A new $1.77 million study of “smart” technology has the potential to improve retirement community residents' quality of life by extending their ability to remain independent and age in place, according to researchers. Caregiver burden could be lessened, too.

The five-year grant from the National Institute on Nursing Research to Washington State University will allow researchers to study of how the technology can help monitor health and safety and enable real-time assessment and interventions for retirement community residents and other older adults.