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April 18, 2023
Our team traveled to Las Vegas in January for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where the latest and greatest in gadgetry gets presented before going to market. Throughout the convention center halls, we saw everything from experimental vehicles to virtual reality experiences, as well as an array of new products aimed at seniors.
From devices that help seniors age in place safely to games that connect grandparents with younger generations, our favorite new devices for seniors foster mental, physical, and social well-being.
Casana aims to improve the wellness of its patients through at-home health monitoring. There is a plethora of devices that can monitor one’s vital signs — rings, watches, and even earbuds — but Casana’s first product, the Heart Seat, can be found in the bathroom.
The Casana Heart Seat looks like a traditional toilet seat, but beneath the surface you’ll find some advanced technology: an electrocardiogram, ballistocardiogram, and photoplethysmogram. Together these tools can measure your heart rate, blood oxygen level, and blood pressure, all as you sit on the toilet. Using a Wi-Fi or LTE connection, the Heart Seat can then send the data to your care team, including medical professionals and caregivers.
A Casana representative confirmed that the company is seeking FDA approval for the Heart Seat. Once that happens, you can expect to be able to purchase the Heart Seat directly from Casana’s website.
A majority of CES exhibitors tout highly advanced technology that feels like the stuff of science fiction, but Kizik offered a comparatively simple proposition: a pair of shoes that requires no hands to put on. With Kizik shoes, you simply slide in your foot and the upper snaps back around your heel, securing the shoe on your foot.
Kizik doesn’t seem to be marketing heavily to older adults, but the company’s shoes would be ideal for anyone who struggles with mobility, dexterity, arthritis, or back pain. Unlike other slip-on footwear, Kizik’s shoes have laces and they look stylish. From my brief time testing them, they also provided ample support.
Kizik shoes come in men’s, women’s, and children’s sizes, and they are available via the Kizik website for between $100 and $120.
The Memory Cell Phone contains everything you need on a single screen, featuring the photos and names of up to six contacts, a 911 button, the time, and the device’s battery and signal strength. Unlike other carriers, Raz offers remote management, allowing a caregiver to maintain contacts, track the phone’s location, or even block unwanted callers.
The Raz Memory Cell Phone is available through the Raz Mobility website for $309. The price also includes three free months of service from Affinity Cellular.
Pro Tip: To learn more about this phone, read our full review of the Memory Cell Phone.
If you miss seeing and playing with your younger loved ones and their kids, the Kinoo Connect app is definitely for you. Designed by a team of educators and engineers, Kinoo Connect is a free two-way video-chatting app with a selection of educational games for young players.
Using Kinoo, you can call your loved one to play games, take pictures, or just chat. There are even animated characters to help the little ones operate Kinoo on their own and an optional Magic Wand controller for the games. The app has 60 free minutes per month, after which you must subscribe in-app for more time.
Founded by Dr. Anna Barnacka, a former NASA Einstein fellow at Harvard University, MindMics aims to simplify the process of monitoring vital signs while leveraging the data to improve a user’s health.
Unlike the Heart Seat, MindMics measures heart rhythms through sound. Not only do MindMics detect heart rhythms with 99 percent accuracy of a clinical ECG, but they also connect to your phone via Bluetooth. The MindMics app can help you make sense of your heart rhythms, providing guidance on sleeping, nutrition, breathing, and exercise.
The proprietary app will allow you to follow trends and plan your health journey. MindMics are scheduled to be released in early 2023, and you can preorder them on the company’s website.
Known for its nearly invisible hearing aids, Eargo has long been one of our favorite hearing aid brands. At CES, the company unveiled its new model, the Eargo 7.
Similar to previous Eargo models, the Eargo 7 is water resistant, uses rechargeable batteries, and is practically invisible when placed in the ear. What’s new, however, is the hearing aid’s Sound Adjust+ feature, which automatically analyzes a sound environment, emphasizing speech and reducing background noise accordingly.
Slated for a 2023 release, Eargo 7 will likely be one of our favorite over-the-counter hearing aids. To learn more about the company, read our full Eargo hearing aids review.
Every year, we’re impressed by innovations that help older adults age in place. To stay updated on all things related to emerging tech for older adults, read our reviews and guides.
