Imagine living in a senior centre where you never had to bother about getting off the couch to adjust the temperature on the thermostat or check to make sure the front door was locked. Luckily, most smart home systems these days, are made to be completely user-friendly, so even elderly people who aren’t tech-savvy may enjoy all the perks of having a smart home. Think about how a full-fledged home automation system that can aid your life at your senior centre.
In What Ways do Smart Home Devices Help Seniors?
Smart home technology is helping seniors in many ways, including making their daily lives easier without making them learn to utilize new equipment. In a study published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found that older adults were open to trying out tablets for educational purposes, but they were wary of the technology due to concerns about confusing instructions and a lack of guidance. Some of the many ways in which elders can benefit from installing a smart home system include:
- Emergency
- Comfort-control
- Safety
- Convenience
- Entertainment
- Socialization
Which Smart Devices Are Suitable for the Seniors?
While the concept of “home automation” is still relatively new, there are currently many tools and gadgets available that can make life easier for you and your loved ones. Take a look at a few examples here:
EKG Monitors
By facilitating a quicker and more precise detection of potentially life-threatening heart disorders, a smart EKG monitor can help you and those you care about save both time and effort. The wearable gadget transmits an electronic signal that captures the wearer’s pulse rate, pulse patterns, and any observable anomalies. This information is subsequently sent to an app on the wearer’s smartphone for evaluation. This can help doctors swiftly rule out false positives and give elders a way to keep tabs on their health without subjecting themselves to pricey in-office testing.
Smart Pill Boxes
If you have an older relative who is at risk of taking too many medications, for example, a smart pillbox could be a lifesaver. Once linked to their smartphone, it can be configured to alert them when it’s time to take their meds, reducing the risk of forgetting to take them.
Smart Entertainment Devices
There are a number of ways in which elderly people can benefit from using smart entertainment devices. They can be used with voice-activated assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri to enable hands-free operation of their media streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. Additionally, they can be used to place food orders, communicate with others, and make video calls to loved ones.
Automated Restrooms
Automatic toilets are developed to aid elders in using the restroom without the need for assistance from another person. Remote-controlled bidets are available on some models, and these toilets also flush, lift, and lower the seat for you automatically. In addition to making elders feel safer, this can also provide them a greater sense of autonomy.
Smart Locks
In the case of elderly, smart locks eliminate the need to fumble with keys or call for assistance to access the front door. Not only are they operable from afar through smartphone, but they may also be set to allow entry only to specified individuals (such as a housekeeper or caregiver).
