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Want to stay home as long as possible? Here's the tech that can help you do that more safely.
The concept of staying in your home as you get older, or aging in place, is appealing to most people. However, it doesn't matter how fit you are or how much you take care of your body, eat right, exercise, and keep your mind sharp or your soul happy with mindfulness, aging will still change you in some way. Some of the changes you may experience include:
* Reduced hearing capacity
* Poorer eyesight
* Reduced muscle mass resulting in less strength
* Less balance while walking leading to a higher risk of accidents
Unfortunately, these changes can make your home become a dangerous place as you age, particularly for anyone living alone or who may suffer from a health problem. Yet there's ample technology that can make it possible for you to age in place longer. Here's a starter guide.
TOOL #1. SMARTPHONE
According to Pew research, in 2017, 4 out of 10 seniors owned and used smartphones. That number had doubled from 2013. A smartphone is the Swiss Army knife you need for aging in place. It's a tether that can connect you to friends, family members, medical professionals, counselors, and more.
More than just placing calls, you can send text messages, email, share photos and videos, and conduct video calls to check in. You can even take advantage of telemedicine and virtual doctor visits.
In addition, there are thousands of apps to help preserve your physical and mental well-being. Another reason we put a smartphone at the top of the list is that most of the technology designed to help you feel safe and secure at home will have a corresponding app. The smartphone is, without question, an essential technology tool for aging in place as long as possible.
TOOL #2. SMART SECURITY
Seniors who want to live at home longer need to feel secure in their surroundings. For this, you need smart-home security cameras that allow for communication and for monitoring who's coming and going.
One versatile smart-home tool is the Ring Peephole Camera ($149.99, Ring.com). It brings you a 1080p camera with motion detection, quick and easy installation, and Alexa...