7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – Technology has become a crucial part of senior care over the past years, offering several ways to help our aging loved ones. With the number of people needing senior care technology growing every year, technology is there to make everything easier and more convenient.
From eldercare finance to GPS tracking, tech can help both the seniors and their caretakers feel less stressed from everyday situations. Most technologies reduce physical effort, with many even helping seniors cope with their ever-changing condition. Here are x ways technology has improved senior care for all.
1. Global Positioning System (GPS) For Tracking
7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – Global positioning system or GPS has been one of the most valued elder-care technology in the entire world. Its two crucial features, location accuracy and portability, offer a great way for locating lost seniors. Its unobtrusive nature now lets seniors roam around care facilities with more freedom.
Seniors getting lost is not an uncommon problem, especially with those afflicted with memory issues that include dementia, cognitive impairment, and even Alzheimer’s Disease. Elders have a tendency to feel disoriented when they move around. They can even forget where they are even if they know the general location well enough.
Modern GPS technology is thin enough to easily paste on clothing and other accessories without being intrusive. Elderly tracking systems make it easy to find out if they’re not in a place where you want them to be.
2. Smartphones For Companionship and Personal Care
7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – A personal concierge is a great service that enables seniors who opt to live at home to have a normal life. Concierge and errand services provide specialized care for the exacting needs of every senior. With that said, technology also plays a crucial part in maximizing what a concierge can do for the elders.
For concierge services, smartphone technology allows for a more personalized level of care. Seniors can request errands like grocery shopping and be in constant contact with their caretaker. Most elderly don’t even have to have an expansive knowledge of smartphones as many offer easy to use accessibility options.
Even simple companionship and social interactions with concierge services can happen through a smartphone. Video calls are now simpler, especially during situations where social interactions can be problematic.
3. Video Conferencing and Accessibility Devices For Communication
7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – Not all seniors are good at communicating; not many are even able to communicate at all due to diseases and disabilities. Even then, modern technology affords seniors a chance to talk and socialize with other people, from family to other elderly.
As we mentioned before, tablets, smartphones, and computers allow for video conferencing that let them talk with other family members. Most of these devices are also easy to program to allow a simpler interface for the elderly.
For those unable to talk or have visual impairments, wireless accessibility buttons allow them to inform the people around them of their concerns. Some even get assistive technology that allows them to get over their own disabilities like digital hearing aids and speech-generating devices.
4. Internet of Things (IoT) devices for Care Automation
7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – When you talk about the Internet of Things (IoT), many don’t immediately associate it with elderly care. Regardless, IoT has a collection of use cases for seniors, who are notorious for their struggles with new technology. Many of these automate many activities that allow health monitoring for seniors.
For starters, blood sugar monitors for diabetics and wireless intensive nerve stimulation (WINS) for arthritis patients can be automated to provide reports, alerts, and quick tests. IoT also works for home safety and security, which includes fall detection systems in case the senior falls down outside a caregiver’s supervision.
With advancements in technology, elder care should be easier than ever. Healthcare devices, telehealth sensors, and even voice assistants can simplify what should be a stressful period for both elders and their caregivers. These kinds of disruptive technology will only get better from here on out.
5. Camera Tech For Daily Monitoring and Security
7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – Elder abuse has been a real dilemma in the world of senior care. Some are not built to take care of seniors and some take the next step for the worse. Technology helps reduce and even prevent these abhorrent situations, all through the use of various monitoring devices.
Cameras these days are far from the bulky, analog video cams from the ‘90s and the early 2000s. Many are easy to install, simple to operate and can provide real-time monitoring for family and caretakers alike. These can help track the movement of elders and the people around them.
For seniors that are not too happy with invasive monitoring, there are also cameras that are discreet. There are also cameras with additional sensors that monitor the general movement of the seniors and the people around them.
6. Medication Management Systems for Patient Compliance
7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – For seniors who have caretakers around them, medication adherence or taking medications regularly and consistently is rarely an issue. For those who don’t have such luxury, compliance can be iffy, especially for seniors who are more independent than most. This is where technology comes in.
Different types of simple tech help seniors stay adherent to their medication. These include more low-tech solutions like pill boxes with alarms, where a caretaker or the pharmacist can help set it for the senior. There are also smart pill boxes that connect and record medication intake and send the information to doctors.
There are also smartphone apps that help with medication tracking and prevent intake errors. Some pill boxes even have refill alerts for seniors once their prescription runs out.
7. Video Games For Physical and Mental Care
7 Ways that Technology Can Make Life Easier for Seniors – Video games are also becoming a useful technology that can help seniors pass time. Many nursing homes and retirement communities employ the use of simple, easy to use video games to keep seniors sharp physically and mentally. While people should not expect the elderly to play complex titles, simpler games can be helpful.
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