New Services, Technologies Can Help With Aging In Place

New Services, Technologies Can Help With Aging In Place

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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”:

SAFETY

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.