Aging in Place: Technology-Supported Homes

Population aging is transforming our society in myriad and interesting ways, and so is information and communication technology (ICT). ICTs consist of a “diverse set of technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange information” (UIS 2020). More unambiguously, they are devices (e.g., smartphones, computers, tablets), and applications (e.g., email, the web, instant messaging, social media), which provide us access to information and enable electronic forms of communication (e.g., have video chats or send text messages). More recent ICT advancements, beginning in the early 2010s, introduced opportunities in ICTs’ abilities to have positive impacts on aging populations’ health and vitality. One such area is to enhance our ability to age in place, and just like our individual experiences with aging, the ICT tools to support aging in place are varied.