The Technologies That are Transforming Elder Care

The baby boomer generation is getting old. Data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that 1 in 5 citizens will be retirement age by 2030, and by 2035, people aged 65 or older will outnumber those under 18 years old for the first time in U.S. history. With the increasing burden on elder care services already being felt, new technologies are entering the market to help get some relief and improve the lives of older folks and empower caregivers.

Earlier this year, the BDO Center for Healthcare Excellence & Innovation surveyed healthcare organizations and asked them which technologies appear to be offering the greatest improvements in elder care.

Technologies in support of home-based care topped the list of potential improvements. The need for these technologies is driven not only by the number of aging boomers, but the decreasing number of nursing homes. According to CNBC, 9% of nursing homes closed between the years of 2000 and 2009. To meet the needs of so many older people still living in their own homes -- what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls Aging in Place -- new technologies suited for them are now emerging.

One of those technologies is called voice first, where applications on mobile phones and computers can be controlled by speaking rather than tapping or typing. This is especially useful for people with visual and motor impairments, but with the advent of AI, these voice activated systems even offer some hope for giving lonely seniors some well-needed company, intellectual stimulation and entertainment.

Remote monitoring is another opportunity for Aging in Place technologies. Using various sensors and cameras, monitoring software can help caregivers watch vitals and get alerts about dangerous events, such as detecting falls or a failure of a patient to take their medication or eat properly. Smart door locks and motion detectors can also alert caregivers of security concerns, or the fact that a resident has or hasn’t left their home as expected.

Not only are the boomers aging, and the nursing homes closing, but the country is experiencing a shortfall of qualified nurses. Even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the number of registered nurses is growing faster than other occupations, it won’t keep up with the increased demand. Given this shortfall, another area of technological innovation involves caregiver coordination. These technologies allow fewer caregivers to more efficiently serve more patients, effectively managing a mobile workforce of on-call nurses.

Finally, delivery of products is helping to supply independent homes just like nursing homes. Seniors can order their prescriptions online and get them delivered. And, of course, Amazon is already a major player in delivering all kinds of products, and is expected to take on more of the load over time.

These technologies can also assist family members of an older person who want to provide the care themselves. “Coordinating elder care is a complicated process, and many caregivers get overwhelmed,” says Justin L. Scott, an attorney with Bratton Law Group. Given these complications, every little bit of help, even technological help, will be welcome.