of more difficult to operate tablets.
6. Automatic Pill Dispenser. As we age, making sure that we keep up to date on our medication is extremely important. Although pill boxes are great for some people, some might need an extra reminder. The Hero pill dispenser for example, makes a noise and flashes lights whenever it is time to take your pills, if you don’t hear that alert, your phone will also send you an automatic notification. Automatic pill dispensers are perfect for someone who may have multi-dose prescriptions that have to be taken multiple times per day.
7. Tracking Devices. Tracking devices can be especially useful for the older generation, who might otherwise have difficulties remembering where their things are. A perfect example of these tracking devices is the Tile. Tile’s device can be easily fit in your wallet or on your keychain. These devices allow you to track wherever your lost goods are and will play a beeping noise when you press a button on your phone, helping you find your items.
8. Smart Home Systems. Smart Home Systems are another great example of technological advancements in the past 10 years. Smart Home Systems are perfect for seniors not only for safety reasons, but also for their ease of access. Smart Home Systems allow for almost all features of a house to be controlled by one central unit. A perfect example of some of these control features being able to automatically lock all of your doors at a specific time. Another incredible feature of smart homes is the amount of home automation that comes with a smart home. Automation in smart homes include automatic temperature control, blind opening, light activation and many more. These systems also help prioritize energy efficiency, which can help you save on energy bills. Smart homes are a great way to help make your house safe and provide you with some convenience when controlling your home.
Overall, there are so many different technologies that can be both beneficial as well as entertaining to seniors living at home. All of these different technologies can help make your life much easier as well as provide you with the security that you need. Technology is truly paving the way for an even better future for seniors looking to age-in-place.