Gerontechnology is a portmanteau word to describe an activity that combines gerontology (the study of ageing) with technology to create products, environments, and services that enable older adults to live healthier, safer, and more independent lives. Karen Billings-Jensen, Chief Executive of Age Concern New Zealand, attended a conference where this topic was canvassed, which caused us to dig a little deeper.
The aim of the gerontechnologists is to design and create solutions for problems relating to physical, cognitive and sensory decline in ageing so as to improve social interaction, physical activity and general community connections and communication.
As the International Society for Gerontechnology explains, “ISG encourages and promotes technological innovations in products and services that address older peoples’ ambitions and needs on the basis of scientific knowledge about ageing processes including cultural and individual differences.”
“The primary goal is to promote ‘successful ageing’ by preventing, delaying, or compensating for age-related declines. It also seeks to enhance quality of life through improved communication, safety, and social engagement.”
The most obvious example of this is the development of robots to undertake some tasks but the more general approach is to address improving various aspects of daily living for older people, including:
- Health: Monitoring health, managing medications, and supporting physical and cognitive rehabilitation.
- Safety: Implementing fall prevention devices and safety monitoring systems.
- Communication: Creating technologies that facilitate social connections with family and friends.
- Daily living: Assisting with everyday activities and maintaining independence in the home.
- Leisure and learning: Providing tools like VR and AI to support hobbies, creative expression, and continued learning.
Gerontechnological developments include voice assistants, mobility assistance aids, remote patient monitoring systems, wearables for health tracking, smart home sensors and safety devices, and social robots.
However, as Karen pointed out there are some risks associated with these devices, such as access and control of personal data needed to allow these aids to operate. The increased availability of such information can increase the possibility of scammers gaining access to older members of the community who are regarded as more vulnerable to fraudulent activity.
Personal data can be gathered from remote patient tracking systems and devices like medical alarm units, online routines (e.g., health conditions from health-tracking from apps on watches and phones, and social media usage) and used by fraudsters to tailor highly personalized and persuasive scams built on fake relationships. In addition, cognitive decline or physical limitations (e.g., poor vision/hearing) can make it difficult for some older adults to process complex security information or detect inconsistencies in fraudulent communications.
Even so, where devices serve a health purpose the risks can be minimised by using reputable brands with comprehensive privacy contracts. Doing your research to ensure the device or app is secure is always recommended. An Internet search through engines like Google or an AI app to find out whether a product is reliable can give you a lead, but again, caution is urged as some search results can be fraudulent. In many instances, having devices and apps that can help can often be worth having as long as the risks are known and reduced as much as possible.
Fortunately, the gerontechnologists are aware of the issues and are providing some assistance in helping to prevent scams. Automated call and spam blockers, Secure Authentication technologies like two-factor authentication, Financial Monitoring Tools used by financial institutions to detect anomalies in transaction patterns and flag potential fraud, Smart Home Devices such as video doorbells and other smart home security devices are just some of the systems that have been developed.
But as we pointed out in a recent, scammers are adept at keeping up with technological developments. Be careful out there.