Photos: Gadgets for seniors

At present, Parkinson's patients are tested for increased tremors only once or twice a year. But with this machine at home, patients can perform at-home tests such as trying to rearrange the pegs in the box. The machine keeps track of their performance and forwards results to a doctor, who can determine if the patient's tremors have increased. A home unit like this enables continual testing at a lower cost.

This pill container knows when you've taken your medicine and wires that information to doctors or relatives. If a patient forgets to take a dose, such as the day's dementia medication, someone who can help will know.