New technologies help seniors age in place — and not feel alone

Carol Smith can control the lights and the thermostat with Amazon Echo. She can ask Alexa to remind her to take medications, or even to call for help.

Nancy Delano, 80, of Denver has no plans to slow down anytime soon. She still drives to movies, plays and dinners out with friends. A retired elder care nurse who lives alone, she also knows that "when you reach a certain age, emergencies can happen fast."

So, when her son, Tom Rogers, talked to her about installing a remote monitoring system, she didn't hesitate. With motion sensors placed throughout the house, Rogers can see if his mum is moving around, if she's sleeping (or not), if she forgot to lock the door and, based on a sophisticated algorithm that detects behavioral patterns, whether her activity level or eating habits have changed significantly, for instance.