September 11, 2019 by
Whether you’re looking to tune a guitar, learn a new language, or just add cats’ ears to a selfie, there is an app for that! And for seniors who choose to age in place, technology may very well be a key component in maximizing safety, comfort, and overall well-being.
Take Amazon’s Alexa, for instance. Although its current benefits for seniors are many, including the ability to track sugar levels, make physician appointments, and research information pertaining to a particular medical condition, it is actually positioned to dig even deeper into the medical care arena – possibly even detecting heart attacks and helping doctors obtain accurate diagnoses.
Below are a few additional technology solutions you may want to consider for an older adult you care about:
- Home Security: A motion-detecting home security system offers peace of mind pertaining to crime prevention, but often can do a lot more. Some additional features include alerting when detecting smoke, broken glass, or temperatures in the home that are outside of the normal range, just to name a few. They are also beneficial for individuals diagnosed with dementia who might be susceptible to wandering by alerting when a senior’s movements are close to an exit.
- Telehealth: Save a visit to the doctor’s office with the use of one of a variety of apps that allow for remote consultations from board-certified physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists, many of which are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
- Fall Prevention: One of many most common risk factors leading to senior falls is inadequate lighting. Smart lights use motion detection to increase lighting in areas of specific concern, which include between the bedroom and bathroom, or outside walkways, when triggered by a person’s movement.
- Fraud Protection: Senior scammers are unrelenting and consistently evolving their tactics. Older adults can boost security through apps that keep an eye on financial activity and neighborhood crime activity, reduce robocalls, identify any usage of an individual’s Social Security number, and more.
- Healthcare: Numerous medical care needs can now be met from the comfort of home, such as video chats with physicians to avoid a trip to the office, medication ordering, and medication management to make sure meds are used at the proper times as well as in the right doses.
Contact At Home Independent Living to get more detailed suggestions for improving life at home for seniors – whether via technology, our professional in-home care assistance, or both! We’re always here to help set up and explain technological options, and to provide you with the tried-and-true, hands-on assistance in the home that empowers aging adults to live their very best lives. Contact us now at (315) 579-HOME (4663) for an in-home consultation and to discuss your independent living needs.