Recent news is rife with examples of how artificial intelligence is transforming elderly care, bringing innovation to a field that, until recently, received relatively little attention in discussions about technological advancement. 

We set our sights on how technology can address one of the world’s most pressing demographic challenges: an ageing population that requires sustained, personalised and accessible care.

Traditionally, elderly care has depended heavily on family members, caregivers and healthcare professionals. However, rising life expectancy, increasing cases of chronic illnesses and shrinking caregiver workforces have exposed significant gaps in care delivery. 

AI is helping bridge these gaps by enabling continuous monitoring, early intervention and personalised support. Think smart sensors and wearable devices powered by AI can track vital signs, detect unusual movement patterns, identify falls and monitor changes in sleep, mobility or behaviour. 

By recognising subtle warning signs, these systems can alert caregivers before minor issues develop into serious medical emergencies.

How AI is enhancing the quality of daily life for older adults

Voice-enabled virtual assistants help seniors manage medications, schedule appointments, remember important tasks and stay connected with family members, promoting greater independence. 

Social companion robots equipped with conversational AI can reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation by providing interaction, cognitive stimulation and emotional engagement. 

Meanwhile, predictive analytics can help healthcare providers anticipate hospitalisations, tailor treatment plans and optimise long-term care based on an individual’s health history and evolving needs.

And, one of the most significant benefits is how AI is redefining elderly care from a reactive model to a preventive and person-centred one. 

Rather than responding only after a health crisis occurs, AI enables continuous assessment that supports healthier ageing and allows many older adults to remain safely in their own homes for longer. 

As populations continue to age worldwide, AI is emerging not simply as a technological convenience but as a critical enabler of dignified ageing. 

Against the global landscape, India’s AI innovation ecosystem is solving real-world challenges across healthcare, education, accessibility, and public safety through practical, scalable technologies. From an AI-powered backpack that helps visually impaired users navigate independently and smart surveillance systems that monitored COVID-19 protocols, to innovations enabling rapid screening for diabetic retinopathy, these examples demonstrate how AI can make public services more inclusive, resilient, and equitable while advancing India’s vision of technology-driven development.

Another example in the lineage of how artificial intelligence is helping the elderly is the Wander On Assist smart cane. 

Intelligent mobility devices for the elderly

As populations age worldwide, enabling older adults to live independently while ensuring their safety and well-being has emerged as a growing challenge. 

Addressing this need, industrial designer and researcher Shreya Thakkar developed Wander On Assist, a pair of intelligent mobility devices comprising a smart cane (Wander On Assist 01) and a smart walker (Wander On Assist 02). 

Inspired by her experience caring for her grandparents in Vadodara and further shaped by research conducted in senior living facilities across the United States, Thakkar sought to rethink traditional mobility aids. 

Through extensive interaction with elderly users, she found that most seniors valued independence and autonomy above all else, yet existing canes and walkers focused only on physical support rather than empowering users to age confidently and safely in place.

The result is an integrated assistive technology platform that combines mobility support with health monitoring, navigation, and emergency response. The Wander On Assist 01 smart cane features an ergonomic, shock-absorbing design with adjustable height while incorporating sensors that continuously monitor blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, and daily step count through a built-in pedometer. 

Health data can be shared with caregivers through a companion mobile application, enabling remote monitoring. In emergencies, users can activate an SOS button that instantly sends their live location and vital health information to nominated contacts and support centres. 

The cane also includes GPS tracking, a navigation light for safer movement at night, and a vibration-based locator that helps users find the device if it is misplaced.

Complementing the cane, the Wander On Assist 02 smart walker reimagines conventional walkers as intelligent companions. Designed with wheels and an integrated seat, it allows users to seamlessly alternate between walking and resting while also carrying groceries and assisting with daily activities. 

Equipped with GPS navigation, smart home connectivity, and hand-gesture recognition, the walker can even be summoned by a simple gesture, reducing the need for bending or reaching. 

This is a powerful example of how older adults are being empowered to maintain their independence and how human-centred design can leverage intelligent technologies to improve quality of life. 

The future of care is intelligent

According to reports, AI expenditure in India is expected to add $1 trillion to India’s economy by 2035.

This, compounded by statistics — India has only around 64 doctors for every 100,000 people, significantly lower than the global average of nearly 150 — highlights how smart solutions could help tackle the healthcare crisis in the country. 

This shortage is felt most acutely in rural areas, where primary health centres and sub-centres are often understaffed and lack the infrastructure needed to deliver quality care. In light of this, artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming healthcare delivery in India by making specialist expertise accessible beyond the walls of urban hospitals. 

What was once considered impossible — delivering world-class critical care, diagnostics and clinical decision-making to the country’s most remote regions — is now becoming a reality through the convergence of AI, telemedicine and digital health infrastructure. 

Rather than replacing doctors, AI is extending their reach, enabling expertise to travel where specialists cannot.

A compelling example is Bengaluru-based Cloudphysician, founded in 2017 by US-trained intensivists Dr Dileep Raman and Dr Dhruv Joshi. Recognising the severe shortage of critical care specialists across India’s rural hospitals, they developed the ‘Smart ICU in a Box’, an AI-enabled Tele-ICU platform that connects bedside clinicians to a 24/7 remote command centre. 

Through continuous monitoring and real-time specialist guidance, hospitals lacking intensivists can provide high-quality ICU care without transferring critically ill patients to distant cities.

Innovations like these reflect a much larger transformation underway across India’s healthcare ecosystem. 

Guided by the IndiaAI Mission, launched in 2024, the Government of India is leveraging AI to democratise healthcare expertise and ensure that advanced medical technologies reach rural and underserved communities. 

According to government reports, AI-powered tools are now integrated into flagship public health programmes, enabling frontline workers to screen for diseases such as tuberculosis and diabetic retinopathy, strengthening disease surveillance, and supporting over 282 million telemedicine consultations.

The results are already measurable: AI-enabled interventions have contributed to a 27 percent reduction in adverse tuberculosis outcomes, a 12–16 percent increase in case detection, and thousands of early outbreak alerts. 

This illustrates how AI is redefining healthcare delivery, and how it will continue to do so through cutting-edge medical expertise, regardless of geography.