Families spend as little as $39 a month on 'aging in place' tech to dodge $10K assisted living bills — but much of it 'lacks clinical backing'

Whether it’s a caregiving TV subscription, AI companion, fall detector, medication reminder or smart appliance, can technology fill the gaps family members can’t? With roughly 51 million people providing unpaid care to an adult family member each year and assisted living bills reaching up to $10,000 a month, it might have to.

Are smart homes the new senior care hubs?

Karen Murray is able to turn on her 93-year-old mother’s TV for her every morning, even though she lives 40 minutes away, according to Business Insider. Her mother, Marion Murray, has cognitive impairment and Karen uses JubileeTV to communicate with her, turn on calming music and connect her with other family members.

From AI-powered companions that hold conversations and remind seniors to take medications to smart-home systems that detect falls or unusual activity, a growing wave of similar products is promising to help families balance independence with peace of mind. While these tools may not be able to replace human caregivers, they’re filling a gap when loved ones can’t be there in person.

Today’s smart-home technology is capable of more than simply turning on lights or answering trivia questions.

Samsung refrigerators can use built-in cameras to monitor what’s inside, while the iGuardStove automatically shuts off burners if cooking is left unattended. LG’s WiFi- and voice-enabled ovens and microwaves make meal prep easier with hands-free controls too. Smart dishwashers can also keep tabs on detergent supplies and reorder pods before they run out, while connected showers and toilets offer features such as touch-free washing, automatic flushing, fall alerts and even early infection detection.

Solving loneliness?

Aside from the support for physical well-being, there is also technology designed to help combat another health concern among older adults: loneliness. According to AARP, 40% of adults over the age of 45 report feeling lonely.

That’s where platforms like Uniper Care, Onscreen and Amazon are making it easier for older adults to access telehealth appointments, video calls, photo sharing and live classes without leaving home.

In Schenectady, New York, 69-year-old Lucinda Page has spent the past four years living alongside ElliQ, an AI-powered tabletop robot that reminds her to take medications, guides her through exercises, helps manage her health records and play bingo, solve crossword puzzles and take virtual road trips together.

For many households, the numbers make sense.

The median cost of assisted living now exceeds $74,000 a year, according to Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey. Although families still need to purchase the actual devices, the technology can be a relatively affordable investment if it helps delay, or even avoid, a move into long-term care.

While the gadgets and high-tech offerings might be flashy, the reality is they can work as a way of offering reassurance between visits, allowing families to know if something has gone wrong without needing to be physically present every hour of the day.

High-tech help still has limits

Despite the hype surrounding AI and connected homes, families can consider technology to be a useful tool in a broader support system, not necessarily a replacement for human care.