TALKING walking frames, robopets and interactive coffee tables are some of the technologies that could help cut down on care home bills and keep older people living at home for longer, research revealed today.

In the next 15 years, the number of over-65s is expected to increase by more than three million people and the number of dementia suffers is also predicted to rise.

A study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Centre for Usable Home Technology at the University of York found that councils could use various emerging technologies in order to provide at-home care.

Some of these include:

* Robopets that offer companionship and double up as fire, gas and flood alarms and as intruder detectors

* Coffee tables that dispense medicines and give computerised reminders

* Talking walking frames that remind people where they are going

* Kitchen worktop and fridge screens that monitor larder contents, suggest recipes and produce automatic shopping lists

* Worn exo-skeleton suits which help infirm people move around and climb stairs.

The Department of Health said £75m was spent on Telecare during 2008/09. Many councils throughout the UK are currently providing telecare support to users through remote monitoring, sensors and alarms.

It is one of the topics that will be discussed at a Local Government Authority (LGA)/Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) conference in Harrogate later this week.

Councillor David Rogers, Chair of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said investing in services could delay the onset of major health problems and the need for intensive care and support, as well as saving council taxpayers' money.

He added: ''Futuristic telecare technology could help make huge savings on care home bills and allow people to live independently for longer. It already provides extra support and peace of mind for relatives and carers.''

Dr Kevin Doughty, of the JRF Centre for Usable Home Technology at the University of York, said councils are now faced with the challenge of planning to exploit emerging technologies.

He added: ''Some of these might sound bizarre at the moment, but who would have thought 20 years ago that older people would today be using video games to exercise, and doing their shopping using a computer?''