Thanks to the advancements in the medical and healthcare fields, people are now living longer. Most people worldwide can expect to live into their 60s and beyond. That said, every country around the globe is experiencing growth in its senior population. 

In fact, statistics revealed that there are an estimated one billion seniors in 2020, and it’s expected to double by 2050. However, with such growth, the ratio of available caregivers for senior citizens is, unfortunately, shrinking. One way to close the gap between the seniors and the care they need is to rely on technology. 

This article shares how technology is helping and improving senior care and quality of life. 

• Medication And Diet Management

For older people who have caretakers around them, taking medications consistently and regularly or diet management is rarely an issue. But, for those who don’t have the luxury or don’t want a caretaker, these areas can be challenging to carry out. 

This is where technology comes in. 

Different types of apps or simple techs can help seniors take their medications on time and ensure a proper diet. For instance, low-tech solutions, such as pillboxes with alarms, can help notify seniors when it’s time to take their medicine. There are a lot of phone apps that can also do this, reminding seniors and helping them track their intake. Some smart pillboxes and apps can also connect and record medication intake, sending information to doctors. 

Phone apps are also beneficial in terms of diet management. These apps help in managing their diet and activity levels, as well as help them make better food choices. For instance, a reliable app can help create a diet or meal plan suitable for older adults with chewing difficulties, allowing them to adapt to a healthy lifestyle and maintain a regime of suitable food and products.

• Monitoring Health And Medical Emergencies

According to research, over ten million American seniors live on their own. So, who monitors their daily health, or what happens in case of emergencies?  Technology can help. 

Technologies such as wearable devices and smartphone apps help in monitoring health and alert automation during medical emergencies. Healthcare app development companies are focusing on creating a virtual, centralized monitoring software integrated with daily wearables, such as bracelets and smartwatches. 

Current technology allows these wearables to record data, analyze users’ activities, and notify caretakers and healthcare providers when an anomaly or emergency occurs. 

• Tracking Lost Seniors

GPS technology is considered one of the most valued senior care technologies today, offering a great way of locating seniors. 

Seniors getting lost is pretty common, particularly those suffering from memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They tend to roam around and get lost. 

With GPS technology, caretakers and families can easily find their aging loved ones when lost. It also allows seniors to roam around with more freedom, while also allowing you to easily find out if they’re not in places where they shouldn’t be. Another advantage of GPS technology is that it’s unobtrusive enough that you can easily place it on clothing pieces and other accessories.

Wearable technology allows you to locate them easily while also monitoring their health when lost, so you have a real-time view of the current state of their well-being. 

• Faster, Interconnected Medical Data

The Internet of Things (IoT) has allowed greater interconnectedness in the modern world. The connection of various devices via an Internet connection has allowed seamless and faster sharing of data. This is beneficial in the medical world. 

As healthcare providers become more connected to their patients with IoT, the more they can learn about their health and personalize care for them. The medical industry has started using this greater interconnectedness and data sharing to assist seniors with their vital signs, medication schedules, and general care. This allows the spread of information to help seniors in the best ways possible. 

• Improving Communication

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, seniors understood the consequences of meeting family and friends. As high-risk individuals, seniors are advised to isolate themselves. 

But, thanks to modern technology, seniors have the chance to socialize and talk with their family and friends, no matter the distance between them. Video conferencing apps allow virtual communication with their loved ones and healthcare providers. This makes them feel less lonely, while also being able to communicate with their doctors easily. 

Even for elders with disabilities, such as visual or speech impairment, some assistive technology, such as speech-generating devices and digital hearing aids, allows them to get over these hindrances. 

• Daily Monitoring And Physical Security

Whether it’s to prevent theft or elder abuse, camera technology has reduced and prevented such situations and improved the daily monitoring and security of seniors. 

Modern CCTV and monitoring cameras are far from the bulky and analog video cams from the nineties. Most are easy to install and operate, and they provide real-time monitoring for caretakers and family, as well as property premises. These technologies can help track the movement of elders and those around them. 

For older people who don’t like invasive monitoring, you can also find discreet and easily hidden cameras. Also, there are cameras with advanced sensors, which can monitor general movement and even record sound. 

• Smarter Homes

Smart home technology provides convenience not only for millennials but also for senior living and care. 

Voice-activated smart technology, like Alexa, can give seniors convenience and a sense of control. From switching on lights and opening doors to adjusting temperatures or being able to change the TV channel or volume by speaking, a senior can maintain a degree of independence just by using their voice. 

Not only are these types of smart home devices convenient to use for your senior loved one, but also entertaining.

Takeaway

There’s no doubt how technology has dramatically improved senior healthcare, providing several ways to help both families and healthcare providers care for their aging loved ones. 

With the number of baby boomers stepping into the senior citizen era, technology is here to make everything more convenient and easier for them.