As people age, naturally, we need more help in our daily activities. If we are the adult children of these aging folks, we are a part of that help for our parents.
One of the most important things adult children (in healthy families) have to do is take care of their parents as they age. You have to prepare for this throughout your life. It’s helpful to include ideas like care, solicitude, and gratitude in your education, so you are ready for it when the time comes.
In addition to the emotional support that you’ll need to give your aging parent, there is also a lot of practical help that will be required. Things like ensuring they have the proper nutrition, managing their medications, and helping them with their activities of daily living. All of this can be very overwhelming, but technology can help.
Smartphones, wearables, and connected homes are helping older people manage their long-term conditions more effectively, also allowing health and human services to be delivered remotely. They also help their families keep in constant contact, be alerted when things go wrong, or simply monitor via video will provide some peace of mind.
Specifically, home health is a growing need as the largest generation of our time begins to age. The Baby Boomers are now in their 60s and 70s, and as they continue to age, they will require more assistance as well.
Home health involves providing care and assistance to people who are physically unable to leave their homes. This includes everything from helping with basic needs like bathing and dressing to more complex conditions like managing medication schedules and providing transportation.
To me, the most crucial aspect technology provides to the aging population is dignity and independence. So many of us want to age in our own homes and maintain as much independence as possible. Technology can help us do that.
How can we help elderly with technology?
- Explain the benefits
- Be patient
- Explain concepts simply
- Let them do it themselves!
- Enroll in a class
- Talk about security
- Take it slow
- Adjust devices to meet their needs
These devices also provide information about the weather and news, set alarms, create to-do lists, and even call a taxi or an Uber. These may seem trivial, but if you are having memory issues, they can be a big help.
Some devices are specifically designed for seniors. For example, the Jitterbug Smart2 is a smartphone with large buttons and simplified menus. It also has a built-in urgent response button to call 911 or a loved one in an emergency. The GreatCall Link app also provides access to 24/7 live agents who can answer any questions.
Some devices can help with more severe health concerns. For example, the Philips Lifeline GoSafe 2 is a mobile Personal Emergency Response System (PERS). It has GPS tracking so that first responders can find you if you fall or have an accident. It also has an automatic fall detection feature that will call for help even if you can’t press the button.
Other companies are developing similar devices that can be used in the home to help people with their daily tasks. For example, Google’s Home Hub is a voice-activated assistant that can answer questions, play music, and control smart devices in the home.
How has technology helped us to increase life expectancy?
Currently, we are now able to do things like gene sequencing and track our health with wearable devices, which uses this information to make decisions about our personal healthcare. So when we know more about our health risks, we can do better and take the necessary steps to reduce these risks.
Some devices track our daily steps, heart rate, and sleep quality. This data is used to give us feedback on our activity levels. The goal is typically to increase our activity level to improve our overall health. In addition, online platforms such as 23andMe provide us with our personal genetic information. The data is then used to identify potential health risks in order to make informed decisions about our health.
Technology has also allowed us to develop new treatments and cures for diseases. We can now use 3D printing to create organs and tissues. We can use CRISPR to edit genes and potentially cure illnesses. We can also use artificial intelligence to develop new drugs and effectively target diseases.
Technology has helped us increase life expectancy by giving us more information about our health and developing new treatments and cures for diseases.
Technology has also changed the way we think about disease prevention. We now have access to vaccines and other medical interventions that weren’t available in the past. These advances have helped to increase life expectancy and improve the quality of life for people worldwide. Unfortunately and fortunately, we have recently experienced this first hand as Covid 19 swept the globe in 2020. The race to develop a vaccine was fueled by the technological advances made in healthcare over the last few decades.
Technology has helped increase life expectancy by giving us more information about our health, developing new treatments and cures for diseases, and changing the way we think about disease prevention.
Of course, technology is not a silver bullet, and it’s essential to have a solid support network in place. But for those who want to age in their own homes, technology can help maintain independence and dignity.
How do you deal with old-age parents?
When our parents or we reach this age of losing some independence, they might not be ready for it themselves. They may get depressed, not wanting to do anything, or they may get angry and take it out on their closest loved ones. Here are some tips to better assist these aging people and to help the caretakers’ state of being as well:
- Be persistent
- Avoid power struggles — pick your battles
- Be sensitive
- Know that timing is everything
- Stay calm
- Seek outside help — for yourself
- Spend more time with them
- Ask questions
- Come up with solutions
- Focus on the benefits
- Bring other family members
- Enlist the support of friends
How can technology help us meet the needs of our aging society?
In conclusion, technology does, in fact, help us in meeting the needs of our aging society. Whether it’s keeping track of their health, providing care and assistance remotely, or connecting them with resources and services, in doing these things together, we can help the elderly population live happy, healthy, independent lives with dignity.