You’re reading The Checkup With Dr. Wen, a newsletter on how to navigate medical and public health challenges. Click here to get the full newsletter in your inbox, including answers to reader questions and a summary of new scientific research.
A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from Lisa in Virginia, who wrote about her 79-year-old mother living in Oregon. Lisa’s mother had just been discharged from the hospital after a hip fracture, where she developed pneumonia and blood clots and her diabetes and heart failure worsened.
Now she is home with a visiting nurse who comes every other day. Lisa’s question was simple but striking: In an era of rapid technological innovation, shouldn’t there be ways to monitor someone like her mother more frequently between those visits?
That prompted me to look into the issue, and what I discovered was an entire field known as age tech. That encompasses any innovation designed to help older adults remain safely in their homes and maintain independence for as long as possible, while also supporting family members and the health care professionals who care for them. When implemented thoughtfully, these tools can help create a safer home environment while preserving independence.
One organization that has embraced age tech is AARP, formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons. Amelia Hay, the nonprofit’s vice president of start-up programming and investments, told me that AARP began working with early-stage companies about a decade ago after recognizing the growing needs of older adults and the surge of innovative ideas from entrepreneurs.
“Rather than building products ourselves,” she said, “we wanted to support entrepreneurs developing solutions that make aging easier for everyone.”
Many of these companies are developing tools for remote patient monitoring. After a patient is discharged from the hospital, devices at home can track vital signs such as blood pressure and respiratory rate and alert clinicians to concerning changes, similar to a hospital ward. The information can be transmitted directly to a health care provider or shared with a family caregiver, allowing someone to check in and watch for other warning signs.
Hay told me about an older woman enrolled in a home monitoring program whose temperature was gradually rising. Along with other abnormal vital signs, the pattern suggested an infection. Clinicians were able to diagnose and treat the woman’s bladder infection at her home before it necessitated an emergency department visit.
I can certainly see the value of tools that help doctors keep a closer eye on patients from afar. It’s also not hard to imagine how technology could help family members stay connected with older relatives who live far away and check on them more easily.
Hay told me that AARP is working with several companies that use an everyday device already found in most homes: the television. Instead of relying on smartphones and tablets, a family member could initiate a video call directly through the TV. If needed, the system could also activate a camera so the caller can see what is happening if the older adult is not responding.
Then there are technologies to address older adults’ specific challenges. For instance, smart medication dispensers connected to pill bottles can remind people when to take their medications and track adherence. Hay also described another company that developed a glove to ameliorate tremors that are symptoms of conditions like Parkinson’s disease. The device stabilizes wearers’ hands, allowing them to perform everyday tasks such as holding a cup of coffee without spilling.
Other innovations aid social engagement. Advances in hearing aids continue to improve sound clarity, and some glasses can even project closed captions onto the lenses during conversations. Hay told me about a resident in an assisted-living facility who had largely stopped leaving his room because he struggled to follow conversations in noisy settings. After receiving these glasses, he felt comfortable going back to the facility’s dining room and participating in social interactions.
Hay explained that interest in the this tech often focuses on solutions that help keep older adults out of the hospital. “But then there are solutions that allow people to live,” she said, and improving the day-to-day quality of life of older people is just as important.
Hay acknowledged that not all these solutions are ready for widespread use. Many are still in pilot programs, and those that are deployed often have limited data on how well they work. Important questions remain, including whether insurance will cover these technologies and how to protect patient privacy.
Still, interest in the field is growing, and for good reason. A 2026 AARP survey found that about two-thirds of older adults say technology enriches their lives and can make daily activities and aging at home easier. Everyone deserves the chance to age with dignity, and technological innovations can help make that possible.
Have you or a loved one used technologies like these? I’d love to hear about your experience. I’ll be exploring this topic further in future newsletters.
The post How new tech is helping seniors live better, more independent lives appeared first on Washington Post.
