The demographic shift in the global and Indian population has brought greater attention to enhancing the quality of life for older adults, many of whom face age-related challenges such as reduced mobility, declining vision or hearing, and cognitive changes.
The sharp rise in India’s elderly population points to the pressing need to tackle critical issues such as healthcare, economic security, and social inclusion for older adults.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in its Global Report on Assistive Technology, says that access to assistive technology is a human right, and a precondition for equal opportunities and participation. “While needs are rising, the majority of people who might potentially benefit from assistive technology do not have sufficient access. Yet everyone is likely to need assistive technology at some stage during their lifetime, especially as they age,” it says.
Assistive devices have become essential tools in supporting independence, safety, and daily functioning for the elderly. Mobility aids such as walkers, wheelchairs, and stair lifts help prevent falls and make movement easier, while hearing aids and vision enhancers address age-related sensory decline. Smart pill dispensers and reminder systems assist with medication management, reducing the risk of missed doses or errors. Cognitive aids such as voice-activated assistants, GPS trackers, and digital organisers help with memory, orientation, and daily tasks. By addressing specific physical or cognitive limitations, these tools empower older adults to maintain their autonomy and improve their overall well-being.
Assistive technology
While assistive devices were originally designed primarily for persons with disabilities, the past decade has seen a significant shift towards addressing the needs of senior citizens as a distinct group. Although older adults may experience similar challenges, such as limited mobility, impaired vision, or reduced hearing, the nature and progression of these challenges differ considerably due to age-related physiological changes.
Gourab Kar from the department of design at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, who has been working on universal design for over 15 years, explains that as people age and their abilities change, existing devices can be adapted to support them. He points out that the area around the bed poses particular risks since many older adults experience dizziness when getting up at night to use the bathroom. To improve safety, his team developed a prototype of a bed attachment, functioning like an armrest, that helps users hold on and sit down securely. Prof. Kar and his team are also developing a walker equipped with a seat, providing users a safe place to rest and helping in preventing falls.
Falls are a major focus area for researchers developing assistive technology for the elderly, says P. V. Madhusudhan Rao, professor, department of design and the department of mechanical engineering at IIT Delhi. He says that multiple aspects need to be addressed — preventing falls, minimising injury during a fall, and immediate detection when a fall occurs. However, he notes that effective solutions in this area are still lacking.
When it comes to assistive devices, customisation is key. R. Akshay from Scoot Mobility, an Indian company specialising in customisable wheelchairs, prosthetics, and orthotics for people with disabilities and the elderly, explains that off-the-shelf assistive devices often do not meet unique needs of users, making customisation essential for effective support.
Another key consideration is ease of use, as older adults often find highly technical devices challenging and may lack the dexterity required for operating small or complex products. Zohra Nafees Ghori, senior speech language pathologist and audiologist at the Association of People with Disabilities, a Bengaluru-based organisation working with persons with disabilities, explains that while there are many advanced hearing aids (one of the most commonly-used assistive devices for seniors) available, older individuals tend to prefer simpler options. Wearables such as spectacles, hearing aids or devices that are not too small or fiddly are often more practical and comfortable for them, she says.
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Accessibility and availability
But how effective are these devices practically? How accessible and readily available are they in the market? While research into assistive technologies is advancing, it must accelerate to keep pace with the rapidly growing elderly population, say experts.
K. Vasanth, senior consultant geriatrician, Geri Care Hospital in Chennai, explains that mobility aids and remote monitoring technologies are among the most sought-after assistive devices. However, current products on the market come with their own set of challenges. For example, installing stair lifts in individual homes can be prohibitively expensive. Similarly, smart pill reminders face the complex task of ensuring the patient is notified of the right medication, at the right time, and in the right dose — a capability that no existing device can fully guarantee yet. Many medicines in India still lack QR codes, making it difficult for machines to accurately scan and verify them. Due to these limitations, Dr. Vasanth notes that the practical use case for these products remain limited.
In April 2025, the WHO, at a session to plan its forthcoming 2025–2030 access road map for improving access to safe, effective and quality-assured health products, revealed that while 2.5 billion people globally require at least one assistive product, 90% lack access, highlighting severe disparities between low- and high-income countries.
Tech aids
Mobility aids – Standard walking stick, tripod or quadripod cane, walker with wheels (front 2-wheeled walker), rollator (4-wheeled walker with seat & brakes), manual wheelchair, electric wheelchair, commode chair, shower chair, stair lift, mobility scooter.
Vision aids – Handheld magnifiers, magnifying spectacles, video magnifiers (to digitally enlarge text and images on a screen), Smart Cane by IIT-Delhi (uses ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles and vibrates to alert the user), OrCam MyEye (a wearable device that reads text aloud and recognises faces), Sunu Band (uses sonar to help detect obstacles via vibrations on the wrist), Lechal Smart Insoles (to guide users using foot vibrations and GPS), and talking clocks and watches (to audibly announce the time).
Hearing aids – Behind-The-Ear hearing aids, In-The-Ear hearing aids, In-The-Canal hearing aids, Completely-In-Canal hearing aids, Receiver-In-Canal hearing aids, Bone Conduction hearing aids, cochlear implants, Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids, rechargeable hearing aids, Invisible-In-Canal hearing aids.
Cognitive aids – Memory aids and reminder devices including digital alarms and talking clocks, smartphones and tablets with cognitive apps, electronic organisers and calendars with alarms, voice-activated assistants such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, medication management systems like automated pill dispensers, GPS tracking devices for wandering prevention, large-button phones and simplified remote controls, cognitive rehabilitation software, wearable alert devices for emergencies.
Barriers to progress
Despite growing interest in assistive technologies, significant challenges remain in bringing effective solutions to the market. Prof. Kar points out that the industry is yet to fully recognise the potential of the elder care market. “Products for older adults are still not seen as a lucrative or mainstream market,” he says, adding that this limits investment and innovation in this space.
Another major concern is the lack of collaboration. “Things are happening in silos,” Prof. Kar says. “Researchers often have little understanding of market demands, while those in business may not be aware of ongoing research breakthroughs. This disconnect slows progress and results in products that may be technologically impressive but lack real-world usability.”
Dr. Vasanth echoes this sentiment and stresses the need for better-defined use cases and more rigorous testing. “We need to focus on how these devices will actually be used in everyday life. Without thorough testing in real scenarios, we risk creating tools that sound promising but fail to deliver meaningful support.”
Early days for AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into assistive devices to enhance functionality and user experience. AI-powered hearing aids, for example, can adapt to different sound environments by distinguishing between speech and background noise, making conversations clearer in noisy settings.
Smart wheelchairs use sensors and computer vision to help users navigate safely, detect obstacles, and respond to voice or facial movement commands. Devices such as OrCam’s MyEye and Microsoft’s Seeing AI offer visual assistance by reading text, recognising faces, identifying objects, and providing real-time audio feedback for people with visual impairments. However, experts caution that this technology is still at a very nascent stage, with only a limited range of applications explored so far.
According to Dr. Vasanth, while many are eager to jump on the AI bandwagon, its effectiveness in current assistive products has been minimal. So far, most applications are limited to predictive outcomes, and these models will likely require another decade to become truly robust and reliable, he says.
“One way to look at AI in assistive technology is to ask whether it can, to some extent, replace caregivers,” says Prof. Rao. “For example, if there is a table with medicines in a room, can a robotic device identify which medication is due and pick it up at the right time?” These capabilities, he says, are still in their infancy. Similarly, motion-sensing cameras could be trained to recognise when a patient gets up and appears unsteady or is at risk of falling, and immediately alert caregivers, but such systems are also still in the early stages of development.
Looking to the future
Awareness around ageing and assistive technology is growing. Prof. Rao says older adults who have financial independence are willing to spend on products that support their needs. He also notes that organisations such as the WHO are paying increasing attention to issues related to ageing and elder care.
Deusdedit Mubangizi, WHO’s Director for Health Products, Policy and Standards and acting director for Innovation and Emerging Technologies, said, “Universal health coverage can only be achieved with affordable access to quality health products and technologies for all.” Ensuring that everyone has affordable access to assistive technologies is foundational to supporting inclusive communities where people of all ages and abilities can lead independent and dignified lives.