I plan to name my robot Jeanne Calment, after the French super-ager who lived to be 122. Jeanne will like to read British mysteries, go to the theater and eat cheesecake while standing in front of a refrigerator (the calories are less that way.) In other words, she will be Mini-Me…my new bff robot who will hang out with me and help keep me safe as I age.

I just learned there is a bell-shaped curve on the age of adoption of stuffed animals. The young have always loved them and now people on the older end of the age spectrum are adopting them as well.

Many older adults continue to have cherished live pets–in a single-family home and in retirement communities. In fact, in recent years, most retirement communities, including assisted independent living, have dramatically loosened the restrictions on pets.

[with video]

***This story and video originally ran/aired on USA Today. It’s reposted here with permission.***

Brooklyn resident Marilyn Stone* isn’t your typical early tech adopter. She’s 95 years old, can’t see or hear very well anymore, and grew up in a time when the hottest new gadgets around were toaster ovens and zippers. Today? She’s not sure what she would do without her Amazon Echo smart speaker.