Gadgets that can ease the burdens of aging are slowly beginning to appear in older adult's homes and communities. They are designed to respond to vital needs, including caregiving, transportation and living more safely at home. Technology specialists say that these new devices can help older adults stay in their homes longer and more cheaply, and even help prevent serious illnesses.
"In three to five years, aging will be transformed," said Laura Carstensen, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity. "We are in the early stages of seeing what technology can do." Nursing homes will become like the poorhouses of yore as technology makes living at home easier, she said.
Even the White House sees technology as one key to aging well. At the recent White House Conference on Aging, companies trotted out new, transformative technologies to help Americans age more gracefully. And the transportation service Uber announced a pilot program that offers free technology tutoring and free or discounted rides to older Americans at senior centers and other locales in five states.