Senior care monitoring technology has made it possible to know an extraordinary amount about what’s happening in someone else’s home without actually being there. A motion sensor can indicate that someone hasn’t gotten out of bed at the usual time. A medication device can flag a missed dose. A wearable device may detect a fall, while GPS technology can help locate someone who becomes disoriented. Read more
Creating a wheelchair-friendly home starts with basic modifications to ensure safety.
Home is our sanctuary; it’s where we feel most comfortable, even during the more trying times in our lives. That’s why so many older adults are choosing to age in place in the comfort of home. However, as people age, loss of mobility due to chronic illness, injury, or general frailty can become an issue. To help people in this situation, the use of a wheelchair is often recommended. But incorporating a wheelchair into the home can present a variety of challenges when it comes to safety and access. Read more
Assistive devices for seniors can be easily incorporated into daily life and help maintain independence.
Consider the various tools you utilize every single day – your phone, hairbrush, toothbrush – simple items, but ones you cannot picture living without. Now, imagine struggling to use those items and finding it challenging to accomplish daily tasks. Having access to assistive devices for seniors could mean the difference between living at home and facing a move to assisted living. However, almost half of seniors living at home aren’t utilizing these useful tools – despite the fact that prices are minimal. Read more
The new year brings new tech tools for seniors to help with maintaining connection and independence.
During the pandemic, our home health care team discovered firsthand how crucial the role of technology is in the lives of seniors. As we kick off 2021 and face the challenges of a new year, health and well-being are at the forefront of how we consider technology for seniors. In the new year, it’s expected that these tech tools for seniors will be the ones to consider.
Video Conferencing Software
The necessity of staying connected when we can’t physically be near our loved ones has been a lesson learned for individuals of all ages in 2020, and is even more essential for senior adults. Tools like Zoom, Skype, and Google Hangouts empower older adults to stay in touch with their family and friends, be a part of remote book clubs, social groups or classes, and help stop feelings of isolation and loneliness. Additionally, as virtual health care appointments increase in popularity among both physicians and patients, apps like FaceTime and Skype are replacing telemedicine platforms to provide more convenience for seniors.
Alexa Care Hub
“Alexa, check in on Dad!” As part of Amazon’s hospitality suite, the Alexa Care Hub is useful for seniors who live alone or in a community living setting. With features that help caregivers monitor activity and swiftly reach the seniors they care for, the Alexa Care Hub introduces new capabilities in addition to its regular voice assistant offerings. Presently, Amazon Echo devices are used in senior living communities and residential homes across the country with expectations for an increase in demand. The Alexa Care Hub takes things a step further with medication reminders, customized alerts, and quite a few features that enable aging adults to maintain freedom while providing peace of mind to their loved ones.
Meditation and Mindfulness Apps
Not simply a trend for millennials, mindfulness and meditation apps can help improve focus and sleep, and help seniors develop the skills required to release stress and anxiety. Apps like Headspace, Calm, and The Mindfulness App permit users to customize meditation programs to best suit their needs, giving seniors the ability to establish a personalized routine. Meditation has even been connected to improving both long and short term memory, decreasing loneliness, and boosting cognitive function.
Smart Home Devices
From home security systems to stoves to medication organizers, there seems to be a smart version of just about every household device these days — and we can plan to see even more smart tools on the market in 2021. Although smart devices are becoming common in our daily lives, it’s important to think about the ways that these voice- and motion-enabled systems allow aging adults to remain independent throughout their daily activities. Bearing this in mind, we expect to see more smart home products created to meet the needs of senior populations while retaining the look and feel of your favorite technology devices.
At Harmony Home Health & Hospice, the leading providers of home health care in Albuquerque and surrounding areas, connecting with older adults to improve their health is at the root of our mission and beliefs. We see the role technology plays in this mission and invite seniors and their caregivers to contact our home health care team at 1-877-463-3322 for additional information. For a full list of all of the communities we serve in Utah and New Mexico, please see our Service Area page.
Technology can be very helpful to seniors who want to increase independence and quality of life.
These days, seniors are flooded with a plethora of hi-tech products focused on enhancing their self-reliance and safety and contributing to life enhancement. With the touch of a button or two, we can instantly visit “in person” with friends and relatives through Skype or Zoom, wear a necklace that reacts with emergency assistance when necessary, even remain safe from getting lost with specialized receptors attached to clothes or shoes. The tools are plentiful but there are real barriers to technology use in seniors.
The primary question is how to motivate older individuals (and family members who care for them) to shift from a low-tech mentality to embracing all that’s available to them, something that’s always top of mind for us at Harmony Home Health & Hospice, the leading provider of in-home care in Salt Lake City. A recent Caring.com survey indicated that as few as 15% of families providing care for senior loved ones are actually utilizing technology.
The frequent barriers to technology use in seniors:
If you want to try and integrate medical technology into a home health care plan but are encountering these issues, call on Harmony Home Health & Hospice for assistance. Our qualified and patient caregivers in Provo and nearby areas can help tackle the technological barriers to home health by:
Contact us any time at 1-877-463-3322 to learn more about our services including home health, hospice, and in-home care in Salt Lake City and throughout the surrounding areas. See our website for our full service area throughout Utah and New Mexico.
