Who said tech was just for the younger generation? A recent report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (1) found that older people take part in a wide range of online and digital activities and do this more often than ever before.

And because older people’s use of technology is growing beyond recognition, new gadgets, devices and apps are becoming available all the time to meet this demand.

In this post, we’re going to look at this relationship between the elderly and technology, focusing on three of the best tech and gadgets to help your older loved one enjoy life to the full.

Fitness trackers

Fitness trackers offer two main benefits for older people. Firstly, they give valuable insights into their health status, with features such as:

• Heart health reporting via an ECG app — this can generate a report that can be shared with your loved one’s doctor

• Stress management score

• Oxygen saturation monitoring

• Breathing rate

• Sleep score

The other main benefit is their ability to track physical activity with features including:

• Personal goal setting

• Cardio fitness level

• Calorie burn tracking

• Heart rate tracking

This enables the wearer to monitor and achieve their fitness goals, incentivising them to maintain physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.

Video doorbells

Staying in their own home is incredibly important to many older people. But there’s a difference between living at home and feeling disempowered versus living at home and feeling secure.

That’s where video doorbells come in. They’re an easy way to help older people feel safe and in control in their homes.

A video doorbell unit consists of a camera and two-way speakers so the older person can answer the door without getting up. The door can also be answered remotely, giving the impression that someone is always home.

Since the doorbell gives the ability to see who is at the door via an app, your loved one will know straight away whether it’s safe to answer the door or not.

Video doorbells are easy to install and use and give the user a sense of empowerment that can make all the difference to their quality of life.

Tunstall’s Connected Care system

Next up is the Tunstall Connected Care system, which uses in-home and personal alarms to connect to a 24/7 call centre.

It’s a step up from first-generation personal alarm systems, which only connect to a pre-programmed phone number that may go unanswered.

When a user makes that call for help with the Connected Care system, they know that a friendly voice is guaranteed to be on the end of the line who can reassure them while they wait for help if needed.

Think of it as a smart monitoring system in more ways than one — using the latest smart technology, Tunstall’s Care Consultants can make intelligent decisions about what sort of assistance is needed and provide reassurance to the caller. It’s using tech for its best purpose with an added human touch!

Technology supports and empowers

We know that for the elderly, technology provides support and empowerment to help them live independent, fulfilling lives.

We’ve just touched on a handful of the best tech for older people here, but there are plenty more devices, apps and gadgets out there that can help you or a loved one live an independent life.

And that’s what we’re all about here at Tunstall Healthcare. We are passionate about empowering older or more vulnerable members of our community to live as freely as possible.

So if you’d like to know more about how our personal alarms and Connected Care system can help you or a loved one live their best life, reach out to our team today.

References

1. ‘The digital lives of older Australians,’ Australian Communications and Media Authority, 25 May 2021.