The isolation of the pandemic did have some unforeseen benefits: It inspired, encouraged and expanded a wave of silver technology options tailored to helping older adults.
The tech-powered possibilities that emerged in the past few years range from telehealth services to one-shot errands to conversations with empathetic robots.
Many of the elder-friendly technologies promise to “make growing old at home possible,” according to Fast Company’s coverage of what it called a “silver tsunami” of advancements designed to assist seniors.
“Once, technologists and designers believed the future of health would be embedded into the core architectural design of the home. Instead, an array of gadgets and services has emerged, and the pandemic has accelerated their adoption,” Fast Company said.
The emergence of so many silver tech options is part compassion and part capitalism, with companies anxious both to serve an oft-overlooked population and to cash in on a favorable market.
According to a joint report on the longevity economy from AARP and Oxford Economics in 2016, while there were more than 1.6 billion people in the 50-plus demographic worldwide in 2015, that number will swell to 3.2 billion by 2050 — nearly doubling in 35 years.
While the rising numbers of seniors will certainly drive the market, those in the older adult age group are also welcoming of new technologies. A 2020 AARP report indicated seniors are increasingly embracing technological advancements from smartphones to laptops and wearable devices.
Dor Skuler, CEO and co-founder of Intuition Robotics, which introduced an empathetic robot to the commercial market in March 2022, thinks seniors will “be early adopters of this technology,” he told Vox.
“Humans are social beings, and unfortunately, many elders are deprived of that in our society ... they might embrace this new kind of relationship.”
Here are three silver tech options that illustrate the range and ingenuity available to tech-savvy seniors and their caregivers.
Naborforce
Naborforce serves older adults who need a chore completed, an errand run — like a trip to the hair salon or a medical office visit — or even someone to stop by and play cards.
The app is the brainchild of Paige Wilson, who was previously the CFO of a Fortune 100 company.
She conceived the idea after helping arrange her mother’s care. Following her mother’s death, Wilson developed a business model that addressed the need for low-key care for adults living on their own while providing an opportunity for workers in the gig economy.
The service recently expanded from its first businesses in different parts of Virginia and North Carolina to Atlanta. It serves people in 15 communities including Smyrna, Buckhead, Morningside, Midtown and Decatur.
The app helps match those who need services with a “Nabor” who has passed a security check and employment screening. The fee runs from $25-$35 per hour depending on the day and time and there are discounts for pre-paid monthly plans.
Users can sign up online or call to establish a profile. Participants are securely billed via a credit card on file after the conclusion of the visit. And caregivers can also make arrangements — with the approval of the person receiving care — and receive an update or photo after the Nabor visits.
Papa
Papa is an online platform available in all 50 states that helps older adults schedule and complete payments for visits from Papa Pals. These non-medical caregivers are vetted and trained before providing a range of services that can include everyday tasks, social visits and transportation.
The pay rate is relatively affordable — $20-$25 per hour — though currently Papa only coordinates by working directly with insurance providers or employers to help with extra care. Individuals must check to see if their insurance carrier offers Papa, though it will most likely become a publicly available silver tech offering at some point.
The Senior List calls Papa “the Uber of home care.”
“Papa is no replacement for a certified caregiver — who can assist with toileting, dressing, and bathing — but it’s a great solution for seniors in need of social activity or light assistance,” said the Senior List’s Ryan Molloy, who worked as a Pal on the service for a few months.
Other advantages of the elder-friendly app include the no-contract-required policy and the platform’s assurance that its Pals have sufficient auto insurance and have passed a security check.
The biggest drawback, according to Molloy, is that Papa is “not publicly available (for now). Anyone can apply to work as a Papa Pal, but you can receive Papa services only through either your health insurance plan or employer. That will likely change in the future.”
ElliQ
ElliQ is a voice-operated, empathetic, digital care companion designed by Intuition Robotics. It was launched for commercial sale in March 2022 and is intended to help seniors be more active and engaged and take better care of their health.
ElliQ resembles a mid-century lamp but offers up-to-the-minute artificial intelligence technology. It can stream music and read the news aloud and reflectively converse with older adults who relish the connection.
Octogenarian Deanna Dezern helped beta test the model in 2019 and throughout the pandemic. Having ElliQ in her home made it so she was “never alone,” Dezern wrote in an essay for Fast Company. “And during this particularly tough year, that is not trivial.”
Dezern vouches for a user-friendly experience with this silver tech.
“I have zero technical experience, but I was able to beta test ElliQ simply by talking to her. All I need to do is talk to her, and in doing so, she learns my personality and my quirks. If you can have a conversation, you can use this technology.”
Along with the practical benefits, Dezern noted that the creation of technology aimed at making the world more inclusive and accessible for older adults was both comforting and exhilarating.
“Older adults like me are often overlooked in the discussion about technology, but the age tech market is vast and growing fast,” she said. “Technology, at its core, exists to help us solve life’s biggest problems in quick and effective ways.
“And there is no sector more ready and willing to have their problems solved than mine. From physical ailments to mental health, we represent a vast and largely untapped market that is eager to adapt and grow.”
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