It can be hard to get over the paranoia of leaving an elder alone. For some guardians, leaving an elder in a room unattended is hard enough, which makes leaving them in a house alone pretty unthinkable. “What if they forget to take their medicines?” “What if someone breaks into the house?” “What if there’s a leak?” “What if they fall?” Each of these is a valid concern.
Statistics show that elders over the age of 65 typically take around 5 different medicines daily, which can be hard for an elder with say, Alzheimer’s, to miss. Seniors are also more likely to fall victim to crimes of house theft and are likely to miss leaks in piping because they are unable to bend and check in nooks and crannies.
Seniors also have a high risk of falling. Injuries due to falling are the leading cause of death for seniors over the age of 65, with over a third of the senior population having fallen at least once yearly. Almost 10,000 of these falls in America alone result in death every year.
The statistics are frightening, but a vital desire that comes with being human is the need to be independent. Your grandmother may need someone to remind her to take her medicines, but not wish to be under constant surveillance by worried grandkids. The beauty of the modern age of technology we live in today is that it is entirely possible to keep tabs on your loved ones without imposing yourself into their lives more than necessary.
The senior tech market has been gaining traction and is estimated to be as big as 30 billion dollars by 2030 according to experts. Currently, there is already a wide array of gadgets to choose from, and here we’ve compiled a list of the top 3 you’ll need to start yourself off with.
1) S.O.S. Devices
Starting off with the most crucial device for your senior, Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) are literal life savers. These are handy little devices, typically in the form of a bracelet or pendant, that help seniors alert healthcare professionals or families during emergency situations. The typical fear of both seniors and their caretakers is that of an accident happening while the senior is left unattended.
While before this would have been a disastrous incident, especially if the senior was unable to contact anyone in the case of injury, now guardians can rest easy knowing that a call for help is a button away. Some devices are even equipped with fall detectors which send alerts without prompting. Nearly all PER systems have customizable alerts and notifications that are adaptable to your needs.
MedicSignal allows the user to choose time slots for regular check-in notifications. The notification is dismissed with a swipe to indicate that all is well. If the notification goes unswiped, the caretakers shall be notified. The MedicSignal watch is also monitored wirelessly and has a backup charge in case the battery runs out. Devices like Lively are motion sensors attached to areas the senior is most likely to frequent. This can include the bed, the bathroom, the dining table, etc.
If, for example, your father has a habit of going out for a walk by 3 pm and hasn’t gone near the front door, you can determine whether this is something you would like to be notified about.
Overall, this is the most important investment you can make for the safety and well-being of your senior. A PERS with a fall detector could save precious minutes in alerting health care services if the senior is incapacitated, and could even save a life.
2) Medication Reminding Devices
For some elders, their lives may be dependent on the medication they take. This means that taking it at the prescribed times is crucial. Some elders, especially those suffering from Alzheimer’s, may have a tendency to forget to take their medication unless they are constantly reminded. Even caretakers can forget, especially if they live away from the person they’re caring for.
This is where apps like CareZone or devices like Reminder Rosie come in. So long as the devices that sound the notification have some charge in them, this is the most reliable reminder to have. Reminder Rosie is a multi-functional clock designed to audibly remind the seniors of their tasks, such as taking their medication, or even eating a snack, via personalized voice messages.
Reminder Rosie is completely voice-automated and its reminders can be programmed in any language. CareZone, however, is a free downloadable app with automatic reminders and medication orders achieved by scanning the pill bottles directly onto the system.
3) Random Housing Gadgets
There are tons more gadgets that could prove useful to a senior living alone. Visual doorbells, for example, provide an innovative solution for elderly with hearing problems. Ring Video Doorbell Pro connects directly to your phone via livestream to show whoever is at the door without ever having to get up from your seat.
The device is also equipped with motion sensors and infrared LEDs for extra security and protection. Perhaps you’re worried about cleaning. Roombas are not exactly geared toward the elderly specifically, though these roving vacuum cleaners could prove an enormous help around the house.
If you’re worried about your senior cooking, the Safe-T-element cooking system is equipped with burner cover plates to limit the heat of the burners. Once reaching the temperature limit, the stove will turn itself off.
These are only a few of many such devices that aim to create a world where children can monitor their parents without impeding their freedom. With the senior tech market growing and technology constantly advancing, there’s no doubt there will be many more gadgets to look forward to.
