Technology at the Service of the Elderly

Abstract

An increase in longevity almost always implies the manifestation of more health problems, especially chronic diseases. And here, the elderly’s well-being and quality of life may be compromised since their level of dependence on others for everyday activities tends to increase and accentuate. Technologies can play a fundamental role in supporting and helping both the elderly —through telepresence robots that reduce their social isolation— and the informal caregiver —by installing a network of sensors that allow programming alarms for changing position and taking medication, for example—. Therefore, technologies can and should be put at the service of the elderly not to replace the human factor, but as a complement thereto.