Tech Can Help You Take Care Of Your Aging Parents. Start With These 5 Devices
Source: Fast Company, Michael Grothaus
Photo: Amazon, Apple
From fall detection devices to cameras, here’s what you need to care for your older loved ones.
Most of us wish our parents would live as long as humanly possible, but some challenges arise if our wishes come true. While every individual is different, advanced aging usually brings about mobility issues and increased risk from things that may not have impacted us too much when we were younger, such as minor falls. The older a person gets, the more likely they will need care around the house and require more frequent observation.
Yet even though we may want to be there at all times, making sure they are okay, the simple fact is that work, other family commitments, and distance can limit our ability to provide care. Thankfully, while not at all a replacement for personal attention, there are now several pieces of everyday tech you can use to help make sure your aging parents are staying safe while also making their everyday lives more manageable in the process.
Smartwatches with fall detection, like the Apple Watch
As someone with an aging parent, the biggest thing I worry about is them having a fall. When we’re younger, tripping over a rug might just cause bruising and minor embarrassment. For an older person, the same accident can have devastating consequences—broken bones or even death. A 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths of adults 65 or older. In 2021 alone, 39,000 older adults in America died due to falls. That’s more than 106 fall-related deaths each day.
This is why I got my mom an Apple Watch. All Apple Watches have built-in fall detection. If a person stumbles, the Apple Watch can detect this, text all their emergency contacts, and call 911. Should your aging loved one fall, even alone, others will know they need help nearly instantly.
Recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel watches, as well as other activity trackers, also offer fall detection.
Indoor security cameras like Ring
A security camera is probably the next best gadget for monitoring aging parents. Of course, this comes with privacy issues, and it’s critical to get your parents’ consent before you install one in their home.
What is particularly nice about many home security cameras, such as Amazon’s Ring system, is that they feature motion detection. If you can’t reach your parent, a camera’s motion alert can reveal where they were last seen. While it’s understandable that people may not want cameras surveilling them in every room of the house, it is worth talking with your parent to see if they would be willing to have cameras pointing at areas of particular risk—such as the bottom of a staircase or the driveway, where they are more likely to stumble and fall.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Grothaus is a novelist and author. His latest novel, BEAUTIFUL SHINING PEOPLE, has been translated into multiple languages.