Aging In Place Tech for Aging in Place 6/6/2024 | By Elaine Silvestrini 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. Read more about the best tech for aging in place. Spurred on by the need to connect during the pandemic, older adults are finding more uses for technology to live safely and socially, making it easier to remain in the home and for loved ones to ensure their well-being. For family members, “technology is the one thing that has changed caregiving the most,” says Amy Goyer, a caregiving expert with AARP. 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. Virtual reality helps loved ones understand how older people experience life. While integrated, all-encompassing age-in-place systems have yet to be created, experts say the technology continues to evolve. 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. Saudia Gajadhar, a spokeswoman for Comfort Keepers (www.comfortkeepers.com), works at the Irvine, California, home care company’s headquarters but cares for her own father in Florida using remote technology. Gajadhar’s father is 89, she says, and it’s been a struggle helping him to learn how to use things like videoconferencing. During the pandemic, she was able to connect with her father after talking him through how to do video conferencing each time. But he eventually gave up and wouldn’t use Zoom anymore. She hired a caregiver to work with him and he’s now able to Zoom again with that help. She says one way of persuading him to adapt is to tell him different technologies will help him stay independent in his home. “Technology is absolutely going to help people stay in their homes longer for multiple reasons,” says AARP’s 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.” Elaine Silvestrini is associate personal finance editor at Kiplinger.com. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com. ©2024 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Read More Elaine Silvestrini Elaine Silvestrini is senior retirement editor at Kiplinger.com.