Role of technology

This post discusses whether emerging technology can help us to live better, as we live longer.

Even with disabilities and health conditions that restrict or limit our daily activities, more than 90% of people over 75 years still live in their own homes and will continue to do so into very old age. Despite media providing a picture of doom and gloom surrounding ageing and aged care, this means that the vast majority of us can expect to live independently (and avoid residential aged care) for the rest of our lives.

One of the reasons that many people are able to do so is because of the ongoing assistance of informal caregivers.  Our wives, husbands, daughters, sons, grandchildren, friends and neighbours all provide support on an “informal” basis (rather than being paid to provide care).

To date, technology has only played a minor role in helping caregivers and their loved ones living independently at home.  This is changing.

What technology can do

By providing an online marketplace for support and care, technology facilitates new approaches, making it easy to:

• Build online circles of support, to be called on as and when needed.
• Arrange needed support.
• Offer support to loved ones.  By helping others, we remain productive members of our families and society.

In this way technology can help build sustainable local communities that harness the latent goodwill and resources of the informal sector.  These communities can then better utilise the scarce, expensive professional health and aged care resources.  This is good for the economy and the community!

Such technology is not just a dream, it is available today.

For example, LivBetter is an App and online software that makes it easy to ask for help and to offer help.

This is technology to live better as we live longer!