Assistive technologies which provide reminders to assist older people in decision making, particularly in a just-in-time fashion, have significant potential to help older people and their carers. However the requirements of these technologies are not well understood and demonstration systems often rely on complex equipment which is difficult to imagine installed in a normal home setting. This study considered the reminder systems currently used by a small group of older people; their attitudes to technology; and, through some simple experiments, their reaction to certain reminders presented using a variety of simple technologies and formats. Findings highlight the need for systems which can be operated intuitively, and the need to tailor findings to the individual preferences and behaviour of the user.