Disability Futures

As telemedicine better enables care at home, it’s critical to understand what seniors think about emerging technology and how they use health and wellness capabilities from devices. From wearable monitors that track activity to sensors that can support a home health aide’s care plan, health and wellness technology is complementing .

But are older adults into the trend?

Not really, according to a recent technology report by Link-age Connect, a research and consultancy firm that conducts market research on the aging population 65+, and Aging in Place Technology Watch, a market research business that focuses on technologies and services that enable seniors and baby boomers to remain longer in their homes. The findings oppose a 2015 survey that found nearly two-thirds of seniors prefer to use self-care technology to independently manage their health.

The problem with health and wellness technology is that it’s not useful enough for seniors to want to use them, says Laurie Orlov, an industry analyst and founder of Aging in Place Technology Watch.

“[The findings] imply that trackers are not useful enough for seniors to use,” Orlov told Home Health Care News. “The wearables market is in the early stage, and hopefully it will get better. The most important thing about the tracker as seniors age is that there is some way to urge them to get up and move. Most trackers aren’t urging seniors to get up and move.”