Native populations in most advanced democratic countries around the world are ageing. The Baby Boom has officially entered old age, something which has profound implications for healthcare systems and providers.
Elderly people in the 2020s, however, have access to healthcare options and aides that would have seemed like science fiction just a couple of decades ago. Much of it is in the realm of home healthcare technology, making it easier to age in place and live comfortably and healthily in your home well into your golden years.
No Substitution for Home Healthcare
The below home healthcare technology are invaluable components of living and ageing well for seniors around the world, but in-person home healthcare is still an important component of geriatric care for a large number of seniors. Many people rely on technology and professional home healthcare providers working in conjunction to live comfortable, meaningful lives. Technology is usually a complement to this care, rather than a wholesale replacement of it.
Medication Reminders
Medication reminders include, for example, applications like MedMinder, that help seniors stay on top of their medication schedules with reminders and calendars so they can maintain important medication adherence. The majority of seniors own and use smartphones, so medication reminder apps can and should absolutely be incorporated into the digital lives of older adults.
Another great thing about medication reminders is that caregivers can also install the app on their own phones and receive the same reminders as their senior patients or loved ones, which adds another failsafe to medication routines. You can simply follow up on the app’s prompt and let the senior know to either check their own application or inform them that it is time to take one or more medications.
Smart Home Tech
Smart Home Tech has become commonplace in many modern homes, with seniors, singles, couples and young families alike. For seniors, however, smart home tech such as Amazon’s Alexa and Alexa Echo, which come with virtual assistant capabilities, can help seniors with both feelings of isolation as well as managing their home or apartment’s various functions.
This is because Alexa and similar devices work as smart hubs, allowing a senior to safely and conveniently control their lighting, heating, door locks, and various gadgets and switches around the home. Voice control can help by, for instance, allowing a senior to turn hallway and stairway lights on from a distance, mitigating the risk of falls and serious injury.
Telehealth Tech
Popular telehealth technologies are already being eagerly embraced by many seniors. Homecare kits, for example, contain things like a single-lead EKG, glucometer, stethoscope, pulse oximeter and blood pressure cuff that can be connected to a smartphone and used via various applications.
Wearable technology such as smartwatches and blood pressure monitors that feed information directly to healthcare providers are additional examples of home tech making it easier for seniors to age in place. Both of these telehealth technologies combined help provide seniors peace of mind that their healthcare needs can still be met from the comfort of their own home and that sustained long-term health doesn’t depend on immediate and constant access to primary care settings.
Conclusion
The range of technology options available for older adults to help them live comfortably and healthily from their homes has revolutionized modern healthcare and ageing. The ability of older adults to leverage their phones, homes, and the internet to look after basic health needs and concerns without having to travel to a physician or primary care setting is nothing short of remarkable. If you work with seniors or have senior family members, help them use and understand the technology available to them and make ageing in place as straightforward as possible.
