The best tech for your parent is the tech they will actually use. Everything else is an expensive paperweight.
AI Companion Apps. Daily conversation, check-ins, engagement. coley ($9.99/mo) offers the most comprehensive safety architecture. ElliQ ($729/year) adds physical robot presence.
Video Calling. FaceTime or Google Duo. No account setup beyond the existing phone.
Simplified Tablets. GrandPad and similar. Large icons, video calling, photo sharing. Good for parents who find smartphones overwhelming.
Medical Alert Systems. Medical Guardian, Bay Alarm Medical, Lively. Fall detection, GPS, emergency buttons. $20–50/month.
Smart Home Basics. Smart doorbell, smart plugs (passive activity signals), smart locks.
Brain Training. Lumosity and BrainHQ. But engagement drops when it feels like homework. Better: trivia embedded in a companion app where it is part of conversation, not clinical.
Audiobooks. Libby — free through libraries. Thousands of audiobooks, zero cost.
Robot companions over $500 unless certain. Complex smart home systems requiring frequent app maintenance. Anything requiring troubleshooting from 500 miles away. Anything that looks like "tech for old people."