The Future of Aging: Where Tech, Policy, and Humanity Intersect
Quick Terms to Know
Agtech – Technologies that help older adults and caregivers.
Wearables – Wearable devices, typically one that monitors health
Aging has always been a reality — but changing demographics, a looming caregiver shortage, and evolving technology now mean it’s also a policy issue.
As Baby Boomers age, the United States is set to face a declining caregiver ratio. Research from the AARP found that the number of traditional family caregivers won’t keep pace with demand.
In 2010, the caregiver support ratio was more than 7 potential caregivers for every person aged 80 or older. AARP researchers found that ratio would decline to 4 to 1 by 2030, and fall further to 3 to 1 by 2050.
In some nations, that ratio is set to become a shortage. South Korea is projected to face a shortage of roughly one million caregivers 20 years from now, according to the Korea Times.
Part of the solution to that shortage is agetech, the broad group of technologies that lessen burdens on caregivers and help older adults stay independent longer. That can mean anything from wearable devices that monitor health and detect falls to smart appliances that enhance safety in the home.
Lessening the burden on caregivers is key, since 60% have to balance caregiving with a full- or part-time job, per the AARP 2024 State of Agetech report.
But agetech is currently a limited field, and some experts say that governments need to be intentional about developing agetech to offset the looming caregiving crisis.
The Agetech Gap
Whether it’s an AI assistant that engages with older adults or a smartphone designed by be accessible to seniors, agetech is set to be a critical tool to offsetting the caregiver gap.
But there’s also a gap in agetech itself: Research originally published in the Public Policy and Aging Report from the Gerontological Society of America found that not only are there currently a limited number of technologies aimed at older adults, but there are also numerous barriers to adoption.
Researchers described a “fundamental lack of trust” of home technologies, centered around privacy concerns, as one of the factors holding back agetech. The use of 24/7 monitoring technologies, from wearables to sensors around the home, come with “inherent privacy risks and potential issues related to data sharing,” the researchers wrote.
That’s also reflected in the State of Agetech report from the AARP, which found that older adults had concerns about data privacy, safety, and a fear of not being able to understand technologies that help them age in place.
That lack of trust is worsened by the fact that older adults are often left out of training data for the AI that operate agetech devices — and the lack of connectivity between devices, leaving caregivers with disparate data sources that don’t currently paint a clear picture.
“Ageism in trialing technology products on older adults is having a fundamentally negative effect on this population,” the report reads.
The Future of Agetech
When it comes to getting caregivers and older adults to adopt agetech, trust is key.
The authors of the Public Policy and Aging Report research wrote that transparency and guidelines for agetech are critical to ensure that the technology actually reaches older adults.
The AARP also noted in its State of Agetech report that guidelines “could help address many of the security concerns that are making people skeptical about trusting artificial intelligence”
Some of that work is already being done: The Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) developed an “assurance network” framework that Public Policy and Aging Report researchers say could be a gamechanger for agetech companies who want to build trust with both older adults and caregivers. That might entail simulating home care in labs to ensure that devices perform well for older adults, and creating ethics hubs to provide oversight over agetech companies.
