Aging in Place Technology: Helping Seniors Stay at Home

Hello and welcome! This column will focus on technology that can help seniors age in place. “Aging in place” refers to the ability to live in one's own home— wherever that might be—for as long, as confidently, and as comfortably possible. Aging in place technologies are the tools that enable seniors to remain in their home of choice, for as long as they choose.

Focus on Aging in Place Technology

As an industry analyst, I research and advise clients on aging in place technology. I have more than thirty years in the technology industry, including nine years at a leading technology market research firm. But my perspective is unique because I am also a long-term care ombudsman, a graduate student in geriatric care management, and I have authored a book about elder care decisions. I am committed to simplifying the way we look at this fragmented and confusing marketplace, by identifying the technologies that matter—and distinguishing them from those that are destined for the obsolete junk corner.

In this column I plan to discuss the technologies, related services, pace of adoption, and cost in five areas which could enhance the lives of seniors by helping them:

1. Communicate with others. How can families be more proficient at helping aging loved ones stay in touch with them and with the outside world? I will look at products that promote ease of communication (other than personal computers), including those that enhance the usability of personal computers.
2. Manage medications. One of the biggest risk areas pushing seniors out of their homes and into institutions is illness, particularly those which result from the failure to organize and take the appropriate prescribed medications. Vendors of all types of products want to help seniors with medication management, with solutions ranging from phone-based products to in-home technological pill containers.
3. Preserve safety. Seniors want to stay in their homes, but their caregivers and relatives worry daily about how they’re doing and whether they are safe there. Home monitoring technologies on the market now include sensors, motion detectors and Web cameras. We’ll examine these options as well as the more advanced technology currently under development.
4. Enhance health. What wearable products, online health records and telepharmacy techniques—between doctor and patient or pharmacy and patient—make sense and are cost-effective? Will insurance cover them? If it doesn’t, is that a showstopper for their adoption?
5. Simplify tasks. There seems to be an endless supply of products that help seniors with the everyday tasks which are necessary to remain safely in their own homes. Which ones are the most practical? I will investigate products ranging from easy-to-use “smarter” phones to online step-by-step guides to accomplishing tasks and more.

To reinforce my assessments, I will use public survey information and public information from vendors, combined with my own insights. I welcome your interest and invite your comments and critiques. I believe that there is always more to be known and understood about enabling technologies for aging in place. Here’s hoping we can propel everyone’s understanding forward.

Posted in Aging in Place, Aging in Place Technology, Assistive Technology