What Are The Potential Benefits Of A Smart Home For Seniors?

Imagine a world where you didn’t have to get out of bed to adjust the heat or double-check that your front door was locked. While most of us take it for granted, it’s a convenience that seniors may not have had in the past—until now.

Most smart home systems are designed for great simplicity of use, so seniors don’t need to be tech-savvy to take advantage of their numerous benefits and conveniences. Consider how a complete home automation system may assist your loved ones if you’re seeking for methods to make their life simpler.

Senior Citizens’ Challenges and Opportunities

It’s natural for our bodies to evolve and slow down as we become older. Seniors may find it more difficult to do daily tasks as rapidly as they formerly did. They may also feel less safe as they become older, as vision and hearing loss are frequent as we age, leaving them vulnerable to falls or accidents that might result in damage if their house isn’t equipped with the necessary safety precautions.

The good news is that technological advancements have brought us closer to creating homes that are smart enough to anticipate our needs. This can be particularly helpful for seniors who live alone or help people with disabilities.

What Issues Do Smart Home Devices Address?

One of the main challenges that smart home technology is tackling for seniors is streamlining their everyday tasks without having them to master new technologies just because they’ve grown older.

According to a research published in Frontiers in Psychology, seniors are ready to accept new technology and are prepared to learn on tablets, but they are concerned about confusing instructions or a lack of assistance.

Here are what are the potential benefits of a smart home systems for seniors living on their own or with others:

• Home security
• Emergency assistance
• Comfort control
• Safety features
• Convenience
• Independence
• Entertainment
• Socialization

What Kinds of Smart Devices Are Available for Seniors?

While home automation is still a relatively new phenomena, there are currently a plethora of goods and technology that may assist to make your loved ones’ life easier. Let’s have a look at a few of them:

Smart Medical Care

1. Medical Alert Systems

A medical alert system is meant to keep elders active and involved in the environment by allowing them to call for help if they require it. If a medical alert device, such as CarePredict Home, is worn as a necklace or bracelet, it can be activated if it senses that the wearer need help. If required, the device sends an automated signal to a monitoring center, which contacts family members and emergency medical services.

2. Smart EKG Monitors

By offering a faster, more accurate diagnosis of hazardous cardiac diseases, a smart EKG monitor can save your loved ones time and energy. The gadget puts out an electrical signal that captures the wearer’s heart rate, beating patterns, and any detected anomalies, then transmits the data to a smartphone app for analysis. This can help doctors swiftly rule out false positives while also allowing seniors to keep a better eye on their own health without having to undergo costly testing at the doctor’s office.

3. Smart Pill Boxes

For example, a smart pillbox might considerably minimize the danger of an elderly family member mistakenly taking too many painkillers. The gadget is connected to a blood pressure monitor or scale, allowing seniors to keep track of their vital indicators over time. It can then be programmed to remind people when they need to take particular prescriptions throughout the day, and it can even be linked to their doctor’s database to ensure they never miss a dose.

4. Automatic Toilets

Automatic toilets are designed to help seniors use the restroom without needing assistance. They automatically flush, raise, and lower the seat lid, and some models even include a bidet that can be activated with remote control. This can help seniors feel more independent while drastically reducing the risk of falls and other accidents.

Smart Kitchen Devices

1. Touchless Faucet

Touchless faucets make it easy for your loved ones to wash their hands because they don’t require them to contact anything dirty first. These faucets also include an automated shutdown mechanism that helps to avoid leaks and save water.

2. Smart Stove Minder

A clever stove minder can ensure that no one forgets to turn off the oven, stove, or toaster oven. This can assist seniors who live alone lower the danger of a house fire and increase their safety. The device monitors temperature fluctuations in a home’s oven and sends a warning if it detects that anything has been left on for an extended period of time.

3. Smart Fridge Minder

A smart refrigerator minder can work very much like a smart stove minder to ensure that no one leaves the fridge door open for too long, which can cause spoiled food.

4. Touchless Trash Can

Touchless trash cans are designed to make it easier for seniors with arthritis or limited mobility to throw things away. The device has infrared sensors that will automatically open the lid when someone approaches it

Smart Living Room Devices

1. Smart Blinds

Smart blinds may be controlled by a smartphone and raised and lowered as needed. This allows seniors to operate their appliances without the help of family members or other caretakers, and it may also help them avoid curious stares from neighbors who may wonder why their window shades are running up and down all day.

2. Smart Thermostat

A smart thermostat can monitor and adjust the temperature in your loved one’s house automatically, based on their preferences. When your family member is not at home, the gadget may be configured to turn off or turn on lights as needed, eliminating the need to get up and do it manually.

Relevant: Ecobee Smart Thermostat Vs Ecobee 4

3. Smart Entertainment Devices

Seniors can benefit from smart entertainment devices in a variety of ways. For example, they may be used with voice assistants like Alexa and Siri to operate their television, music, and movie streaming services without having to use their hands. They may also be used to connect to other services, conduct video chats to family members, and order meals. These gadgets may also be connected to other equipment in the home, such as thermostats or light switches, allowing people to control the atmosphere in other rooms without having to leave the room.

4. Smart Plugs

One of the simplest and most cost-effective smart home devices to install, these plugs can turn any electronic device into a smart one by linking it up with a smartphone. Seniors could use them, so they don’t leave their space heater or television on all day without realizing it.

Relevant: Best Alexa Smart Plug

Security and Safety Devices

1. Smart Security Cameras

Seniors may struggle to detect burglars in their homes, but a smart security camera may make them feel safe and secure by offering a live video feed of their property 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Family members will benefit from this as well, since they will be able to check in on loved ones from anywhere on the planet.

Relevant: Best Security Camera without Subscription

2. Smart Locks

Seniors may use smart locks to unlock their front door without having to fumble for their keys or wait for someone to assist them. They can also be set to grant entry to certain individuals (such as a housekeeper or caregiver), and they can be triggered remotely through an app.

Relevant: 2021’s Best Smart Locks

3. Smart Smoke Detectors

A smart smoke detector can detect the presence of smoke even when there are no open flames, which can be especially helpful for seniors who live alone and may forget to turn something off before leaving the house. It also sends alerts in case someone forgets to blow out candles or fails to notice that their stove has been left on by mistake.

4. Smart Video Doorbells

These smart doorbells can provide direct audio and visual link between your loved one’s front door and their smartphone, so they can see who is standing outside. That way, they can avoid accidentally opening the door to strangers.

Relevant: 5 Best Smart Video Doorbells Of 2021