Today, technology companies boast a rapid-fire pipeline of new innovations designed to help consumers in the home environment. While many are designed to help elderly people around the house, in some cases, it’s boomers who buy, install and help monitor those devices for their retired parents.
The baby boomer generation is the fastest-growing segment of technology consumers. Various technology applications have made it easier for them to juggle family and career responsibilities while also keeping track of elderly parents. It’s a good thing, then, that boomers control 70 percent of disposable income spending decisions and, collectively, are expected to inherit more than $15 trillion over the next 20 years.
Boomers also will be the first generation to fully benefit from high-tech age-at-home innovations. These range from home stair lifts to wearable fitness devices that transmit data directly to their electronic health records to GPS-based devices to track when the dog escapes the backyard. While the downsides of aging are often emphasized, technological advances have the potential to provide more conveniences for boomers going forward.