Technology is changing how we live, connect, stay active, provide care and handle everyday challenges. While the pace of change can feel overwhelming, it is also creating new possibilities for people as they age.
The important question may not be, “What can technology do?” but rather, “What problem are we trying to solve, and how can technology help?”
For older adults, caregivers and families, those possibilities can include greater independence, personalized fitness, better communication and stronger connections.
Technology Is More Than Phones and Computers
When many people think about technology, they picture smartphones, computers or apps. But technology is increasingly part of health, wellness and everyday life.
“One of the biggest surprises is how technology can now help people better understand and manage their own health,” said Anissa Chadwick, executive director of Strategic Partnerships & Community Impact at the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City.
Tools such as EGYM, a smart fitness system that uses electronic strength equipment, software and artificial intelligence to personalize workouts, can help people understand their strength, mobility, fitness and progress.
For someone who feels uncertain about exercise, technology-assisted strength equipment can provide guidance, track progress and adjust as abilities improve.
“We see this often with older adults who initially feel intimidated by technology but discover that it can actually give them more independence and confidence,” Chadwick said.
Artificial intelligence is another example of how technology is changing. But AI does not necessarily mean robots or futuristic machines.
“AI is not necessarily a robot,” said Danny Eischen, CEO of Concordia. “It is technology that recognizes patterns, processes information, and increasingly communicates with us naturally.”
Start With the Problem
Eischen suggests taking a practical approach to technology. Instead of asking how much technology we can put into our lives or our homes, ask what problem it could help solve.
A voice assistant might provide reminders or help with simple tasks. A wearable could help someone stay connected and aware. Smart lights or thermostats could make managing the home easier.
The value is not necessarily in having more technology. It is in finding technology that serves a purpose.
Enhancing Human Connection
As technology becomes more capable, there can be a concern that it will replace the people who provide support and encouragement. Chadwick believes technology should serve a different purpose.
“I would challenge the idea that technology is replacing people,” she said. “Technology should enhance human connection, not replace it.”
A piece of equipment can track someone’s progress, but it cannot celebrate a milestone, encourage someone when they are struggling or create the sense of community they find at the Y.
The best technology, Chadwick said, gives staff more information so they can provide a better, more personal experience.
Technology That Helps Families Help Each Other
Anyone who has helped an older parent or relative troubleshoot a television knows how something as simple as getting the TV onto the right input can become a frustrating phone call.
Eischen points to JubileeTV as an example of technology addressing an everyday challenge while strengthening family connections.
Designed for older adults living at home, JubileeTV allows an authorized family member to provide remote television assistance. It also offers features such as video calling, family photo sharing and reminders.
The broader idea is important: Technology does not have to replace family involvement. It can make it easier for families to help one another.
AI can help someone figure something out. Smart-home technology can help control the environment. Wearables can help someone stay connected and aware. Technology such as JubileeTV can help families remain involved.
Technology becomes most meaningful when it helps people live the lives they want and makes it easier for the people around them to provide support.
Looking Ahead
Some of the most exciting possibilities in positive aging are already emerging. Technology is helping transform health care and caregiving, creating new possibilities for people with vision impairment, advancing independence for individuals with spinal cord injuries and neurological conditions, and giving people who are nonverbal new ways to communicate.
Chadwick is particularly excited about technology’s potential to move from reacting to health problems to preventing them.
“Imagine combining information about someone’s activity, strength, mobility and other wellness indicators to identify opportunities to intervene earlier,” she said.
Use AI Thoughtfully
As AI becomes more accessible, knowing how to use it responsibly is just as important as knowing what it can do.
Eischen recommends three principles: Protect your privacy, verify important information and remember that you are in charge.
Do not give AI passwords, Social Security numbers, banking information or other highly sensitive information. AI can also be confidently wrong, so medical, legal, financial and other important information should be checked against reliable sources or qualified professionals.
AI can help people think through a problem or accomplish a task, but it should not replace human judgment.
Think of AI as a very capable assistant, not an all-knowing expert.
You Don’t Have to Be a “Tech Person”
Perhaps the most important point is that benefiting from technology does not require becoming an expert.
“You don’t have to be a ‘tech person’ to benefit from technology,” Chadwick said.
The goal is not to embrace every new device, app or system. It is to consider where technology might make life a little easier, healthier, safer or more connected.
“It can help someone understand their body, personalize their fitness experience, stay connected and potentially remain independent longer,” Chadwick said.
Eischen offers a similarly simple starting point: Do not begin with the technology. Begin with the problem.
Maybe it is remembering appointments. Staying connected with family. Managing the television, lights or thermostat. Understanding your own fitness progress.
Start there.