Retirement Tips

Today’s Technology: Making Retirement Easier

By 2030, technology to assist older Americans is expected to grow to a  $30+ billion market.  Today’s technology can help you to live more independently and simplify your life, while providing peace of mind to not only you but also your family and friends.  Here are some great, must-have forms of technology that can make your life easier. 

Tablets and iPads

Tablets and iPads can provide games to challenge the mind as well as apps that track health information.  You can view photos of your grandchildren, listen to your favorite music, and even video chat with family and friends using one of these lightweight devices. Plus, most tablets have easy-to-use touch screens and fonts that are adjustable for easy reading. GrandPad, for example, is a simplified tablet specifically designed to help older adults stay connected to friends and family.

Medication Management

Researchers estimate that 25% of people age 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs a day.  With multiple medications, the problem is either remembering to take them or remembering if you took them already.  Medication Management devices can help you do both.  MedMinder is a digital pill dispenser that gets programmed online.  When it is time to take the pill, the dispenser flashes and the pill box unlocks.  If you forget, the pill box beeps and is followed up by a prerecorded message.  If you still don’t take them, a phone call is sent out to a third party.  CareZone is a free app that sends an alarm to your phone when it’s time to take your pills.  Plus, you can use the app to manage your medication on your phone. 

Home Devices

From helping to keep your house clean to keeping it safe, home devices are a great tool to help you around the house.  Robots like the Roomba will vacuum your floor for you — so you don’t have to lug a vacuum cleaner around;  and the Ring Video Doorbell lets you see who is at the front door on your phone, improving your home security.  Smart lighting products, like Philips Hue, are designed to turn light fixtures on or off automatically depending on the time of day.  Smart lighting can even automatically activate hallway lights at a dim to make nighttime trips to the bathroom or kitchen safer.  And while it’s easy for people of any age to forget to turn off the stove, devices like CookStop, HomeSenser, and Stove Guard International shut off a stove if a room has been empty for a set amount of time. 

Voice-Activated Assistants

Voice-activated assistants like Google Home and Alexa from Amazon control devices around the house, make calls, provide entertainment and answer questions.  They can run everything from lights to the television to the thermostat, and are compatible with a lot of different brands and devices.  You can ask your voice-activated assistant to set calendar reminders or to take notes if you don’t have a pencil or paper handy.  Have a question?  Just ask your assistant!  They can play games, tell you stories and give you fun facts.  Plus, they can provide you with exercise suggestions and tips for maintaining a healthy diet.

Video chats and webcams

If you have a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone (and internet connection), you have access to a great way to communicate with friends and family.  Programs like FaceTime and Skype are a fun way to talk “face-to-face” via video chat, and connect across the miles between you.  There are plenty of resources available to teach you how to use these programs, either online or in person.  Or, ask your family how to help you.  It’s another great way to spend some time together!

The upside to retirement and technology

With technology today, getting older doesn’t mean the end of living independently.  Technology helps you to have more time for doing what you love, like spending time with friends and family or indulging in hobbies that you couldn’t while working full-time or raising a family.  Now that you have the time to do what you want, learn about how you can get the funds to do what you want in retirement.  For example, to learn more about the benefits and advantages associated with a reverse mortgage—which can give you access to a new source of funds if you’re a homeowner age 62 or older—call Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC (RMF) at 888-277-1567 to connect with an experienced reverse mortgage specialist who can help you evaluate if it may be right for you.

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