Elder Care Technology | Tools to Help Aging in Place

Introduction

Can using home care technology help your family save money caring for an aging loved one? The answer is most certainly “Yes,” but there are many other related questions. For example, What technologies to use? How much can be saved? Is saving money the only consideration? Perhaps the most difficult question is: Where to start? This guide is intended to help families identify what technologies and tools they might use, to understand their pros and cons, and to calculate the cost savings they can generate over using other types of aging care.

A huge diversity of products is marketed as “aging in place technology.” Our goal in this guide is not to provide a comprehensive list, but rather to make sense of those that are available on the market today and can reduce the care hours required by elderly persons. As such, they can reduce a family’s out-of-pocket care costs or reduce the hours they spend providing care themselves.

Types of Aging in Place / Home Care Technology

Aging in place technologies can be divided into 3 major categories.  To be clear, there are many products labeled as “aging in place technology” that fall outside these 3 categories. However, these simply do not provide significant, if any, cost-savings to families and therefore are not addressed in this guide.

There is also a wide range of tools, technologies and services within each of the 3 categories.  These differences are addressed on the specific product pages found at the links in the table below.

For Whom are They Appropriate?

Personal Safety Monitoring – The range of activities that can be monitored is so great that almost any frail senior who spends time alone can benefit from safety monitoring or related services.  Their family members benefit as well from the reduced stress of knowing their loved one is safe.  Details about how these work, pricing and financial assistance is available here.

Companionship – Online companions are intended for individuals who spend significant time alone.  They are appropriate for persons of sound mind and for those in the early and middle stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s.  While no computer skills are required, vision and vocal ability are necessary to benefit from these services.  Details about how these work, pricing and financial assistance is available here.

Medication Management – Appropriate for seniors who take multiple medications on an ongoing basis and are challenged to remember which pills to take and when.  These technologies are not appropriate for individuals whose medications are provided intravenously or through nebulizers. Details about how these work, pricing and financial assistance is available here.

These technologies can be used as standalone services or they can be combined.  This is especially true when one uses technology for personal safety monitoring and medication management. Their need for expensive home care aides is greatly reduced. With that reduction in home care visits comes an increased need for companionship and therefore companionship technology.

Determine Cost Savings of Home Care Technology

To determine the cost savings home care technologies can provide over using human provided care, one must make a comparison to how many hours of care an individual would otherwise require.  A home care worker or assisted living residence provides companionship, medication management and monitor the individual’s personal safety. Therefore, a comparison should consider the cost of all three technology services.

Payment Options and Financial Assistance

There are financial assistance programs available to help cover the cost of aging in place technology and services.  Unfortunately Medicare, the most common insurance held by the elderly, does not cover the cost of personal safety monitoring, medication management or companion care services.  However, Medicaid Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) Waivers offer assistance in almost every state.  There are also assistance options specifically for veterans. And several states offer help in their non-Medicaid programs for the elderly.  Detailed information about financial assistance is available on the product pages for personal safety monitoring, medication management and companion care services.