Is Technology the Key to Keeping Your Parents at Home Longer?

Children and parents alike dread the day when an assisted living facility becomes a necessity. Aging parents resent the loss of their independence while their adult children feel guilty that they are no longer able to provide the help that keeps mom and dad at home. With the desire to find alternate solutions, and with many tech companies focusing on devices and apps that monitors and reports human action, is technology the key to keeping your parents at home longer?

For adult children with aging parents, there are several constant concerns: are they taking their medications? Have they become immobile or incapacitated? Are they eating their meals? How are their vitals? They want to make sure that their parents remain healthy and active.

Most parents, however, do not appreciate being nagged about their actions. They are used to be the ones taking care of their children and they don't like it when the roles are reversed. And they do not appreciate the inference that they are unable to take care of themselves. They want to go about living their lives in their own homes.

So how do you balance the children’s peace of mind that all is well with the parents’ desire for autonomy?

Technology is helping many find a balance that works for both parent and child. Companies such as Lively, BeClose, GrandCare Systems, and Care Innovations are providing sensors, apps, and programs that allow children to monitor the actions of their parents without the parents feeling like their privacy is being invaded. Such monitors let children know when pillboxes have been open, when doors are opened, when appliances are turned on and off, when smartphones have not been used for over 24 hours, and much more.

For example, MedMinder is a computerized pillbox. It dispenses the proper dosages of different medications and alerts the user when it is time to take them. If the parents takes their medication on time, then the children are sent an email or phone notification that everything is fine. If the medication is not taken, the pillbox starts to “nag” with calls, flashes and beeps. It will also alert the children so that they can check in and encourage their parents to take their pills.

For many families, these technologies have been a huge blessing. It allows children to keep track of their parents while allowing the parents to stay in their own homes. However, it is extremely important that parents and children work together to decide what is the right level of monitoring and what information should actually be sent. By having a frank conversation where the parents and children agree on which technology is right for their situation, you avoid crossing the line between helping and hovering. You also allow your parents to keep their sense of privacy.

Another major advantage of these technologies is that they allow parents and children to improve their level of communication. Since the children receive daily notifications that clue them into their parent’s wellbeing, all their phone calls, emails, and Facetime chats can focus on what their parents are actually doing in their lives.

While it is possible that your parents will eventually reach a point where they need more direct help, these new technologies are creating great opportunities for parents and children to work together and find the solutions that allow parents to remain in their homes for longer. From simple sensors to more elaborate programs, how could these technologies change the different lives in your family?

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