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Older adults may not have grown up with the internet or smartphones, but this generation of retirees is increasingly embracing tech solutions to help them age in place.  

“Technology has an array of uses that are really going to help people retire in almost a different way,” said Kathleen Cameron, senior director of the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging.  

For family members, “technology is the one thing that has changed caregiving the most,” said Amy Goyer, a caregiving expert with AARP.  

Tech can solve many problems 

Beyond Zoom and other forms of video calling, technology is providing solutions ranging from remote health monitoring to financial tracking and automatic stove switches. 

“Smart” homes incorporate the ability to remotely answer doors, turn on lights, control temperature, play music and contact loved ones. 

Technology is also allowing older adults to stay employed remotely, to socialize, learn and experience travel from the comfort and safety of their homes.  

Robotic pets can provide companionship and a sense of purpose. The future could include robotic solutions to help with daily living tasks and potential uses for virtual reality, which has shown promise for dementia patients.  

“Technology is absolutely going to help people stay in their homes longer for multiple reasons,” said Goyer.  

“To stay in your home and be as active as possible, you need to have physical activity and mental stimulation, socialization. You need to take care of your health, and you need to be safe in your home. Technology can address all of those things.” 

Most want to age in place 

As the country’s resources strain to meet the needs of a swelling older population, tech solutions can’t come soon enough. The number of Americans over 65 has grown from 40.3 million in 2010 to about 56 million now. That number is projected to reach about 80 million by 2030.  

At the same time, long-term care resources are declining. Between 2020 and 2023, one report found, 579 nursing homes closed, with 55% of nursing homes in the U.S. turning away prospective residents and 21% reducing the number of beds or units.  

And surveys show nearly 80% of people 50 and older prefer to age in place. According to Pew Research Center, 27% of Americans age 60 and older live alone in the U.S., compared to 16% of adults in 130 other countries and territories studied.  

The challenge becomes how to enable older people to stay home while minimizing the stress on family caregivers and, when necessary, making do alone. 

Medical monitoring and care 

During the pandemic, house calls from doctors surged — but instead of ringing the doorbell, doctors called patients’ smartphones.  

The availability of telehealth and remote mental healthcare exploded, enabling patients to have virtual doctor visits in appropriate circumstances.  

Additionally, the Council on Aging’s Cameron said, the use of devices that enable remote medical monitoring has “really grown quite a bit over the last several years,” allowing medical providers to keep track of things like patients’ blood pressure, blood glucose levels and other health metrics.  

“I think that we’re going to see even more of this as the technology continues to advance in that regard — and Medicare pays for it,” Cameron said.  

Tech that keeps people safe 

Caregivers who don’t reside with their older loved ones may use technology to keep track of their well-being. Many smartwatches, for example, can detect when the wearer falls and can send alerts.  

Video doorbells and digital locks also enable caregivers to monitor visitors and remotely ensure people who need to get inside are allowed in, while others are kept away. 

“If you have someone coming in to help your mother with bathing three days a week, but she is not able to hear the doorbell or might be asleep and miss the person, then you can give them a code to get into the house and set it up,” Goyer said. 

Another option is a system that includes motion sensors, which allow monitoring a loved ones’ movements around the home, checking that they’re up and out of bed and haven’t fallen.  

Another danger is leaving the stove on, particularly when a person has some cognitive decline. Goyer said there are monitors for stoves and microwaves that can automatically turn them off when they’re left on unattended for too long.  

One is called iGuard Stove and it can be purchased for about $500 at stores, including Best Buy, which can also arrange installation and setup. 

For long-distance caregiving 

Family members may live in different cities and states, or even just have different schedules and demands, and yet still want to keep track of and care for older members. Tech can facilitate coordinating appointments and connections.  

A service called Wellthy enables family members to participate in a loved one’s care, led by a skilled care manager who organizes virtual family meetings and provides a dashboard giving information about things like medical appointments.  

Other websites like CaringBridge and Lotsa Helping Hands help family members coordinate caregiving or meals. 

 “You can have a signup list for who’s going to bring mom dinner on Tuesday,” Goyer explained. 

Tech for protecting finances 

Caregivers can use apps and websites to monitor their loved ones’ finances to ensure they’re not being scammed and are paying their bills, said Genevieve Waterman, director of corporate partnerships and engagement for the National Council on Aging.  

They can monitor their email and set up alerts through banks to look for unusual activity. One company, EverSafe, gives financial caregivers the ability to monitor a loved one’s accounts, Waterman said. 

EverSafe CEO Liz Loewy is a former prosecutor who oversaw a unit that focused on abuse of older adults. “Financial elder financial abuse is the one type of abuse that has the highest mortality rate,” Loewy said.  

EverSafe monitors all a person’s accounts, including credit, banking and retirement savings. She said the service learns the account holder’s normal behaviors and detects changes, sending alerts to the account holder and their designated care team.  

EverSafe allows family members to monitor finances without having access to the funds, which provides added protection for the older person. 

Everplans is a digital tool that helps avoid document and account clutter. This tool provides alerts, helps people store documents, videos, checklists and even passwords, making these things easy to find when the need arises. 

Looking ahead  

While conventional wisdom said older people spurn technology, surveys show the gap in use is narrowing between generations.  

According to Gallup, 61% of those 65 and older owned smartphones in 2022, compared to 96% of those ages 18 to 29, a difference of 35 percentage points. That gap was 53 points 10 years earlier.  

Gallup also found 83% of those 50 to 64 own smartphones, suggesting older people’s technology use will continue to increase as the population ages. 

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. © 2024 Kiplinger Washington Editors. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.