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In the United States, senior adults constitute up to 15% of the total population. With more and more people crossing the threshold of aged people fast, the population of aging adults will increase manifold.
As people age, they start developing age-related issues like dexterity, memory loss, vision impairment, hearing problems, loneliness, and depression. They need senior care and medical supervision to keep health in check. While most aging adults live in senior living facilities, many prefer to age in place at their homes. Thankfully, technology has reformed senior care and made it better than ever. Technologies like the best tablet for older adults, smartphones, and health trackers have drastically improved senior health and brought positive changes in the entire senior healthcare system. The impact of technology in senior care is so much that even imagining it without technological advancements is impossible. Technology has favored the senior healthcare providers as much as the seniors. Studies indicate that senior care facilities employ some form of technology to assist seniors with less stress in care providers. Tech devices and gadgets cut down the need for human presence and thus free up caregiver’s time for more needy residents.
Let’s look into some obvious ways technology has transformed healthcare for senior citizens.
Internet Of Things
The Internet Of Things is one of the most prominent innovations of technology. IoT is a concept of integrating devices and machines with the help of internet connection so that it can be turned on or off via the internet. Meaning, IoT allows seniors to control electronic things like light, HVAC, TV, doors, and much more with a click of a button or voice command. For the medical field, IoT technology is a boon that can strengthen the healthcare system for all.
IoT enables medical professionals, healthcare providers, and others to come together and form a robust ecosystem for enhanced patient monitoring. By sharing information like the health condition of the patients, diagnosis, medical history, etc., remote monitoring has become a reality. Now seniors can consult their physicians through tablets for senior adults whenever needed.
GPS Services
Global Positioning System is another gift from technology that is making senior adults more and more independent and self-reliant. We have been using the GPS technology for a long time. However, the GPS technology has improved manifold. Given satellites have become powerful in tracking and convey an array of information, GPS can provide the location with greater accuracy and proficiency. With the help of GPS enabled devices and wearable gadgets, seniors can navigate their way through the cities without worrying about getting lost. Seniors with dementia or Alzheimer’s can benefit from GPS who may otherwise wander off and get lost. Besides this, GPS trackers can be easily clipped into clothing or fashioned as a pendant or wristband or carried around in the pocket. More advanced GPS send alert to the caregiver once the senior has moved beyond the marked safe zone, enabling one to know the whereabouts of the senior.