By 2050, Alzheimer’s is expected to afflict close to 12 million people – a three-fold increase from the present.
By 2050, the population of those over 65 years will have more than doubled – to 87 million people – as per the federal Census Bureau.
Blood pressure, weight gain, respiratory problems, diabetes, failing eyesight, musculo-skeletal degeneration, and numerous other health-related issues among the elderly is likely to cause much anxiety among the families and care-givers of these adults, especially in most situations where the aging parent or relative lives independently – by choice, or for the lack of it. Many people today have the option of moving into assisted living facilities, or retirement communities, but stocks of these are fast depleting, and future developments do not match the pace of the growth rate of the aging population, leading to fewer choices at higher prices.
Remote monitoring technologies, devices and systems have been introduced in recent years which play a significant role in assisting care-providers to enable track the movements of their aged relative/s who live independently, and receive timely alerts in case of emergencies.
More research is underway, with co-operation from health insurance companies and some funding from National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Aging.
Elizabeth Olson has covered the subject for The New York Times with her story “High-Tech Devices Keep Elderly Safe From Afar”.
Despite making some headway in this field, can we safely claim that we are even remotely close to having resolved the issue?
Words-n-Motion 