​The Montgomery County Commission on Aging will join in the celebration of May as “Older Americans Month” by hosting its annual free forum on Thursday, May 4, at the Bohrer Park Activity Center in Gaithersburg. This year’s theme is “Smart Homes—Smarter Care: Technology that Supports Aging in Place” and it will be held during the City of Gaithersburg’s Active Aging Expo.

The forum will be held from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Bohrer Park, which is located at 506 South Frederick Road in Gaithersburg. The event also will be available virtually through Zoom. Although the event is free, registration is encouraged. Register at https://tinyurl.com/CoA2023PublicForum.

Residents, caregivers, advocates, policy analysts and service providers are encouraged to attend. Presenters and panelists will describe technologies that are available and suggest actions that can be taken in Montgomery County to expand their use to support aging in-place. Featured speakers are recognized experts in the field, including Scott Code, vice president of the Center for Aging Services Technologies.

“There is an ever-growing market of new devices that can be used to assist older adults, especially those in need of caregiving, with an array of services including health care monitoring, remote care giving, in-home safety and security, family connection, education, rides and social interaction.,” said David Engel, chair of the Commission on Aging. “Advancing knowledge of these new electronic in-home devices and their applications in Montgomery County is the primary goal behind the Commission’s ‘Smart Homes –Smarter Care’ initiatives.”

The event will offer insights into how ‘Smart Homes—Smarter Care’ devices can enable doctors and caregivers to remotely monitor a patient’s vital signs, signal remote alerts, monitor mental and physical states in real time, and provide rapid intervention when the situation is warranted.

Aging in place can mean staying in the same house an individual has lived in for years and it can mean staying in a neighborhood setting for as long as possible—safely and independently. Physical impairments increase as individuals age, and smart homes solutions can help support older adults to maintain their independence as long as they can.

For more information or to request accommodations needed to participate, contact Tremayne Jones with as much advance notice as possible, preferably at least four business days prior to the event, at Tremayne.Jones@montgomerycountymd.gov or at 240-777-1262.

For more information about the Commission on Aging, visit its website.