Technology is changing how we grow old and die

The population of older adults is growing, because of aging baby boomers and longer life expectancies. The number of people over age 65 in the United States grew by 37.2 million from 2006 to 2016, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. At the same time, the ratio of younger to older family members is declining, creating a shortage of family caretakers down the line. This is coupled with an increasing shortage of professional home health workers. With the right technology, older people could stay in their own homes longer, and unpaid family caretakers could keep their jobs or spend less money on hired health aids.