Around 5.1 million Brits aged over 65 have never been online. Catering to these untapped customers, Barclays has created over 3,500 'Digital Eagles' - specially-trained staff to help them get online and up to speed. But do people want a bank teaching them about the internet?

Smart technology for the home goes way beyond remote control lighting and heating. In Germany, research institutes and companies are creating smart, age-appropriate support systems that enable the elderly to enjoy an independent life at home for as long as possible.

As people get older, they become more vulnerable; 37% of American seniors are affected by financial abuse and banks are routinely blamed for mis-selling products to the elderly. How is True Link ensuring that wealth stays in the family and doesn’t fall into the hands of the scammers?

The elderly might end up becoming the first consumer group to pull the Internet of Things into homes. With its transformative potential for independent living and senior care, it may also give businesses an unprecedented peek into the homes of their older customers.