The flip side: Weighing benefits versus drawbacks of innovative technologies by Marilynn Larkin, MA

Technology: The word can evoke both excitement and uncertainty among active-aging industry providers in all settings, from senior living and seniors centers to health clubs and rehabilitation centers. Excitement, because new technologies often provide opportunities to accomplish tasks faster and more easily and may enable staff and constituents to take charge of their health and connect socially; uncertainty, because implementing those same applications often requires a change in the status quo, a learning curve and, of course, a cost. How do you know if you're choosing the right product for your wellness services-or if you even need it? How do you best apply and monitor it? How do you ensure the most beneficial aspects of technologies are successfully implemented, and with a minimum of disruption or mistakes? And how do you retain the personal, social connections so critical to well-being, while also staying current and competitive? "Technology has become both a solution and a challenge," states International Council on Active Aging CEO Colin Milner. In this interview, he shares examples of how technology can help-but at times work against-dimensions of wellness and society at large.