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July 2026

Will baby boomers need a Check-in app?

Living alone and fall risk.  Today 43% of women aged 75+ live alone – that is, in their own home versus a senior living community. They are more likely to live alone than in other countries.  However, only 9 percent use a personal emergency response device, with no change over the past few years. And for those devices, the key customer is the adult child. And this is despite fall risk which grows with age, though the recent Senate initiative does not differentiate among older age groups.

Why simple startup of new tech should matter to developers

How important is a smart watch?  Last year the Apple Watch turned 10.  By then it was in use by 23% of the smartwatch market worldwide.  And (likely many) more than 17% of US Internet households own an Apple Watch. Imagine – it is the only watch that has outsold the Swiss watch industry! It is increasingly used by many (particularly younger people) for health-related encouragement… ‘STAND! You exceeded your last week’s steps!’  And who previously had such an easy way to check your resting heart rate, know the outside temperature and UV, all at a glance?

Don't be fooled -- Older adults’ comfort with technology has skyrocketed

An email from a startup founder offered this observation about older adults’ comfort with technology: “The user experience gap between what a product promises in a press release and what a 78-year-old will actually pick up and operate is where most elder care technology quietly fails.”  Not true. If it provides a much-wanted experience like a chat with a grandchild, most older adults will deal with the hassle factors of downloading and using any software. If it involves an app to enable signing up for a desired exercise class, most will deal with the hassle. Long ago, one tech provider told her mother that if she didn’t use the check-in software, she would have to move her to assisted living. She got the message and provided regular updates.

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