America is getting grayer—and aging in place.
According to the US Census Bureau, by 2030, 73 million baby boomers—defined as those born between 1946 and 1964—will be older than 65.
Housingwire.com cites a report from home improvement services Leaf Home stating 55% of surveyed baby boomers will be aging in place rather than moving into a retirement home. Forbes.com provides an even broader figure of 77% of adults over the age of 50 are preferring to age in place—a strong indicator this trend is gaining in popularity.
Why are Americans choosing to age in place?
The Forbes.com article lists 4 primary reasons:
A fifth reason is financial based. Depending on where a senior lives, it may be less expensive to age in place rather than move to an independent living facility, retirement center, assisted living center, or nursing home.
(Courtesy National Institute on Aging)
Of those 55% who are choosing to age in place, HousingWire.com notes:
“…less than a quarter of those surveyed have any plans to renovate their homes to more safely and easily accommodate natural changes that come with aging.”
And Leaf Home indicates:
73% of those surveyed have lived in their homes for 11 years or more
About 75% of baby boomers have never added safety or accessibility features to their homes
While some of these safety and accessibility features require structural updates, many do not. This creates a significant opportunity for retailers, etailers, and manufacturers to provide daily living aids that don’t require home renovation. Instead, by focusing on practical day-to-day devices that improve safety, monitor health, and make life easier, daily living aids offer attractive, helpful, and lots of bang-for-the-buck solutions for those who choose to age in place.
Let’s review 7 categories where Petra offers solutions you can purchase right now for your store shelves. These appeal to baby boomers as well as their families, friends, and caregivers. Most are DIY friendly. A more comprehensive upgrade to tie together multiple smart home devices may require the services of a technology integrator or custom installer.
An AARP study showed:
The AARP report also notes more and more older adults, especially those over 70, are beginning to recognize technology can help enable a healthy life. This should translate to increased sales in this category.
Health monitoring devices come in all shapes, sizes, and benefits. Petra offers blood pressure monitors, smart watches and activity trackers, and even carrying cases for meds and epipens.
Holding conversations with loved ones and being able to reach out as needed make the telephone a must for seniors. The use of a home telephone typically requires both good hearing and vision—and even some dexterity. According to the National Institute on Aging, approximately 1/3rd of older adults have hearing loss, and the older one gets the greater the chance of developing hearing loss. Vision changes occur as well.
Petra has a variety of big button, large screen, and amplified phones in both corded and cordless styles designed specifically to meet seniors’ needs.
Connect to Cell telephones allow a cell phone to be paired via Bluetooth to a home phone system.
And this Senior Phone Bundle is an Internet-based home phone system with multiple handsets.
As one ages, print seems to get smaller and harder to read and threading a needle or any closeup work becomes a real challenge. Reading glasses, updated prescription lenses, and even cataract surgery can help. But for many, there comes a time when those solutions are simply not enough.
Magnifiers are available in handheld and hands-free styles. This makes them ideal for all kinds of tasks. Some are small enough to tuck into a wallet or purse for use on menus in restaurants.
Many baby boomers learned to type on QWERTY typewriters. Today’s computer keyboards retain the QWERTY layout. But even if fingers know where they are supposed to go, it still helps to see the letters and layout. Large print keyboards feature 2x to 4x larger lettering, making them easier to read and use.
And at night, when glasses are off and the room is dark, checking the time on a bedside alarm clock can be a problem. Projection alarm clocks throw the time on a wall or ceiling so it can be more easily read, plus their LCD clock displays feature larger-than-typical numbers. Non-projection alarm clocks with large digits are also helpful.
Aging eyes know adding extra light or brighter bulbs makes it easier to read as well as spot trip hazards. Today’s LED smart bulbs are not only energy efficient, they are available in a variety of lumens, color temperatures, and shapes. And since they are smart, they can be programmed through an app to set up automated timing and lighting sequences. Many are even voice controllable if a home has an Alexa, Google, or Siri smart assistant system already set up.
Night lights illuminate dark hallways, entryways, and other dim spots in a home. Some plug into wall outlets while others run on batteries. And some may be motion activated, light sensing, or turn on only when power is lost.
And LED strip lights can be used to accent steps, highlight trip points, and turn shadowy rooms into ones filled with colors and light. Some are USB powered while others can plug into AC wall outlets. And any labeled as “smart” can be controlled from an app and may even be voice controllable.
The smart home revolution continues to evolve, with more and more devices coming on the market. In addition to the smart bulbs and strip lights mentioned above, virtually all smart devices can be automated or voice controlled as part of a larger ecosystem. And they can provide a sense of security by allowing seniors or their loved ones to monitor who’s coming and going and to operate locks without the need for a key.
Petra offers a huge variety of safety and security devices:
And for those who’d like to put together a more seamless operating system from a hodgepodge of existing devices, or who want to create a futureproof system, Aqara smart home products are designed to work with others— whether that’s Alexa, Google, HomeKit, ITTT, etc.
According to AARP, 12% of those aged 50 and up live alone. And At Home with Growing Older notes 20% (8.6 million) of those aged 65+ are at risk of being an elder orphan, sometimes also called a solo ager or solo senior.
These seniors are entering retirement years as singles—they are not married, nor in a long-term relationship, nor have any living children. And many seniors, whether living alone or with others, have given up keeping a pet. This can be due to concerns of outliving a beloved fur baby, rising vet costs, fear of not being able to properly care for the pet on a day-to-day basis, and the potential trip hazard they can become. These seniors will especially benefit from the surprising comfort pet-like AI/interactive devices can provide.
Petra carries plush companion dogs, cats, and birds. Designed to bring comfort, companionship, and fun, these plush dogs and cats respond in lifelike ways to petting, hugging, and motion thanks to their built-in sensors. And the companion bluebird perches on top of walkers, singing and responding to touch and voice to become a cheery advocate for movement.
When it comes to personal hygiene and comfort, even the simplest of items can make a big impact.
For example, for pain management, TENS units can offer relief while specially designed pillows help make sitting or lying down more comfortable.
According to the US Census Bureau, by 2034 older adults will outnumber children under the age of 18 for the first time in US history. So, not only is there a big market for all things that make aging in place easier and safer right now, but the trend will continue for years to come. Don’t overlook this huge population pool that needs helpful products to better age in place.
So, take advantage of all the senior-relevant items Petra carries. And if you are not already a Petra customer and want to purchase some of our products, sign up here!