June 8, 2023

A new national survey from U.S. News & World Report’s 360 Reviews highlights how seniors use or plan to use assistive and/or health-related technologies as they age in place.

U.S. News surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults, age 55 or older, and 93% of respondents have a goal to age in place, which increases the need for personal assistive or health-related technologies. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aging in place means to “live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level.” Forty-nine percent of respondents who use the technology say general aging is their primary reason for adopting its use; however, reasons including impairments in mobility, hearing, vision and cognition follow closely behind.

Respondents were asked about the technologies they use, how it has affected their lives and more. Survey responses were weighted in order to be representative of the U.S. population.

“As the number of adults age 65 and over continues to increase, it’s important to know what they need in order to assist their aging process,” said Kristen Mollica, assistant managing editor, 360 Reviews. “Better understanding the technologies that have brought the most value to their lives gives families and businesses an opportunity to best support them.”

Additional survey highlights include:

• Two of the most widely-used technologies include medical or health-related apps (25%) and wearable medical or health-related trackers (17%).
• Of the 47% of those surveyed who do not yet use assistive or health-related technology, 16% say it is because they cannot afford the technologies, while 14% do not want to lose their independence.
• 88% of respondents assert that assistive or health-related technologies have improved their quality of life.

Access the full survey findings here.