Seniors are the new ‘in crowd’ when it comes to health technology. The number of people over age 65 is expected to double in the next 30 years. Health technology companies know it, which is why there are so many new tech trends for seniors.

Companies around the world are competing to get this group to try new products. There are robots to keep you company, bathroom gadgets that screen for cancer, and way cooler ways to call for help than the ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’ necklace.

It can be both exciting and overwhelming to see so many interesting new things out there. To make these ideas more approachable, it helps to think of them in terms of six larger trends.

Trend 1: Virtual retirement communities

When I head about this tech trend for seniors, I thought, “Why didn’t I come up with that?”

Virtual retirement communities are for seniors who want to live at home but be connected with others in the area. These virtual communities connect older adults to senior services in their area such as:

• Transportation
• Outings to concerts and movies
• Assistance with appointments
• Home repairs

There is an annual membership fee to cover the cost of staff, usually ranging from $400-$600. These communities do not provide medical or in-home assistance services like traditional retirement communities and nursing homes. So, if you are thinking about this option just remember it is for seniors who are still independent but want additional support while remaining in their home.

To find virtual retirement communities in your area, check out the Village to Village Network.

Trend 2: Virtual reality therapy

You may have seen the commercial with the group of seniors in a nursing home with virtual reality headsets on. Virtual reality is one of the major tech trends for seniors. There are several virtual reality companies focused on helping older adults with loneliness. They offer group experiences such as traveling to another country or revisiting a childhood home.

But this is not the only place where virtual reality is tailored to seniors. Virtual reality is also being used more and more in different types of therapy. For example, researchers found that virtual reality helped older adults lower their risk of falling. Virtual reality has also helped with memory training, and even relieving pain intensity.

Here are some virtual reality companies focused on seniors:

• Equality Lab
• MyndVR
• Rendever

Trend 3: Companion robots

Word to the wise: be careful googling the words ‘companion robot’ without adding ‘for seniors.’ Some people have very…interesting…ideas for what a companion robot should do.

But, in a more family-friendly way, companion robots for seniors are taking off in several countries. Japan and Denmark are two places that started trying out these robots because they have an aging population and not enough caregivers. The pandemic has made more people consider companion robots. Unable to get sick and not requiring walking or feeding like a living pet, the robots are a safe option for older adults.

Companion robots come in many forms, including human-like and animals (below I link to a company that makes puppy and kitten companion robots). There are companies working on making even more useful robots, such as ones that can help with feeding, bathing, and getting out of bed.

Here are some companion robots to check-out:

• Pepper by Softbank Robotics
• Joy for All Robot Puppies and Kittens
• My Spoon by Secom which helps with feeding
• Ri-Man Robot by Riken which lifts people out of bed

Trend 4: At-home lab tests

People with diabetes are already used to checking their blood sugar at home. As test kits have gotten more advanced, they now include connection to apps that keep track of readings. This makes it easier to share results with doctors, see trends, and adjust medication.

The pandemic has pushed more lab tests in this direction. Over the next few years, I would not be surprised if the number of tests you can order a kit for grows. But kits are not the only way to do lab tests at home.

One company is even looking at what your toilet can test for. Called the TrueLoo, it is a smart toilet that examines your…well…poop to see what health information it can give you.

Trend 5: The ‘Smart Wardrobe’

Remember the ‘I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’ lady? She is the reason why a lot of today’s seniors do not want to wear those medic-alert necklaces. It makes them feel old.

But companies like Apple are adding the ability to detect falls to existing products. The Apple Watch not only detects falls and offers the option to call for help, it can also monitor heart conditions.

Smart Clothing is a trend that gained traction during the pandemic. These are items like tank tops, rings, and even underwear that are wired to gather data about your health and transmit it to an app or directly to your provider. For example, this year the NBA required players to wear the Oura ring in the bubble as they tried to detect any COVID-19 cases early.

As ‘smart clothing’ becomes more popular, we will likely see more items we wear regularly having more than one purpose.

Trend 6: Aging – there’s an app for that

App makers are taking notice of the growing number of seniors with smartphones. Apps to help with common health issues is one of the biggest tech trends for seniors. For example:

Be My Eyes – connects people with vision problems to volunteers who can help them. The volunteer may help with something as simple as reading small print on a label, or telling the senior what color a shirt is.

Pillboxie – designed and developed by a registered nurse, this app gives reminders of when to take different medications. It works without internet connect, and helps seniors keep track of which medications they took.

iBP – an app that helps with tracking blood pressure readings. The senior will still need a separate blood pressure cuff, but this app makes tracking easier.

Over time there will be more apps like these, especially ones that connect to monitoring devices at home, like connected blood pressure cuffs. This is part of a new area called Digital Therapeutics that uses digital devices to treat health issues.

We can expect this trend to grow and even become functions of products like the Apple Watch in the future.

Key takeaways:

Older adults are already a large target market for health technology. With so many new technologies coming out each day, it helps to group tech trends for seniors under six major trends:

• Virtual retirement communities – a cheaper alternative for seniors who are still independent.
• Virtual reality therapy – an approach helping with everything from stroke recovery to preventing falls.
• Companion robots – helpers at home who never get sick and are always there.
• At-home lab testing – alternate ways to get health information that does not require a visit to the doctor.
• The ‘Smart Wardrobe’ – what we wear will say more about our health than anything else.
• Apps for aging – there’s an app to help with many of the common problems older adults face.

We can expect to see more health technologies focused on seniors coming out in the next few years. This offers hope that older adults will be able to stay home longer and live healthier lives with the help of technology.