Although studies show certain difficulties for elderly people in adopting new technology to make their daily lives easier, more convenient, and safer, there’s no denying that doing so would benefit them greatly. With homes and communities becoming increasingly tech-driven with each passing day, seniors who are aging-in-place require instruments such as smart electronic devices and educational technology from their caregivers or relatives to make their daily living experience more enjoyable.
If you are living with a senior, caring for one, or a senior yourself, there are certain tech tools and instruments that you must invest in. These items would make each day safer, more fun, and productive, thus making them necessary investments and not just whims. Here are five tech tools that every senior should get:
- Hearing aid. Elderly persons with difficulty hearing should get a nice set of hearing aids to help them hear conversations better and make them productive. Fortunately, there are reputable websites such as sellmyaudiologypractice.com where you can order your hearing aids and have them delivered to your doorsteps so you won’t have to go out to buy one.
- Personal emergency response system (PERS). Seniors living alone or often find themselves without a companion at home should invest in a device called a personal emergency response system (PERS). This handy GPS-enabled device can be connected to a keychain or necklace that the user can easily access during an emergency. With a dedicated button, emergency responders or healthcare providers can be alerted to the senior’s location and send in a response team to attend to the senior. Some models have the option to call 911 directly, so help can be onsite immediately.
- Blood sugar monitors. Quite a lot of seniors suffer from health problems caused by high blood sugar levels. As such, a blood sugar monitoring system is one helpful tech instrument to have. The device can be paired with a smartphone or tablet to alert healthcare providers or relatives of the senior when the blood sugar level dips or spikes. It’s a potential life-saver, to say the least.
- Digital pill dispenser. Many elderly people need to take medications regularly, but absent-mindedness often gets the better of them. As a result, their health suffers, and their safety gets compromised. With a digital pill dispenser, the seniors will have voice prompts to remind them of their medication. The device can be monitored remotely and sends an alert to healthcare providers and relatives when the pill is not taken on schedule, so they can make a personal visit or call the senior for a more hands-on reminder.
- Virtual assistants. These days, virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri have been making elderly peoples’ lives bearable and even fun. With just their voice as the trigger, seniors can interact with the devices to order supplies for them, dial in their children’s number, or play their favorite Sunday playlist while they lounge cozily on a Sunday afternoon.
Do you think these five devices are worth investing in? Let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment below.