Empowering Independence with Technology Among Adults Age 50-Plus

Technology as a Key to Aging in Place

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. 

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 or assist 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 express a desire to age in place, with 89% of older adults (ages 50-plus) ranking aging in place as important according to this new study.  

AARP’s qualitative research and secondary analysis reveals that technology manufactures 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’s more active, to someone in their 60s or 70s who could use some level of support, and finally to the more assisted needs of those ages 75-plus.

What Age Tech Means to People, and What It Can Be

When respondents were presented with a list of 40 different technologies, respondents 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 medication pill dispenser/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 technologies and smart home technologies could promote connectivity and independence to help aging adults.

For instance, while communications technologies were the least likely to be considered as an 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 ages 50-plus, and just 18% plan to purchase it in the future to help them age in place.  

According to AARP’s Tech Trends and Adults 50+, technology spending among those ages 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 made 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 to identify macro drivers and consumer trends related to aging in the home.

CTA’s quantitative research Aging in Place: Staying Connected with Technology, administered as an online survey among 2400 U.S. adults (ages 18-plus) from September 3 through September 26, 2024 and took about 20 minutes. 

Published: January 2025