Technology and seniors. Two words that a lot of people might not immediately pair. But that's changing.

There are a host of in-home assistive technologies, apps, mobile devices and even virtual reality (VR) experiences that are making healthy aging easier than ever before.

On March 12, you'll likely have the opportunity to see many of these technologies on display, at Parish Health Ministry's annual Refresh Your Soul conference on positive aging.

One of our three keynote speakers, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researcher and health aging expert Wendy Rogers, will present on ways that new and Internet-based technologies can enable autonomy and independence in older adults.  

Then, after Refresh Your Soul 2018's morning speaker sessions, you'll be able to browse a variety of national and regional vendors' information and demonstration booths, which will be set up in the halls throughout Xavier University's Cintas Center.

Learn more and register for the conference. Early bird discount tickets are available until Feb. 12.

In the meantime, today, let's discuss some of the gadgets and gizmos that are making life a breeze for seniors and caregivers living in Cincinnati:

1. Activity Sensors

It's one of the primary worries for the family members of elders who live alone: what if Mom falls, can't reach the phone and no one is around to summon help?

In the 1980s and 1990s, wearable, wireless emergency call buttons were developed and popularized as a means of addressing this problem. And they undoubtedly helped to save lives. But their efficacy is limited.

What if your parent hits his or her head and is knocked unconscious? What if he or she has a stroke and is paralyzed, or can't speak? A call button only works if a senior can activate it.

Now, infrared and auditory activity sensors can be placed in your older loved one's home. They discreetly monitor for motion and sound, and allow adult children or caregivers to check and make sure Mom or Dad is up and moving around as normal.

If human activity isn't detected when it should be, or for an extended period of time, the system can automatically summon the primary caregiver, a designated neighbor, and/or emergency services.

2. App-Based Medication Management

The second most common worry for caregivers might be whether or not an older loved one is taking medications as prescribed.

Now, app-based medication reminder programs, like TriHealth's MedaCheck, are giving families more peace of mind. It's an easy-to-use, dedicated computer tablet for reminding seniors when and how to take their medications each day.

Seniors don't even have to worry about setting up the device; TriHealth's care providers pre-program it for your loved one, based on the medication information your family provides. All your parent or grandparent need do is plug it in and turn in on.

Once activated, the MedaCheck app provides your elder with information about his or her prescriptions and sends out timely reminders to take medications.

Best of all, if your loved one forgets to take his or her medicine, he or she will receive a reminder phone call from a TriHealth care provider. And, it functions as a safety check: if staff members don't reach your loved one by phone, they'll send an alert to you and, if warranted, summon first responders.

3. "How's Mom?" App for Caregivers

Here at Episcopal Retirement Services, we're not sitting back and waiting for the market to provide our clients and their families with solutions. We're inventing them ourselves.

Last year, we co-developed the How’s Mom? app, which allows family members to directly communicate with members of their loved ones' care team.

When an provider — a nurse at the doctor’s office, a personal care assistant at a retirement community, or an in-home aide — has new information about a senior’s wellness or well-being, he or she can add an update directly to the app, so that family members who are connected via the application can see, in real time, how their older relative is doing.

Family members and caregivers alike tell us that they love the app's streamlined interface, easy-to-understand displays and ability to track their loved one's medical progress.

4. Virtual Travel and VR-Assisted Memory Therapy

For seniors with limited mobility, or severe health problems, travelling to a National Park, famous landmark, or even across town to see their former home might seem like an unachievable dream. But smartphone-based VR programs are changing all that.

Now, using VR programs and sites like Google Earth, older people can "go" places and see sights that they never thought they would see. They can visit the Great Wall of China, the Empire State Building, or even the moon.

They can also relive memories, through 3-D playbacks of old home movies and VR-enhanced audio recordings, or participate in games or game-based memory therapy sessions.

Technology is making positive aging ever simpler.

What other senior-friendly, healthy aging technologies are out there? How could new tech help your loved to positively age?

Come to #RYS2018 on March 12 and find out!