Home is the Center of Health
About this study
In December of 2021, we had conversations with adults ages 60-79 and younger care influencers, followed by a survey of 1,000 adults ages 60-79 years in a nationwide study.
In this report, our goal was to better understand what this population might want, need and desire at the intersection of health and home, and the technologies they choose to adopt.
This report includes data from our study, as well as three insight-driven innovation territories to consider as we design for a future where home is the center of health.
Key Takeaways
2 in 3 want to stay in their current home even if they can no longer properly take care of themselves or have to be dependent on others
While this population wants to stay at home as they age, 67% have not made any purchases to change their home environment to better support them as they age
Of those who have made technology purchases, only 35% say these technologies have helped them make changes to their current health routine. This indicates that there’s an educational opportunity for health tech products and companies to enable this population to age at home
Staying home is a major priority as they age. 63% would be comfortable with someone monitoring them if it helped them stay in their home longer
Their trust is traditional. When it comes to managing their health data, they trust brands like CVS and Mayo Clinic over Apple and Peloton
65% are comfortable using wearable technology to diagnose themselves, however 46% would still turn to their HCPs for reassurance and consultation before making any decisions
Our Report
There are a lot of assumptions about the population that’s between the ages of 60-79. They’re unhealthy, they’re technology laggards, and they don’t want to be tracked. In our latest report, Home is the Center of Health, we’re busting these myths.
By 2030, 93 million Americans will be 60+ and 77% of those adults want to stay in their home as they age — a number that has remained consistent for more than a decade.
If home is the primary way we deliver care to this population, how can companies step up to support this new reality?
Foundational Health Beliefs + Behaviors
Q: Health conscious means prioritizing health and wellness by taking daily actions to improve diet and lifestyle. When it comes to my health, I would describe myself as…
To assemble the building blocks that enable older adults to stay at home as they age, we have to first understand their foundational health beliefs and behavior.
Of those we surveyed, 80% of respondents believe that they are very or somewhat health conscious and prioritize health by taking daily actions that may improve their diet and lifestyles. Nearly 70% of respondents said that they are very or somewhat optimistic when they think about their health in the next 3-5 years.
Nearly half of the respondents live with a chronic condition that requires frequent medical care, but they’re still optimistic about their health in the future. For those who do live with a chronic health condition, 58% of respondents are still very or somewhat optimistic.
Q: When thinking about your health in the next 3-5 years, how do you feel?; Q: Which statement(s) best describes your current health status?
When it comes to health priorities for 2022, respondents are focused on their weight, exercise and movement, and diet and nutrition. Companies like Noom and WW, who are developing health and weight technology and tools, reflect the healthy lifestyle that this population seeks.
This group is also very comfortable talking about their mental health. 82% are open to discussing mental health with their friends and family. They believe that being healthy is taking their care into their own hands in a holistic way.
“Good health is good mental and physical health. It is important to be physical everyday, which is why I workout and make sure to get my heart rate high enough.”
Maintaining Independence + Staying at Home
“My purpose is to be independent, take care of myself, and stand on my own two feet. The day I become dependent, I will find a way to say goodbye. ”
Independence is a priority, and they’re looking for ways to stay at home, despite needing assistance.
In our survey, we learned that ⅔ of this population want to stay in their current home even if they can no longer take care of themselves properly or have to rely on others to take care of them.
Of those who said they want to stay at home, 24% said that they want to stay in their current home even if it means they cannot take care of themselves properly — an indicator for how important it is to make home the center of health so this population can maintain independence.
Q: Which of the following statements do you most relate to?
BEING MONITORED AND PRIVACY
As far as being monitored at home, they believe that it's better than being isolated at home.
Nearly 2 in 3 are comfortable with someone monitoring them if it helps them stay in their home longer, even though 48% worry about the privacy and security of their data and information when it comes to technology.
HOW TECHNOLOGY CONNECTS TO HEALTH AND AGING IN PLACE
Finding and using technology that will help them live well is on their mind. We asked respondents if they believe technology can help manage their health and wellness, and 37% said yes. Additionally, 53% believe that technology will play a supporting role in their ability to age in place.
Q: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?; Q: Aging in place is defined as staying in your current residence or home with a level of independence as you age. What role do you feel ‘technology’ plays in supporting your ability to ‘age in place’?
Despite acknowledging that tech will play a significant role in their ability to stay home as they grow older, 67% haven’t made any purchases to change their home environment to better support them as they age.
So why haven’t they done anything about it? Over half (57%) of our respondents said that the user experience of technology is not friendly and it feels overly complex. Other concerns relating to technology adoption include: the cost to purchase (50%), and worrying about the privacy/security of their data and information (48%).
ASSISTANCE USED FOR AT-HOME ACTIVITIES
They are very optimistic about their future and believe that they won’t need any help.
The majority of our respondents are currently not receiving any assistance with their daily activities. Of the small percentage that are, they’re mostly receiving assistance in home upkeep (19%), transportation (17%), and health maintenance (16%). Almost half of the respondents believe that they will not need assistance in the next 3-5 years.
Q: Have you used assistance in the past month for the following activities?
When it comes to depending on others for assistance at home in the future, they want to rely on their spouse or partner, or their children. Only 20% of respondents said that they would rely on their healthcare team for care at home. Yet, of those who selected a healthcare team, 59% have a chronic health condition. For those with a chronic health condition, their healthcare team will play a large role in helping them age in place and keep home as the center of their healthcare routine.
LONELINESS AND SOCIAL CONNECTION
To maintain health at home, respondents acknowledge that it will require social connection and assistance with routine home management.
12 million older adults live alone — and that number keeps climbing every day. The effects of social isolation are devastating and have even been linked to a higher risk of death. Social interactions keep older adults mentally and emotionally fit.
For this population — one where 1 in 4 already live alone — , a simple phone call can go a long way. Nearly 40% of them want a phone call from a peer to see how they’re doing. That’s because 58% of them have some level of concern in maintaining their social connections.
Companies like Papa, along with the support of friends and family, could help them live a vibrant and integrated life, even if they decide to stay at home — and especially if they are alone.
Integrating Health Tech at Home
“As time goes on, if we have medical issues that could be problematic, we would want to supplement with some devices.”
In general, we found that respondents in this study are ahead of the classic technology adoption curve. This is not a population of laggards or absolute skeptics; they are pro-innovation and want to adopt new technologies that empower them.
The technology adoption curve was first described in Geoffery Moore’s book, Crossing the Chasm.
PURCHASING NEW HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
The most common reasons why this population purchases new technology is to make life easier (63%) and to improve their health conditions (49%). Of those who selected the latter, 51% have a chronic condition.
Q: What are your top 3 reasons for purchasing new health technology? (Please select up to 3 reasons); Q: Which statement(s) best describes your current health status?
There is an opportunity for voice-assisted technology to help respondents transition to a more tech-enabled home. Of those who made a purchase with health in mind, 37% have purchased voice-assistance technology, 21% have purchased grab bars and safety rails for their home, and 13% have purchased security devices such as smart doorbells or cameras.
But the reality is, most are not using technology to monitor their health data. While we already learned that 67% haven’t made any purchases at home with health in mind, they are beginning to consider it.
Q: Which of the following technologies have you used in the past year to monitor your health data?
As far as what they’re using to monitor their health today, 24% of respondents are using some sort of voice-assistance technology such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Home, another 19% are using fitness trackers or heart rate monitors, and 17% are using a smartwatch such as their Apple Watch, Garmin or FitBit.
So how has technology been useful to their health? Over a third of respondents said that health technologies help them monitor an existing condition (38%), help them make changes to their current health routine (35%), or help them learn about their body (31%).
Q: In what ways have these technologies been useful to your health? (Please select all that apply); n=462
There’s an educational opportunity for health tech companies. Consumers want more direction with their data. They don’t want data for the sake of data. They want direction and interpretation from their data.
Health Advocates + Access to Experts
Healthcare professionals are still the most trusted source for managing health. Only a quarter of our respondents agreed when we asked them if they trust themselves more than they trust their doctor to manage health and wellness.
This population is looking for their doctors or healthcare team to be involved as they work to maintain their independence at home.
Q: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
ACCESS TO CARE
This population still gravitates toward traditional ways of accessing their healthcare provider. Their number one preference for receiving healthcare is through an in-person visit to their healthcare provider’s office. This option was selected almost three times as much as the other care delivery options.
In the last 6 months, 38% have visited a pharmacy or medical care inside a retail store. There’s an opportunity for pharmacies and pharmacists to continue to be the source for in-the-moment-care if this population is unable to see their doctor in person.
Q: In non-COVID-19 times, please rank your preference for receiving healthcare services.; Weighted Ranking Sum (%)
While only 10% of this population prefers telehealth and telemedicine, slightly more (13%) prefer using virtual services to visit their doctor if it’s followed up with an in-person event. In a report from the American Medical Association (AMA), physicians have acknowledged that their patients are looking for a hybrid approach that includes a mix of in-person and telehealth visits. Most physicians also feel telehealth allows them to provide for more comprehensive quality care. There’s an opportunity for companies to consider how a hybrid approach to delivering care will increase overall quality for both the patient and physician.
Q: In what ways have you accessed healthcare services outside of a traditional in-person primary care office in the past six months? (Please select all that apply)
While HCPs play a critical role in choosing technologies related to health, most turn to Google. 41% of respondents use the internet, and 31% turn to children, and another 29% are turning to their healthcare team. There’s an opportunity for companies to prioritize online educational content regarding their product or services to capture the attention of this audience.
USING WEARABLES TO DIAGNOSE HEALTH
This population feels comfortable diagnosing and treating themselves with data from their wearables or fitness trackers. While nearly 20% of them feel comfortable acting upon their data autonomously, another 46% are comfortable but would like to consult a healthcare professional or provider for reassurance and confidence before making any decisions.
Q: Using the health data you track with the technologies you selected, how comfortable are you with identifying a potential problem, diagnosing and/or treating yourself if a health issue arises? n=462
BRANDS THEY TRUST
Again, we found that for this population, trust is traditional. From a list of brands we provided in our survey, this population selected traditional health organizations as being the most trustworthy with their health data. These trustworthy brands include: Mayo Clinic, FDA, CDC, CVS’ Minute Clinic, Walgreens, and Pfizer. For those they found to be the least trustworthy, these tended to be brands who are new to the health tech space, including Whole Foods, Best Buy, Peloton, Apple and Google.
Innovation Territories
We have built three insight-driven innovation territories for companies to consider as they design, enable, and support a population who wants to age at home.
Territory #1: Procrastinate & Pivot
Driving Insight
Age is just a number, and I don’t want it to define me. That’s why I live a life that’s young at heart. And I don’t expect anything to change that. Until it does. From heart attacks to broken bones to cancer diagnoses, no one plans for a health setback. And my home isn’t ready. I need help so I can stay home and get back to my life, and I need it now.
Design target
Older (70+) who may suffer an immediate setback in their health and will do whatever it takes to stay at home
Open to technology and recommendations from their online searching (Google), HCPs, friends/family
Driving Data
More than 80% are not using assistance of any kind
About half (49%) believe they will not need assistance in 3-5 years
53% say that technology plays a major or moderate role in supporting their ability to age in place, and of that percentage, yet 59% of them have not made any purchases regarding their health
What matters
Independence
Returning to well
Staying at home
Key influencers: Children, family
Brands to watch: Alexa, Best Buy, Ring
Territory #2: Invisible & Integrated
Driving insight
I may not be as healthy as I once was, but I feel well enough. I don’t need constant reminders of my health because it’s already on my mind constantly. I value the technology and support system (family, HCP) that monitors my health with me, ultimately letting me stay at home to do so.
I need simple solutions and an ecosystem of support in my family, friends, and home.
Design target
Diagnosed with a chronic condition
May own a first generation fitness tracker or smart watch
Is worried about their health. These people have health on their mind every single day, and don’t want to think about it (or deny it).
Driving data
Of those who believe they will need major help in 3-5 years, 85% have serious or chronic health conditions or disabilities
43% want to stay in their home even if they have to be dependent on others, and of those, and 49% have serials or chronic health conditions or disabilities
63% would be comfortable with someone monitoring them if it helped them stay in their home longer
What matters:
Independence
Key influencers: HCP, spouse/partner
Brands to watch: Papa, Aiva, Cue
Territory #3: Haptic & Vibrant
Driving Insight
Yes! I did it again. I closed my rings, played pickleball, and met up with my friends for lunch. My health is my life and I’ll always use tech to help me stay healthy. I want to live in a world that helps me make my home a “we” home.
I’m looking for a community and technology that will support me in my journey to be my best self, and stay connected to those that enable me to do so.
Design target
Consider themselves to lead a healthy life
Tend to seek social interactions and be more engaged
Early adopters in health technology that keeps them connected to their own health
Driving data
Nearly two thirds feel comfortable using data from wearables to diagnose themselves, either alone or in a consultation with their HCP
57% have some level of concern in maintaining social connections
What matters
Independence
Tech-forward solutions
Key influencers: Google, HCP
Brands to watch: Rite Aid, Strava, Apple
