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Embracing the future with new tech for seniors

Tech gadgets for seniors
Tech gadgets for seniors 04:52

Aging is inevitable, but how we care for those aging adults in our lives is becoming easier thanks to advancements in technology.

Jessica Naziri has the latest innovations for older adults who are incorporating tech into their lives to improve socialization, safety while living alone, and even their physical health as they age.

1) NOBI SMART LAMP

Did you know that falling is one of the leading causes of death for older adults. A fall may look innocent, but we tend to underestimate the impact, as well as how often falls occur. Enter Nobi's cutting-edge AI-powered smart lamp that uses advanced motion-tracking technology to follow your movements, ensuring you always have the perfect amount of light wherever you go.

Additionally, Nobi detects falls, helping with prevention and prediction, and monitors vital signs, such as cough and breath detection, for future-proof preventive care.

The way it works, Nobi detects a fall
1) After 30 seconds, Nobi will ask "Did You Fall"
2) If the is answer is anything other a clear "NO", Nobi will alert a  family member or caregiver
3) Nobi allows two-way communication through the lamp, making it possible for family or care staff to talk with the person on the ground, reassuring that help is on the way.

How it prevents falls
1) Automated lighting, helps with disorientation, ie: middle of the night wake ups
2) Nobi alerts staff when people are leaving their beds so they can check if resident needs help
3) Analysis of a fall to avoid them in the future. Nobi shares images of the fall 15 seconds before and after, it's enough context to avoid in future and can give care professionals with data to make proactive and preventive care easier.

2) AliveCor KM 6L

AliveCor is a portable, personal EKG device and heart monitor that is FDA-cleared. In just 30 seconds, you'll get an accurate analysis of your heart rhythm with every recording to know if your heart rhythm is normal or not. The KardiaMobile 6L provides instant detection of atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, tachycardia, sinus rhythm with supraventricular ectopy, sinus rhythm with premature ventricular contractions and sinus rhythm with wide QRS, in addition to normal heart rhythm.

This is a valuable tool for monitoring heart health, and it can be particularly beneficial for elderly individuals who may have a higher risk of heart-related conditions. The device empowers users to take proactive steps in managing their heart health and provides valuable information to healthcare professionals for early diagnosis and intervention if necessary.

Some of the features include, symptom Tracking: Users can log symptoms like palpitations or chest pain alongside their ECG readings. This can provide healthcare professionals with more context when evaluating heart health.

Data Sharing: The recorded ECGs and associated data can be shared with healthcare providers for remote monitoring or consultation, making it easier for seniors to receive necessary medical attention.

3) NOMO Smart Care

The latest innovation in healthcare motion detection technology that is solving the many issues that caregivers face. The device uses AI to establish your loved ones' patterns without invasive cameras. It comes with the Essential Care Kit, which includes a smart hub, 2 satellites, and 4 tags that work seamlessly in the background of your loved one's home, letting you know how they are doing and sending alerts if they need help. Ie If your loved one deviates from her routine and leaves the house at 3am, it will notify you.

The devices all work together in tandem with the Nomo Smart Care App, giving the care circle visibility to check in on their loved ones and
act on any data that's been collected. With the app you can set customizable real-time alerts, voice communication with the hub for seamless check-ins and third-party services such as 911 monitoring.

This device lessons responsibility on one person and is a solution for those who wish to age in place while maintaining their independence. It allows caregivers to know more and worry less.


4) ElliQ Digital Care Companion

You might think that the earliest adopters to live with AI are young tech enthusiasts, but in reality - people in their 80's and 90's have been the first and longest users of AI. 

ElliQ is an AI sidekick for happy aging and empowering independence in older adults. The primary focus of this device is to help older adults with loneliness, but it can do much more to help them stay independent and healthy in their homes. Unlike many other voice assistants that wait for a command, ElliQ proactively starts conversations and suggests activities.

Using AI, ElliQ becomes personalized over time as she gets to know the user's preferences, routines, etc.

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5) Apple watch

We all love and know the Apple Watch and its life-saving features, including fall detection ( If Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch Series 4 or later detects a hard fall, it can help connect you to emergency services if needed). But the watch comes with so many other functionalties you should know about. The Health app is now available on iPad with iPadOS 17 (released just last month), and has been designed to give you rich detail at a glance so you can see information from iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch, as well as compatible third-party apps and devices, all in one place.

Medications: You can manage the medications, vitamins, and supplements you take in the Health app on your iPhone or iPad. In the Medications app on your Apple Watch, you can keep track of your medications and log them with reminders.

Health Records: With the Health app, you can see all your available health records from multiple institutions — such as medications, immunizations, lab results, and more — in one place.

Health Sharing: In the Sharing tab of the Health app, you can choose to securely give a loved one visibility into your health and wellness data, enabling them to have more meaningful conversations and provide support — even from afar — as they follow important alerts and changes over time.

Walking Steadiness: On an iPhone 8 or later, you can view your walking steadiness and classification to gain insight into your risk of falling. Your walking steadiness is classified as OK, Low, or Very Low, and you can also choose to receive a notification if your steadiness is Low or Very Low. The Health app also offers sample exercises to improve balance, stability, and coordination, which come with short instructional videos.

Emergency SOS: With Emergency SOS, you can quickly and easily call for help and alert your emergency contacts from your Apple Watch.

High and Low Heart Rate Notifications: With high and low heart rate notifications, Apple Watch can notify you if it detects a high heart rate when you are at rest, which can be a sign of a serious underlying condition. It can also notify you if your heart rate is notably low for at least ten minutes, known as bradycardia.

Irregular Rhythm Notifications: The irregular rhythm notification feature on your Apple Watch will occasionally look at your heartbeat to check for an irregular rhythm that might be suggestive of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a form of irregular rhythm.

ECG app: The ECG app can record your heartbeat and rhythm using the electrical heart sensor on Apple Watch Series 4 or later and all models of Apple Watch Ultra and then check the recording for AFib.

AFib History: Apple Watch users who are diagnosed with AFib can turn on the FDA-cleared AFib History feature for long-term visibility into the amount of time your heart shows signs of AFib, also known as AFib burden, so you can share this information with your physician for richer conversations.

NEW: Health app on iPad: The Health app is now available on iPad with iPadOS 17 (released just last month), and has been designed to give you rich detail at a glance so you can see information from iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch, as well as compatible third-party apps and devices, all in one place.

6) Joy for All Pets 

Combining realistic features with convenience, these animatronic puppies and cats provides loving interaction and inspires sincere care. With a lifelike golden coat, the Companion Pet Pup looks, moves, and sounds like a real dog and can respond to petting, hugging, and motion much like real life pets. The unique two-way interaction can help bring fun, joy, and companionship to you and your aging loved ones.

Results show that the Companion Pets can enhance the well-being, sense of purpose and quality of life of individuals with dementia; they have also proven to show a significant reduction in social isolation, depression and expressions of sadness among older adults.

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