Family Technology Decision Kit
Help your loved one live well at home—with the right routines, people and, where useful, technology.
Build your private Family Action Plan → Choose one next step and print the result. No account or email needed.
Use this kit with your parent, not just on their behalf. Begin with the life they want and one task that has become harder. The answer may be a different routine, help from another person, a professional assessment or a product. Remaining at home is not the only successful outcome; changing support or living arrangements can be the right choice.
For a quick start: read the family guide to fall safety and support at home, then keep the printable home-support plan and medical-alert worksheet for conversations and provider calls.
Read the prompts online and keep answers in your own private notes, or print and write in the spaces. This page has no worksheet submission or answer storage. Keep health details in a separate private record for healthcare appointments; keep passwords and account numbers out of this shopping and planning worksheet.
Before shopping: what needs support?
These prompts help organize a conversation. They do not diagnose a condition, measure fall risk or decide whether someone can live alone.
| Concern | First question or no-purchase step | Where a tool may fit—and its limit |
|---|---|---|
| Falls or unsteadiness | Discuss changes with a clinician; look together for obstacles and awkward lighting. | An alert can help request assistance. It does not treat the cause or guarantee detection. |
| Medicines are difficult to manage | Ask a pharmacist to review the practical problem before choosing a reminder or organizer. | A reminder may prompt a task; it does not prove the right medicine was taken or make it safe to change a dose. |
| Everyday tasks are harder | Name the task: bathing, meals, dressing, transport or housekeeping. Ask what help is welcome. | Controls and reminders may simplify a step. They cannot provide hands-on care. |
| Calls, accounts or scams | Agree on a trusted callback routine; check existing phone and account settings. | Filtering may help, but can hide wanted calls and cannot guarantee a scam-free phone. |
| Contact and reassurance | Agree on enjoyable contact and a realistic check-in routine. | A video-call device may make contact easier. It cannot guarantee companionship or emergency response. |
For fall-related conversations, use CDC's patient and caregiver resources. To find local support in the US, start with the Eldercare Locator. These resources complement an individual assessment; they do not replace one.
What support is missing, who could help, and what can they realistically commit to?
If essential needs are not being met or a caregiver cannot sustain the plan, consider additional home support, respite or another care setting with the person and appropriate professionals. Buying another device is not automatically the answer.
1. Have the conversation
Ask permission before offering solutions: “Would it be useful to look at a few ways to make this easier?” Give the person using the technology room to lead, disagree, and change their mind.
- What would you like to make easier in a typical day?
- What already works well that you want to keep?
- What would feel inconvenient, intrusive, or difficult about a new device?
- Would you prefer help comparing options, trying something, or leaving things as they are?
What matters most to the person using it?
For more help starting, read Choosing technology with your parent.
2. Define a useful outcome
Describe an everyday result, rather than a feature list. For example: “I want to answer a family video call without needing someone to reset the app each time.”
One thing we want to make easier:
Our must-haves and limits: Consider comfort, accessibility, privacy, available help, and the amount you are comfortable spending upfront and each month.
Include an option that uses something you already own, a simpler routine, or no new purchase. A device is only useful if it fits the person and the situation.
3. Compare the whole commitment
Use the same questions for each option. Mark anything you cannot verify as “unknown” and ask the vendor before buying. A low introductory price is not the total cost.
Option and information date
Record the product or service, vendor, and date you checked its terms.
Upfront cost
Device, delivery, installation, accessories, activation, and applicable taxes.
Ongoing cost
Subscription, required phone or internet plan, replacement supplies, and other fees.
Total for the first year
Add upfront costs + 12 months of required fees + other expected first-year costs. Note introductory prices and later increases.
Using it day to day
Can the person comfortably see, hear, hold, wear, charge, and operate it? Ask about accessibility and a demonstration.
Setup and maintenance
Who installs it, manages updates, charges it, and handles a password reset? Is help included or extra?
Privacy and control
What is collected, who can access it, and how can sharing be changed or the account and data deleted?
Support and limitations
How do you reach support, during which hours, and at what cost? What happens during an outage or outside the coverage area?
Returns and cancellation
Trial deadline, refund conditions, return shipping, equipment return, minimum term, auto-renewal, and cancellation method. Get the terms in writing.
For medical alert products, use our medical alert system questions too. For a home or scam concern, start with home safety first steps or the family scam prevention plan. This general worksheet does not assess whether a product is appropriate for a medical need.
4. Choose one manageable next step
It is reasonable to ask another question, arrange a demonstration, try an existing device, speak with an appropriate professional, postpone the decision, or buy nothing.
Our decision or next action, and why it fits:
Who will do it, and by when?
If you choose a trial, confirm the return conditions first, keep the receipt and written terms, and set a reminder comfortably before the cancellation or return deadline.
5. Plan a check-in
Agree on who will help with setup and ongoing upkeep. Then choose a check-in date that leaves enough time to act within any trial or return period.
Setup helper and ongoing support plan:
Check-in date and any return or cancellation deadline:
- Is it making the original task easier?
- Does the person feel comfortable using it and controlling what is shared?
- Are the costs and amount of help sustainable?
- Should we keep it, change the setup, get more help, or stop using it?
- Is the support still realistic for everyone involved, including the backup helper?
What we learned and what we will do next:
Ready to compare your options?
Use the same questions for each option. Our buying guides bring the costs, requirements and limitations together.
Calculate first-year and renewal costs
- Compare medical alert systems
Home buttons, mobile pendants and a smartwatch: costs, setup and cancellation.
- Compare call blockers and security tools
Start with the phone your parent uses, then check price, compatibility and renewal.
- Compare home-safety products
Bathroom support, lighting and alerts: installation, upkeep and return terms.