7 Areas Where Personal Tech Will Help Older Adults
The number of people requiring care is expected to balloon at a time when already inadequately staffed facilities face further budget challenges. What tools do we have that may help provide cost-effective beneficial care? Personal tech tools – now used casually and pervasively by the majority of all age groups – will empower older adults and provide help to caregivers. We are in a period of rapid transition and everyone is under pressure to achieve digital literacy.
Personal tech tools will help in the following areas:
Socialization: Keeping connected to friends and family can be tough for the mobility impaired. Cell phones, computers, tablets and video-calling services will help older adults keep in touch and have the ability to make new friends through a vast array of social media, interactive game and special interest websites.
Entertainment: Outside of live performances, the most prevalent way to access movies, music, radio and television is digital. E-books, which have adjustable fonts and audio capabilities, will replace the current Library of Congress system.
Education: Access to university classes, research, newspapers and other media has never been easier. Lifelong learning is a key to successful aging and access to university classes, research, newspapers and other media has never been easier.
Shopping, Bill paying: Homebound residents will shop online for almost everything – allowing the caregiver a brief respite from errands. Banking and bill paying will be done electronically.
Wellness and Fitness: Electronic medical records will help ensure the most effective health care. Remote medical supervision and Medication monitoring will allow individuals to play a more active role in managing their own care. Fitness programs will provide person incentives to help individuals achieve their goals.
Long-term care facility settings: New translation services will bridge the communication gap and connect non-English-speaking direct care workers with the non-English-speaking customers. Customers will easily have contact with service providers and facility managers. Customers and caretakers will be empowered to report instances of neglect, fraud and abuse.
Security: Families will benefit from routine check-in calls to webcam and specialized patient monitoring systems.
These are just a few of the benefits that technology can bring to people as they age.
The author, Candice Rose, is a specialist on the topic of aging and elder care. She is currently serving as the Chairwoman of the Arlington County Commission on Aging in Virginia. You can follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CandiceRose.