Tech can help address aging population’s health needs, expert says
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A program in New York aims to support healthy aging among older individuals by encouraging social interactions and health maintenance using TVs.
As of 2020, almost 30% of Americans 60 years or older were living on their own, according to the Pew Research Center. And while independence could mean self-sufficiency for some aging people, it could mean social isolation and a lack of care for others. New York is looking to address such concerns for its older population with the help of technology.
An estimated 4.8 million people above the age of 60 live in New York, and that population is projected to increase to 5.3 million by 2030. The growing aging population also brings about concerns over that population’s ability to maintain their physical and mental health.
Isolation from living alone, for instance, can increase an older adult’s risk of depression, anxiety and even cognitive decline. It can also have physical impacts, elevating someone’s risk for heart disease, high blood pressure or reduced physical functioning.
“These significant impacts to a person’s physical and mental health are going to cause them to seek medical care more frequently, which is going to increase the cost to Medicare, Medicaid and other insurances,” said Amanda Krisher, associate director of behavioral health at the National Council on Aging’s Center for Healthy Aging.
It’s important for government organizations to understand what’s happening upstream that they can address to avoid downstream impacts like worsening health outcomes for older adults, she explained.
That’s why the New York State Office of Aging, for instance, is turning to technology to help keep older adults connected to their friends and families and to help them manage their wellbeing.
In partnership with the company ONSCREEN, the New York office launched a program last month that offers residents in the state free devices that can be connected to a person’s television, transforming it into a communication hub.
The camera- and microphone-enabled devices connect to TVs with an HDMI cable, and enable users to conduct virtual and voice calls and text messaging on the screen.
Having a video call on a larger screen like a TV instead of a phone can have the simple effect of making virtual calls feel more personal, Krishner explained, which can greatly impact someone’s sense of social connection.
The system includes an AI virtual companion called Joy, which users can converse with on command as another tool against loneliness for aging adults. The companion can also send automated medication reminders and wellness checks for older adult users to maintain their health routines.
Technology solutions, like ONSCREEN’s communication app, can help governments address the health concerns of a growing aging population amid an increasingly strained population of caregivers, Krisher said.
But governments should also consider how to support older adults’ transition to a digital environment, such as offering classes at community centers where people can develop their digital literacy skills to help them feel more comfortable with such solutions, she explained.
San Antonio, Texas, for instance, launched a program in 2023 for older adults to learn how to leverage tech resources to support their nutritional health. Under the program, older adults are provided with tablets, internet access and technical assistance to be trained on how to use such tech before participating in a 15-week program to learn how to improve their nutrition.
“Technology really is the future,” Krisher. “It's the way that we're going to be able to support this growing number of older adults.”