How Digital Health Technology Is Extending Independent Living

As a nurse, I frequently hear questions like:

“How long can Mom keep taking good care of herself without help?”
“How do I keep myself safe while living alone?”
“Dad wants to live independently for as long as possible. How do we support him?”

For many older adults, living independently goes far beyond being a measure of their physical and cognitive health; it can be a point of social pride and a reflection of their personhood. Losing one’s independence can be frustrating, but it’s a situation that can be preventable with the right care. Technologies such as wearable monitors and smart home devices, when used thoughtfully, can reduce preventable harm, extend independence, and support clinical and personal goals for older adults [1].

What “Safety” Really Means for Older Adults Living Independently

Home safety for older adults is both multifactorial and unique to the individual; no singular solution will work for every person. Safety goes beyond responding to medical emergencies such as strokes, falls, and cardiac events. Digital health or smart home technologies can also address issues such as poor medication adherence, functional decline, cognitive changes, chronic condition management, lack of physical activity, and social isolation [1].

James Giordani, MSW, has made it his mission to help older adults get the most out of potentially life-saving technology. He started his company, Clear Computing, in 2019, which was acquired by parent company Ask Kevin [2] in 2024. The business offers in-home tech support to people of all ages, but Giordani found himself assisting mostly older clients.

Working with seniors soon became a passion. Giordani went on to get his Master’s degree in social work, again specializing in working with older adults. He shares a personal story that helped him realize how technology can augment in-home safety for older adults: “My Nana...fell and broke her hip, and she was down for about 12-16 hours before she got help. [She] couldn’t crawl to the phone...had she had a smart assistant, she could have used it to call for help.”

Technology is always available and always on call. While it’s not necessarily a substitute for face-to-face check-ins, it is a powerfully supportive tool for day-to-day cares and emergencies alike.

Core Needs and Technologies for Safe Independent Living

Choosing the Right Tools

Medical care providers may consider recommending technologies for older adults wishing to remain independent. This is especially relevant as an increasing number of older people are choosing to receive care at home [3]. As clinicians, we can encourage safety and better health by assisting older patients to understand which technologies may best support their unique needs.

Preventative care checkups and in-home visits are excellent moments for assessment of potential needs. In-home safety encompasses many aspects of personal health, social networks, and daily life, but broadly, these needs can be grouped into several large categories: (1) fall prevention and rapid response, (2) cardiovascular monitoring, (3) medication adherence and chronic disease management, and (4) interpersonal safety and security.

These categories provide a starting point for medical providers to perform a safety assessment and recommend appropriate technologies to support their patients’ independence.

Fall Prevention and Rapid Response

Technologies to prevent or reduce harm from falls may include smart bulbs or switches for lighting, wearable fall sensors, and motion or impact detectors. Giordani recommends programming smart bulbs to turn on or off at key times, such as just before dusk, to improve vision in otherwise low-light environments.

A smartwatch or smart home device may be used to call for help in the event that someone is unable to get to a phone. There are also artificial intelligence devices designed specifically to detect falls, the results of which appear promising [4].

Cardiovascular Monitoring

Cardiac events, including arrhythmias or arrests, are most common in older populations [5]. Wearable devices such as watches, chest straps, or clothing help to detect these events and alert medical personnel. Due to the varied nature of these devices across the market, clinical integration is often impractical due to differences in data collection, accuracy, and interoperability challenges. Nevertheless, they may still provide valuable data for the adjustment of medical treatment and offer an early alert system for emergencies [6].

Medication Adherence and Chronic Disease Management

Poor medication adherence or polypharmacy creates the potential for serious harm. Tools such as smart pill dispensers or automatic reminders that can be shared with caregivers can help support proper medication dosing and timing [7].

Technologies such as glucose monitors can assist in chronic disease management, especially when paired with a smartphone app designed to help the user understand their glucose targets [8].

Devices like exercise trackers or smartwatches encourage increased physical activity, leading to better overall health and longevity [9].

Interpersonal Safety and Security

Giordani’s favorite recommendation is one most might not consider. He shares, “I recommend that every older adult have an ad blocker on their phones and their computers. Not only do they reduce the cognitive load of seeing all those advertisements… they [help with] cyber security and scam prevention. Scams are often delivered to older adults through ads.”

Technologies like ad blockers, smart home devices, and smart locks can enhance safety and personal and financial security for older adults living alone.

New Technology Adoption in Older Adults

Many older adults are very open to using new devices to support their health [10]—but to be effective, these personal health technologies must support the users’ goals, be accessible and affordable, and be easy to use. Support systems must also be in place to encourage adoption and ongoing use, such as a helpline or tech assistance from a service such as Ask Kevin [11].

Giordani suggests assisting older adults to set up any new device. For older adults, he says, this process isn’t necessarily intuitive. “I always recommend, if you're giving a device as a gift, you have to set it up for them.”

Recommendations for Clinicians

Our patients’ ability to live independently is more than a social preference; it’s a real-world reflection of their clinical outcomes that is worth supporting with evidence-based tools.

Many older adults welcome the use of technology to support long-term health and independence. Talk with your patients about their individual needs and goals, and assess barriers such as cost and tech support before suggesting which devices may best improve their quality of life.

When aligned with clinical judgment and patient values, digital health tools help older adults lead longer, safer, and more autonomous lives. While technology doesn’t replace human care, it can extend our reach as we strive to enhance every aspect of our patients’ health.