(Uerj simulado 2018) HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN EMPOWER TH

(Uerj simulado 2018) 

HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN EMPOWER THE ELDERLY

 

            The elderly have often been neglected by technology developers as a focus market. The stereotype is that they are technophobes, or at least slow to pick up new innovations. However, ¹in reality not only are the elderly very capable of using a range of complex modern technologies, they are also very often in need of devices that can ease their lives and empower them in their range of abilities. Let’s look over a few of the best examples out there.

 

            It seems that we are currently obsessed with reducing the size of new devices to make them more and more portable. However, according to researchers, most elderly people prefer to spend their time without rushing and stressing and going from one place to the other, as many young people do. Many spend a great deal of time in their homes, which is often referred to as “ageing in place”. Therefore, gadgets designed to support home living can be very useful, especially when they are designed appropriately for the elderly. Some simple examples include TV remote controllers, mobile phones and tablets designed as lightweight and featuring large illuminated buttons. TV audio amplifiers can also be very useful, as well as audiobooks downloaded as MP3s or played on tablets and similar devices directly from a browser or a playlist.

 

            The improvements in home alarms and mobile phone security apps for seniors have been noticeable. There are sophisticated gadgets now available which can track activity patterns and create alerts for carers and family or friends when there is an unexpected interrupt in an elderly person’s routine. There are also a good range of wireless alarm systems which can be placed around the home with ease.

 

            For those who wander due to conditions such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, GPS Shoes and Smart soles are a great facility. GPS Shoes update information periodically so caregivers can be informed about the location of the user with frequencies ranging up to every 10 minutes. GPS Smart soles allow online tracking of a user’s location through any smartphone, tablet or browser with the login details.

            A widening range of gadgets are now becoming more user friendly, interesting and empowering for the elderly. Also, a broad range of gadgets are now custom-made for this market group. After all, this is a segment of the population who should be respected and should never be neglected. They brought us into this world, and we will all arrive into this demographic in the end.

 

psychcentral.com

According to the last paragraph, the elderly is a new market segment to be considered.

In this sense, the main idea behind the technology developed for the elderly is: