Carol Roberts' 77-year-old mother is active and mentally sharp, but she suffers from a seizure disorder that requires close monitoring. "She didn't want to lose her independence, but she was apprehensive about living alone," Roberts says.
One option was assisted living, but then Roberts heard of an alternative: new technology called the GrandCare System, which uses strategically placed home sensors to record motion in key spots such as the bathroom, entryway and bedroom. "She can live in her own space, and I don't worry," says Roberts, who can monitor motion via computer and notice if, say, her mother has wandered out the front door, possibly disoriented.
Such technology is just one example of the so-called "aging in place" movement driven by baby boomers who are growing older. Other emerging systems include floor sensors that can track footstep patterns and detect changes that warn of potential falls and more elaborate setups that integrate webcams and video conferencing systems with the Internet.
Scientists at universities and corporate research labs are also experimenting with the next wave of smart house gadgets that track whether medication is being taken, help with cooking and other routine tasks or act as surrogate sitters that can detect problems and call for help. The goal is to help seniors live safely at home and feel protected while still maintaining their autonomy. For adult children, the goal is peace of mind.
The aging in place movement is gathering momentum because of several ominous demographic trends. In 2011, the oldest boomers will turn 65, and over the next two decades, the ranks of the "oldest old" are expected to balloon exponentially. This advancing age wave will place an enormous burden on the U.S. healthcare system at a time when there's a growing shortage of doctors, nurses and caregivers. Assisted living and skilled nursing facilities can't be built fast enough to accommodate everyone -- and even if they could, the costs would be astronomical.
"Corporations and government policy makers realize that as the boomers age, the costs won't be sustainable if we continue to do business the way we're doing it right now," says Majd Alwan, director of the Center for Aging Services Technologies in Washington, D.C.
The way to bridge this gap is to create an entirely new paradigm of care, experts say, and make it possible for seniors to remain in familiar surroundings until the very end.
