Parks Associates: 34% of US Broadband Heads of Household Ages 65+ Own a Smart Speaker or Smart Display

By AIT News Desk On Mar 16, 2021

Consumer research tracks continuing impact of COVID-19 on technology adoption for seniors and caregivers

Parks Associates’ COVID-19: Impact on Seniors, Caregivers, and Independent Living Solutions finds 34% of the US senior broadband households (heads of broadband household ages 65 and older) have a smart speaker or smart display, as the low product cost and convenience of voice-first interfaces continue to spur rapid adoption. Current adoption of smart speakers / smart displays is 49% among all US broadband households.

The presence of COVID-19 is contributing to new awareness, use, and openness to connected solutions among both seniors and caregivers. Twenty-six percent of seniors use at least one virtual health or wellness tool, including nearly 10% that use a health tracking solution. Additionally, 76% of broadband households 65+ personally use a smartphone and 13% report owning at least one tested connected medical device. Seniors have also reported higher usage of entertainment services, video calling services, pick-up and delivery services, and other service types.

The research quantifies the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on seniors and family caregivers, assessing concerns, pain points, and demand for new technology products and services.

“There is a myth among service providers that seniors are not tech-adept,” said Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates. “Currently, about a quarter of seniors are using virtual tools to manage their health and wellness, most in the form of patient portals that grant access to health and medical information from physicians. One in ten seniors now use apps and services that track health, fitness, diet, weight, and/or exercise routines. Technology can have a real impact and create value for senior adults and caretakers in many different ways.”

Parks Associates will share more details on this research during the eighth annual Connected Health Summit: Consumer Engagement and Innovation, which will feature virtual sessions throughout 2021:

Leveraging the Smart Home for a Healthy Home
Seniors and Caretakers: Serving A Massive Population at Home
Personalization in Connected Health: Impact of AI
Virtual Health and Remote Monitoring
Connected Health Business Models
Independent Living: Opportunity for Smart Home Platforms
Tech Giants: Driving Healthcare Innovation
Connecting the Dots: Interoperability and Health Data