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Our elders may be wise in years but they're not always very tech savvy, as anyone who's had to provide tech support to an uncle or grandparent can attest.
But tech products are starting to become more senior-friendly. New innovations, like voice recognition, touch screens and sensors, are making the power of digital technology more accessible to older people. The market for tech products aimed at people aged 60 and over is set to swell by $20 billion in the next two years.
The best tech products for elders need to serve a real purpose in the lives of their users, many of whom may suffer from Alzheimer's or other forms of cognitive impairment — there's no room for superfluous gizmos or useless apps.
This is where apps like Papa and products like Jiobit come in. They answer simple questions like "Where did Grandma wander off to?" and "Who can take Dad to the doctor?" When it comes to tech products for seniors, use will overshadow flash every time.
Check out some the best new, as well as tried-and-true, tech products and services for older adults:
After winning the Best of Innovation award for the Smart Home category at last year’s CES, Intuition Robotics, an Israeli startup and provider of digital companion technologies, announced this past week that its social robot for older adults, ElliQ, is now available for pre-order starting at $1,499.
ElliQ, "the sidekick for happier aging" as the company calls it, is radiant and bright, like a table light, with a moving cylindrical robot head that can make animatronic movements and field vocal requests.
It's a combination of a touch screen and a voice-enabled home assistant geared to make it easier for seniors to make video calls, set reminders for medication and arrange doctors appointments. You can even play bridge with it.
The product has successfully been tested with beta users aged 62-97 and will ship some time in the summer of 2019.
Noomi, a Swedish startup, released its smart wristband a few years back with the goal to better care for the elderly. The wristband itself is filled with hardware sensors and artificial intelligence to monitor all kinds of behavior from sleeping and eating habits to detecting whether a trip or fall happened. Any sort of change, whether minor or major, is relayed to a caregiver.
The wristband's battery life is quite significant, too: up to 12 months. All of the data it collects is stored on its cloud platform and can be shared with a medical professional in real-time, 24 hours a day.
This small, clip-able device that tracks real-time location was originally designed for children, but can be helpful for seniors with dementia who are prone to wandering off, according to AARP.
Prices start at $99.99 for the device and $8.99 a month with a 2-year commitment. The lightweight gadget, designed so it isn't easily taken off, also has a "geo-fence" alert, which notifies a caregiver if the person goes outside of a "trusted zone." Another plus: it lasts up to one week on a single charge.
The device is used all over the world (and in all 50 states), according to a Jiobit spokesperson, and its encryption and security technologies have even gotten the thumbs-up by law enforcement professionals.
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