Continuous technological innovations have helped to make everyone’s life easier and more convenient, not to mention more fun and enjoyable. From unique Apple watches that track your fitness, to high-tech Tesla cars and exciting virtual reality games, who would not love modern technology?
But for seniors, new technologies mean more than just a month of enjoyment and a few years of entertainment.
More often than not, technological innovations can be the difference between mobility and being bedridden. Sometimes, it’s also the thin straw that separates life and death for older adults.
These gadgets and technological devices had made life eternally blissful for seniors. Also, it continues to aid senior assisted living facilities, memory care, and other retirement homes to make life happier, safer, and healthier for seniors. Some of the many benefits of modern tech include:
- Increased safety, security, and freedom for seniors.
- It helps seniors track their fitness and health biometrics, such as blood sugar level, blood pressure, and dietary needs.
- Aids with medication management.
- It helps seniors with mobility issues live life to the fullest.
- Allows immediate response to emergencies for seniors living independently.
- Allows elderlies to live independently and makes remote care possible.
Here are just some of the most unique and innovative technologies for seniors.
Medication Management
Say goodbye to the ancient pillboxes and organizers because there’s a new medication management system in town–automated pill dispensers.
Yes, you heard that right. Pill dispensers now have an automated version which makes them 10x more efficient and convenient. This new tech dispenses up to 10 different senior medications at the right time. You can customize its schedule and can stack up to 90-days worth of pills–in all shapes and sizes.
The best part? Most automatic pill dispensers are connected to an app that can be downloaded to your or your caregiver’s phone. The app tracks pills consumption, dosage, and other information. Also, it sends notifications when your supply is low and offers prescription drug deliveries right at your doorstep.
Many great brands have joined the market, such as Hero, MedaCube, GMS, and MedMinder.
Wearable Technologies for Health and Wellness
Apple Watch, FitBit, and Bay Alarm are just some of the many wearable devices that offer convenience, style, and class for the younger generation. Fortunately, it also benefits elderlies in more ways than one.
First off, these wearables keep track of your location, movements, calories, and heart rate. They also detect how much sitting, standing, and exercise you had done for the entire day.
Besides calling and messaging, one of their best features is automatic fall detection (Apple Watch 5). It uses a sensor that can detect a sudden change in your altitude and speed. It will alert you (and its phone-connected app) and will ask if you need help. If you’re unresponsive, it will automatically call for emergency assistance.
Devices for Safety and Security
Whether you’re in a senior assisted living facility or a luxurious retirement home, safety and security are of utmost importance. Thus, many companies have invested in creating new tech for this very purpose. Some of the best ones include:
- Motion sensing lights to illuminate every room you’ll go to.
- Burner alert device for stovetops.
- Smart security systems to keep out intruders and keep in wandering seniors.
- Adjustable and automatic bidet toilet seats and walk-in bathtubs
- Electric wheelchairs and elevator chairs.
- Recorded voice alerts to help seniors with dementia remember specific tasks. Or so a loved one can leave important messages that they need to tell their senior family member.
- Emergency buttons and alarms located in the senior’s room or home.
Fall Protection Devices
Another brilliant tech innovation to ensure the safety of seniors is fall prevention devices. Many older adults, especially those living independently, suffer from fall and slipping accidents. In fact, one out of six seniors reports experiencing a fall accident every day.
To address this, tech giants created wearable devices and monitoring systems to detect and help during fall accidents. Some devices come in the form of watches, while others can be worn as belts that would deploy protective airbags to prevent hip injuries.
Other gadgets also come with an app that would automatically notify a caregiver or a family member during the incident. It can also call for help and emergency support if need be.
Artificial Intelligence for Social and Emotional Support
Social and psychological health is equally as important as a senior’s physical wellness. Older adults, especially those in senior assisted living communities, can sometimes succumb to the embrace of loneliness and social isolation. Thus, eventually leading to poor health.
The good news is that manufacturers tapped artificial intelligence, robotics, and virtual reality technologies to give emotional support and keep them socially connected. Some examples of this are:
- Intuition Robotics – uses AI tech to help seniors stay connected with their loved ones. It initiates conversations with families and allows you to send photos or a video message to them. It also promotes healthy behaviors and reminds you to take your pills.
- Robotic Pets – for seniors who love cats and pups but can’t adopt one, Fischer’s invention has got you covered. These robotic pets are like live ones in that they respond to touch, have a heartbeat, and engage with a human companion. It gives you the joy of connecting to a pet but minus the health hazards that an actual one poses (e.g., allergic rhinitis and asthma due to fur).
Tech to Enhance Caregiving Practices
Improving senior health through modern technologies also means equipping caregivers with state-of-the-art devices. One such technology that caregivers in senior assisted living facilities can use is called Embodied Labs.
This new tech uses immersive virtual reality that offers simulations to caregivers of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and macular degeneration.
The simulations allow caregivers to take on the persona of a senior with dementia or other diseases facing different situations. This way, it would let caregivers understand the health conditions of a senior on a deeper level. Further, it can help them do their job efficiently now that they know the disease’s effects first-hand.
