Making it easier to stay at home longer
New services, technologies can help with aging in place
A new generation of services and technologies are helping the infirm and elderly with aging in place.
There is nothing quite as devastating for many older people as having to leave the comfort of home because of poor health or limited mobility.
But a new generation of services and technology is making it possible to stay at home longer, safely and happily, experts say.
“Most people would rather stay in their own homes as they age, and technology has made that easier in so many ways,” says Amy Goyer, a family and caregiving expert with the AARP and author of “Juggling Life, Work, and Caregiving,” published by the AARP and the American Bar Association.
“There are a lot of resources to tap into, even for those on a limited budget.”
She recommends starting with the “caregiving” page of AARP.org and your local Area Agency on Aging network (see www. n4a.org ), which is federally funded and also can lead you to a range of state and local resources.
Beyond technology, a little creativity often goes a long way toward helping people manage to live at home longer, Goyer says.
“If a person can’t do stairs, for example, consider ways to put everything they need on the main floor, like maybe bringing a washing machine up from the basement,” she says. Some of the latest services and technologies that make it easier to “age in place”:
Digital locks, which can be part of a smart home system, can be set so the door is unlocked for a small window of time to allow a caregiver into the house. Different codes can be set up for different people. They can be monitored from afar on phones, as can digital doorbells, which might help both the hearing and mobility impaired.
Digital medication dispensers can send text notifications to loved ones to let them know whether someone has taken their pills. Cameras can be installed so loved ones know whether home health aides have come by. And there is a wide range of medical alert systems, some even including a GPS.
“My aunt fell in a parking lot and luckily someone was there and picked her up, but if they hadn’t been there, a medical alert system could have made a world of a difference,” Goyer says.
Also, simple things like lowering thresholds, improving lighting, putting in railings and removing small rugs can make a home much safer.
TRANSPORTATION
Many counties and community agencies have some kind of senior taxi run by volunteers to take seniors to doctors’ appointments, grocery stores, senior centers and other errands. Ride-sharing companies have also proven helpful for many. The site www.