Solidarity Health Technology for Vulnerable Older Adults
The digital divide is becoming more pronounced in sectors where healthcare access is already limited. Below is an overview of the improvements currently being implemented.
In a present marked by rapid technological progress, digital health holds the potential to improve diagnostics, optimize treatments and expand access to medical services. Yet for millions of older adults living in vulnerable conditions, these solutions remain out of reach.
Digital illiteracy—combined with economic, educational and cognitive limitations—deepens existing inequalities and excludes those who need healthcare the most. In response, private and solidarity-based initiatives are demonstrating that technological innovation can also be inclusive, empathetic and transformative.
Improvements in public health do not always originate in public policy. In underserved and vulnerable areas, social organizations, philanthropic foundations and impact-driven entrepreneurs are developing health applications specifically designed for older adults with little or no digital skills, prioritizing usability, human support and cultural adaptation.
These tools are not intended to replace healthcare systems, but to complement them by bringing essential services closer to those who are often left outside formal responses.
Digital Illiteracy in Old Age: From Barrier to Initiative
According to data from various international organizations, a significant proportion of people over the age of 60 have never used a smartphone or do so with great difficulty. Many live in poverty, have intermittent or no internet access, and fear “breaking” the device—an anxiety that often leads to rejection of technology.
Today, this digital gap has direct consequences for health. Online medical appointments remain inaccessible, medication reminders go unnoticed and complex applications exclude rather than integrate—despite being increasingly common in healthcare delivery.
In this context, traditional health applications—designed for younger, digitally literate users with stable connectivity—are ineffective for a substantial segment of the population. This highlights a core issue: design that fails to consider who the user actually is.
Health applications adapted to digital illiteracy are built around a fundamental principle: technology must adapt to people, not the other way around. As a result, these apps feature simple interfaces, clear iconography, minimal text, high-contrast colors and intuitive navigation. Many also incorporate voice commands, audio explanations in everyday language and large buttons that reduce the risk of errors.
Some platforms eliminate the need to read or write altogether. Through images, sounds and visual alerts, users can confirm medication intake, request basic medical assistance or receive reminders for health checkups.
In rural communities and low-income urban neighborhoods, these applications can function without continuous internet access, synchronizing data once connectivity becomes available.
Community health foundations and social-impact startups are leading this shift. Funded by private donors, corporate social responsibility programs and committed philanthropists, these initiatives demonstrate that innovation does not necessarily require large budgets—only a deep understanding of social context.
In Latin America, for example, applications have been developed that allow older adults to report symptoms using simple icons, send automatic alerts to community health workers and receive basic information without visiting a medical facility.
In areas where mobile hospitals or primary care centers are scarce or located far away, these tools become a vital bridge between communities and the healthcare system.
Technology with Human Support
Another defining feature of these solidarity-based applications is that they do not operate in isolation. Their effectiveness depends on collaboration with local networks of volunteers, caregivers, health agents and neighborhood organizations.
Many initiatives include in-person training sessions where older adults learn how to use devices in a practical, non-technical way, respecting individual learning rhythms—an essential factor for successful adoption.
This hybrid approach—combining technology with human guidance—reduces digital anxiety and strengthens autonomy among older adults. It acknowledges the social and emotional vulnerability that often accompanies aging in precarious contexts.
The impact of these applications goes beyond access. Studies show improvements in treatment adherence, reductions in preventable hospitalizations and earlier detection of health issues. Simple reminders to take medication, stay hydrated or attend medical appointments have a direct and measurable effect on quality of life.
Health applications adapted to digital illiteracy highlight a reality replicated worldwide: technological innovation can deepen inequalities if it is not designed with inclusion at its core.