Technology is often described as something that will shape the future of aging. For my family, technology for aging in place has started to feel much more personal.
During a recent visit with my dad, I began noticing small changes in how he moved through his home and community. He was relying more on stair rails and shopping carts for stability.
My dad is a young 82. He makes his own decisions, volunteers, works in his yard, and lives a full life. Our goal is not to take that independence away. It is to find tools and supports that can help him maintain it.
That experience has changed how I think about technology and aging.
The most helpful technology is not always the newest or most complicated product. Sometimes it is a motion-activated light that makes it safer to walk to the bathroom at night. It may be a medication reminder, video doorbell, simplified way to call family, or a device that can alert someone after a fall.
The right technology should solve a real problem without making an older adult feel monitored, overwhelmed, or incapable. It should provide support during the moments when another person may not be available.
How Technology Can Support Aging in Place
Families are often introduced to aging technology after noticing a change.
A parent may become less steady on the stairs. They may forget whether they took a medication, stop driving at night, or have difficulty hearing the telephone. These changes do not always mean someone must immediately move from their home.
Instead, they may signal that it is time to consider additional support.
Depending on the person’s needs, technology for aging in place may include:
- Motion-activated lighting and smart-home controls
- Medication reminders or automatic dispensers
- Fall-detection devices
- Door and appliance sensors
- Video calling and simplified communication tools
- Telehealth and remote health monitoring
- Mobility aids and other supportive products
For my dad, the conversation is not simply about purchasing a device. It is an opportunity to better understand his day.
Which activities have become more difficult? Where does he feel less confident? What would make daily routines easier without taking away his independence?
Those conversations help us identify solutions he is comfortable using. Technology works best when the older adult is included in the decision.
Resources such as the AARP HomeFit Guide and the National Institute on Aging’s information about aging in place can help families evaluate a home room by room and identify practical supports.
Start With Simple and Affordable Changes
Supporting an older adult at home does not always require an expensive renovation or complicated technology.
Families can begin with simple changes such as:
- Improving lighting in hallways and around stairs
- Adding motion-activated night-lights
- Removing loose rugs and other tripping hazards
- Installing properly placed grab bars
- Adding nonslip strips in wet areas
- Rearranging furniture to create clearer walking paths
- Keeping commonly used items within easy reach
- Adding a shower chair, handheld showerhead, or raised toilet seat
The goal is not to change everything at once. Start by identifying the most immediate need and choosing a support that may make daily life safer or easier.
Larger modifications, including ramps, stair lifts, widened doorways and accessible showers, can become expensive. Original Medicare generally does not pay for permanent structural changes to a home, although some Medicare Advantage plans and community programs may offer assistance.
Before beginning a major project, families can contact their insurance plan, local Area Agency on Aging, veterans programs, housing agencies or community-development organizations to ask about available resources.
The National Council on Aging’s falls-prevention resources also offer guidance for identifying home hazards and reducing fall risks.
Technology Can Help Families Stay Connected
Families are often supporting an aging parent from another neighborhood, another city, or another state. Technology can make communication and care coordination easier.
Shared calendars can help family members keep track of appointments. Patient portals may provide access to medical information when the older adult has granted permission. Family-caregiving applications can help siblings divide responsibilities, share updates and maintain medication or contact lists.
Even familiar technology can make a difference.
Text messaging, video calls and digital photo frames can help older adults remain connected to the people they love. Voice assistants may make it easier to place a call, hear a reminder or turn on a light.
These tools are valuable, but they should strengthen relationships—not replace them.
A monitoring device cannot recognize every emotional or physical change. An application cannot replace a weekly phone call, video conversation, or personal visit. Technology can provide information, but families and caregivers still need to understand what that information means and decide how to respond.
Privacy Matters When Choosing Aging Technology
Privacy should also be part of the conversation.
Sensors, cameras, and connected devices may collect information about an older adult’s routines and activities. Before introducing monitoring technology into someone’s home, families should understand:
- What information is being collected?
- Who can access it?
- Where is the information stored?
- Who receives notifications or alerts?
- How will that information be used?
Older adults should be involved in these decisions whenever possible.
Supporting independence means respecting someone’s preferences and privacy while finding appropriate ways to help them remain safe.
Using Technology to Find Senior Care and Support
Technology is also changing the way families navigate senior care.
When an older adult begins needing more assistance, families are often expected to understand an unfamiliar and complicated system. They may need to research home care, independent living, assisted living, memory care, adult family homes, or other long-term care services.
At the same time, they are trying to answer practical questions:
- What level of support does my parent need?
- What can they afford?
- Which providers can meet their care needs?
- Does the provider accept Medicaid?
- Is there current availability?
- How do we compare the options?
These are some of the challenges we are working to address through GoldenSHERPA.
GoldenSHERPA uses technology to help families and healthcare professionals search for long-term residential care options based on an individual’s needs, preferences, budget, and payment options.
It is designed to make information easier to find while allowing families to communicate directly with providers.
This is another form of human-centered technology.
It is not a device someone wears or installs in a home. It is technology that helps people understand their options and make more informed decisions when additional care becomes necessary.
How to Choose the Right Technology for Aging in Place
As I work with my dad, I am learning that families do not necessarily need more technology. They need the right technology at the right time.
A product may be innovative, but that does not mean it is appropriate for every older adult.
Before purchasing a product or service, families should ask:
- What problem are we trying to solve?
- Is this something my parent wants and will use?
- Does it respect their privacy?
- Is it easy to understand?
- Who will receive an alert, and who will respond?
- Does it require a subscription, internet connection, or smartphone?
- Will it support independence or create another burden?
Technology is best when it helps people remain connected, informed, and involved in their own lives.
For my family, the goal is not to use technology to manage my dad from a distance. It is to work alongside him, listen to what matters to him, and introduce supports that help him remain safe, confident, and independent.
That is what human-centered technology for aging in place should accomplish.
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