The 4 Devices That Every Elderly Person Should Have

Everybody should be using technology to improve their lives these days. The problem is that the people that need to use it the most are the ones who don’t. Senior citizens that want to live independently should be embracing technology as it will allow them to live the way they want. The advances in technology like Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things has made a lot of things possible that were not available years ago.

This means that there are some devices that seniors should be using so they can take better care of themselves and live independently. If you’re a senior or you are looking to help an elderly loved one then you should be looking into some of the latest devices. In this article, we will go over some of the most useful ones for when you are older.

1 – Medical alert systems

A device that has been around for decades for elderly and disabled people is a medical alert system. They are useful because if an elderly person is injured or has a sudden illness then they can get help. The past versions required the person to press a button to get help. If they fell and were unconscious and unable to press the button then there was not much use to be had from the device, however.

These days, the latest versions are much more useful because you don’t have to press a button. You can use voice to activate it and a call will automatically go to the emergency services. In some cases, you don’t even have to use your voice. They can detect a fall and send an alert to the local emergency services department and also to a loved one to alert them that there is something wrong.

This technology has gotten so advanced that even the best hearing aids on the market today have this feature so they serve double duty. There are even some apps on smartphones that will do the same thing so there are a lot of options for getting help when you find yourself in trouble.

2 – Fitness and health trackers

When you think about fitness trackers as the equivalent of having a personal trainer and life coach in your pocket then you can fully understand exactly how useful they are. They are not just to report your performance every day to keep you on track. They do a whole host of things that will make staying healthy much easier. It is essential for seniors to make sure they are getting enough exercise.

The tracker will alert the user that it is time to get moving if it senses that they are too sedentary, in which case it acts as a personal coach that motivates you to get exercising. It can also come up with the ideal workout routine complete with a schedule. It will take your age, weight, and overall health into account and create a routine specifically for you so you can stay in shape and healthy.

They will also track the health metrics of the user so you can see if your heart rate is ok and things like that. In fact, some of them also will track your sleep patterns and detect if you are not getting enough sleep. This will help you sleep better and stay in better health as a result.

3 – Smart toilets

People don’t often think about their toilet when it comes to high tech devices. The fact is that the Japanese have been using toilets with a lot of technology for decades and they are now being sold in the West.

They essentially are toilets with bidets that have a lot of electronic functions. They use a blast of water to clean so you don’t have to use toilet paper or your hands in any way. The weather can be warmed to your ideal temperature and there is even a dryer function so you can gently blow air on yourself to dry without needing to use a towel.

They often come with heated and lit seats so you can stay toasty. Some will flush automatically if you have been sitting for more than a certain amount of time. Bidets are ideal for elderly people with mobility issues so even one that isn’t a smart toilet can be useful. There are many electric bidet seat attachments that work well on a budget, too.

4 – Smart home devices

It doesn’t matter how old your house is. You can still make it a smart home by retrofitting it with a lot of different devices thanks to the Internet of Things. For instance, a smart security system can be installed in hours and provides some high tech surveillance to help protect you and your home. Since seniors are often targets for scammers and thieves it is essential to have a good security system.

Not only will these systems alert the authorities if a break in is detected, but you can usually see what is happening in real time on your smartphone. There are cameras that use motion detection that will send an alert to your phone or computer when there is movement. You can then open the app and see who is there. This is helpful if somebody is at your front door so you can see if it is a delivery or somebody else.

Smart thermostats will help you keep your home heated and cooled automatically which saves you money and helps take the guesswork out of the right settings to use. They can sense when there is somebody in a room and then turn on the heat for that area specifically. It can then use AI to determine what rooms need to be heated and cooled based on how often they have people in them and at what times during the day and night. Some of them will even connect to the local weather and determine if they need to work depending on the weather report.

Categories: Health

Nicolas Desjardins

Hello everyone, I am the main writer for SIND Canada. I've been writing articles for more than 12 years and I like sharing my knowledge. I'm currently writing for many websites and newspapers. I always keep myself very informed to give you the best information. All my years as a computer scientist made me become an incredible researcher. You can contact me on our forum or by email at [email protected].