Empowering independence with technology among adults age 50-plus

There’s great untapped opportunity for technology to be adopted to better meet the needs and preferences of older adults helping them live well and age in place, according to a comprehensive

new study from AARP and CTA, _Empowering Independence with Technology Among Adults Age 50-Plus_. Empowering Independence With Technology: Personal Stories The report combines the work of a

quantitative study from CTA and qualitative research from AARP. CTA’s quantitative _Aging in Place: Staying Connected with Technology_ reveals that older adults are comfortable with tech and

consider certain technologies, especially those related to personal health, to be useful as they seek to age in place. The findings also indicated an opportunity to repurpose or reimagine

mainstream technologies as tools to help older adults remain independent and in their homes and communities. The work shines the spotlight on age tech, defined as technology to help people

to age in place​. Typically, age tech needs to be reliable, easy to use, accurate and affordable. This technology has the potential to meet the growing needs of a population that 

consistently expresses a desire to age in place, with 89% of older adults (age 50-plus) ranking aging in place as important according to this new study.  AARP’s qualitative research and

secondary analysis reveal that technology manufacturers must respond to consumers of different ages and needs differently. Older adults age at different rates and need different technology

at various stages of their aging journey to empower their independence. Thus, the specific technologies that they believe can benefit them evolves throughout the aging journey, from an adult

in their 50s who is more active, to someone in their 60s or 70s who could use some level of support, and, finally, to those 75-plus who may need more assistance. WHAT AGE TECH MEANS TO

PEOPLE AND WHAT IT CAN BE ​When respondents were presented with a list of 40 different technologies, they most often considered personal health technologies to be age tech. Such technologies

include items like medical alert devices, digital blood pressure monitors, electric or powered wheelchairs/scooters, indoor security cameras, and electronic pill dispensers/medication

reminders.    But these aren’t the only types of technology available to assist older adults in living independently. New or innovative adaptation of familiar devices or features in existing

products, such as communication and smart home technologies, could promote connectivity and independence to help aging adults. For instance, while communication technologies were the least

likely to be considered as age tech among consumers who participated in the survey, other research has found that such technologies can promote independence by addressing a key challenge of

aging: social connection.​ Smart devices and virtual communities, for example, can foster digital engagement, easy communication with loved ones, and access to community support networks.

Similarly, smart home technology offers options for maintaining a safe environment. Climate-resilient designs and biometric security systems can enhance safety via emergency alerts and

protection against digital and physical threats. Online conversations in a qualitative digital ethnography study, meanwhile, revealed four areas surrounding technology to help one age at

home: modifying home spaces to support dignity and independence; technology to help one stay connected to combat loneliness and isolation; wearable devices to help proactively monitor health

issues; and health technology challenges around familiarity, reliability and privacy. SLUGGISH ADOPTION Adoption of age tech is slow among older adults.  Connected medical alert devices, 

the top technology considered to help with aging in place, are owned by only 3% of those 50-plus, and just 18% plan to purchase them in the future to help them age in place. ​ According to

AARP’s 2023 Tech and the 50-Plus, technology spending among those 50-plus is forecast to be more than $120 billion by 2030. CTA’s recent study shows many are concerned about the cost of

various devices and the risks of data security. Additionally, 59% of adults 50 and older do not feel technology today is designed with their age in mind. METHODOLOGY AARP’s and CTA’s 

_Empowering Independence with Technology Among Adults Age 50-Plus _report was developed in part by AARP and Consumer Technology Association (CTA) collective efforts in three studies: AARP’s

qualitative research, including an online ethnography study conducted by LuxResearch using AI tools to perform real-time online ethnographic research and a market landscape scan conducted by

Stylus Advisory, identified macro drivers and consumer trends related to aging in the home. CTA’s quantitative research, _Aging in Place: Staying Connected with Technology_, was

administered as an online survey among 2,400 U.S. adults (age 18-plus) from September 3 through September 26, 2024, and took about 20 minutes. For more information, please contact Brittne

Kakulla at [email protected]. For media inquiries, contact External Relations at [email protected].