By Rachel Cooper
As our aging population is growing, senior technology is evolving to make day-to-day life easier. Here are seven innovative products that help the families of seniors feel safe and can improve their loved ones' quality of life:
Medical alert systems
The most popular technology for seniors is a wearable call button that dispatches emergency help when needed. These devices are equipped with a range of options, including automatic fall detection, in-home health monitors, fitness trackers, movement sensors, and more.
When choosing a system, evaluate the specific needs and abilities the senior in your life has. Consider a base unit located in their home and a mobile system that incorporates GPS technology to call for help when they're away from home.
Before making a long-term commitment to a specific service, ask if a free trial period is available so you can see what works best for you and your family.
Wearable health monitors
Wearable gadgets such as smartwatches, fitness trackers and specialized sensors are available to measure heart rates, track asthma, monitor blood pressure, and so much more.
These devices are increasingly integrated with wireless mobile devices and cloud-based data storage, making them a powerful health monitoring tool.
Financial alert technology
Unfortunately, with advances in technology, financial exploitation has become a major concern for seniors and their families; however, technology can also be used to set up alerts to protect you from fraud, scams and identity theft.
Sign up with your bank to receive automatic alerts for withdrawals from your account. Credit card companies utilize this technology to alert you any time a charge is made to your account. Also, use apps such as EverSafe to monitor financial activity within multiple accounts.
Online rent payment
Today, many property management companies offer online payment options, and the ability to set up automatic payments by electronic transfer, credit card or cash.
Monthly rent can also be paid through websites like rentpayment.com, cozy.co, payyourrent.com and others. Families can set up online payments for utilities and other recurring bills to make sure that their loved ones pay their bills on time.
Smart home technology
Smart home technology, or home automation, provides conveniences such as LED lighting, auto stove shut-off systems, smart thermostats, home security systems, smart outlets, smart smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, and more.
These features are great for the families of seniors, as they can be controlled remotely by an app on a smartphone or any other networked device.
Digital assistants
Amazon's Echo and Google's Home are voice-activated WiFi devices that can be helpful to seniors who are living independently. They can turn on lights or adjust the thermostat, as well as take dictation to help you create reminders that can be set to prompt you to take medication.
Place a few digital assistants around your home and enjoy easy access to information that may be cumbersome to look up on a computer. Note that digital assistants can dial landline and mobile phone numbers, but are not reliable to call 911.
GrandPad
This customized tablet is a device designed specifically for seniors who have little technical expertise in order to make it easy for them to connect with family and friends. No dialing or typing is required.
The GrandPad has a touch screen, large fonts and buttons, and a handy stylus for navigation. There are no wires, and the charging cradle is simple to use. A monthly subscription provides the convenience of unlimited 4G LTE data, ad-free unlimited streaming music and mobile access for caregivers and family.
Rachel Cooper is a freelance writer and author with more than a decade of online journalism and content creation experience. For more information on senior technology, visit the Apartment Guide Blog.
