s we age, we often hear, “I don’t move as well as I used to.” The reasons vary—muscle loss, neurological damage, a past sports injury, or a fall.
These changes can limit how we live. Travel, work, and even daily routines become harder. Life gets smaller, and so does our drive to keep going.
How do we help older adults stay safe, healthy, independent, and engaged? One answer is cost–effective, innovative technology. Both in the home and, sometimes, implanted in the body, emerging technologies have begun reshaping what aging looks like.
Baby boomers may remember The Six–Million Dollar Man, a TV show about an astronaut rebuilt with machines after a crash. What once seemed like science fiction is quickly becoming science fact.
Take joint replacements, for example. A few decades ago, a hip or knee replacement meant a lengthy hospital stay and months of recovery. Today, many patients go home the same day and return to their lives in just 10–to–12 weeks. These procedures don’t just relieve pain; they restore freedom and prevent further decline.
Emerging tools like homecare robots hold the promise to lift heavy boxes, reach high shelves, or remind someone to take medicine. While many of these technologies are still in development or of limited use, their potential to ease daily life, prevent injuries, and reduce reliance on costly outside help is rapidly becoming real.
More importantly, smart deployment of assistive robotics and implantable medical devices can also support mental health. Studies show that older adults who experience frequent falls are nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression. When mobility fades, so does independence—and with it, the connection to purpose and community.
Even simple tasks can become dangerous for people with degenerative conditions or failing health. A single misstep or injury from a fall can force someone into economically unsustainable 24/7 nursing support. That’s where more widely available smart home technology could step in: voice controls, motion sensors, and ergonomic design solutions to help people stay safer and longer.
Access to these tools shouldn't be a luxury. To bring prices down and scale adoption, we must embrace competition and cut regulatory barriers that increase the cost of production. The public sector’s role is to clear the path for discovery and production, not control the process.
Innovation doesn’t need mandates. It needs momentum. If we want smart aging, we must incentivize affordable aging—and let the free market deliver.
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Let the market help us age well
Photo by Dominik Lange on Un
September 12, 2025
Both at the home and inside the body, technological innovations are helping older adults stay safe, healthy, independent and engaged. But access to these tools should not be a luxury, writes Amb. Lisa Gable.
s we age, we often hear, “I don’t move as well as I used to.” The reasons vary—muscle loss, neurological damage, a past sports injury, or a fall.
These changes can limit how we live. Travel, work, and even daily routines become harder. Life gets smaller, and so does our drive to keep going.
How do we help older adults stay safe, healthy, independent, and engaged? One answer is cost–effective, innovative technology. Both in the home and, sometimes, implanted in the body, emerging technologies have begun reshaping what aging looks like.
Baby boomers may remember The Six–Million Dollar Man, a TV show about an astronaut rebuilt with machines after a crash. What once seemed like science fiction is quickly becoming science fact.
Take joint replacements, for example. A few decades ago, a hip or knee replacement meant a lengthy hospital stay and months of recovery. Today, many patients go home the same day and return to their lives in just 10–to–12 weeks. These procedures don’t just relieve pain; they restore freedom and prevent further decline.
Emerging tools like homecare robots hold the promise to lift heavy boxes, reach high shelves, or remind someone to take medicine. While many of these technologies are still in development or of limited use, their potential to ease daily life, prevent injuries, and reduce reliance on costly outside help is rapidly becoming real.
More importantly, smart deployment of assistive robotics and implantable medical devices can also support mental health. Studies show that older adults who experience frequent falls are nearly twice as likely to suffer from depression. When mobility fades, so does independence—and with it, the connection to purpose and community.
Even simple tasks can become dangerous for people with degenerative conditions or failing health. A single misstep or injury from a fall can force someone into economically unsustainable 24/7 nursing support. That’s where more widely available smart home technology could step in: voice controls, motion sensors, and ergonomic design solutions to help people stay safer and longer.
Access to these tools shouldn't be a luxury. To bring prices down and scale adoption, we must embrace competition and cut regulatory barriers that increase the cost of production. The public sector’s role is to clear the path for discovery and production, not control the process.
Innovation doesn’t need mandates. It needs momentum. If we want smart aging, we must incentivize affordable aging—and let the free market deliver.
