Aging is a natural and beautiful life process common to everyone. As we age, our desire to age in place, live independently, and remain in our homes increases for reasons like emotional attachment to our homes, familiarity, independence, finance, safety concerns, peace of mind, and so on.
One way older adults can age in place in 2024 is by using smart home technology. Smart home tech can help older adults who live alone maneuver their way easily at home independently without worrying about safety.
What is a Smart Home?
A smart home is a convenient arrangement that uses smart devices and appliances connected through the internet, allowing users to control home functions automatically or remotely.
Smart home automation makes it easier for seniors to control functions and activities such as temperature, lighting, home security, home maintenance, and mobility.
The benefits of smart home tech for seniors are not mentioned enough. They play a significant role in handling some challenges associated with aging in place, such as emergency concerns, home accessibility, risk of falling, etc., making senior living stress-free, comfortable, and enjoyable.
In-home Challenges and How Smart Home Technologies Support Aging in Place
Aging in place, especially for older adults aged 65 and older, is often challenging. Many seniors develop hearing loss, vision changes, or a decline in their cognition, which makes it difficult to perform activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, cooking, eating, or using medications.
A large percentage of the aging population often relocates to senior care homes because they are unable to handle some of the challenges of aging in place. With the advent of smart home technologies, that story is changing.
What are the specific challenges involved, and what solutions does adopting smart home technology provide?
1. Home Accessibility
Accessing home features such as bulb switches, door knobs and locks, curtain blinds, TVs and TV remotes, and other general home navigation features may become a grueling chore with each passing day.
Solutions: Smart lighting, smart locks, smart blinds, smart television, aging and health technology watches, smart water controls, etc.
2. Home Maintenance
Older adults may not be able to perform maintenance activities such as cooking, washing, cleaning, and vacuuming. Certain smart devices make these activities easier for seniors.
Smart solutions: Automated vacuum cleaners, smart dishwashers, smart stoves, and ovens.
3. Risk of falling
People over the age of 60 or younger people living with a medical condition are at high risk of falls, which can lead to injury, disability, or death.
Solutions: Fall detection devices, smart tech for mobility, such as smart wheelchairs and other smart walking aids with motion sensors.
4. Emergency preparedness
This involves the inability to handle unexpected, harmful situations such as falls, fire outbreaks, electrical malfunctions, medical emergencies, etc. Many smart devices offer seniors the ability to call for help in such situations to ensure their safety in any circumstance.
Solutions: Smart smoke detectors, smart plugs, smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home Tech for emergency voice calls, smart pets, emergency medical alert devices, and smart leak detectors.
5. Security concerns
Aging in place may pose security concerns, such as vulnerability to fraud and scams, cyber security issues, theft and robbery, etc.
Solutions: Doors with smart cameras, smart security systems, e.g., CCTV, Smart door locks, smart light bulbs, voice-to-text speech technology, and smart sensors outside the home.
10 Smart Home Devices for Aging in Place Safely
If you're ready to add smart technology to your home, below are some of the best smart home devices you can start with.
1. Smart Medication Dispensers
Smart pill dispensers are electronic devices that store and automatically dispense prescribed medications at pre-set times. They use alarms, notifications, and connected apps to remind seniors to take their medication, ensuring adherence to medication schedules and reducing the risk of missed or incorrect doses.
2. Wearable Smart Technology
These smart medical devices monitor heart rate, activity, and sleep patterns. They may also include devices like medication management devices and fall detection devices.
3. Location/GPS Trackers
Innovative real-time location tracking systems can help seniors stay safe when going on trips or walks, allowing home assistants and caregivers to monitor their location within and outside the home.
4. Automated Doors and Cabinets
Smart home devices can also automate the opening and closing of doors and cabinets via remote control, sensor detection, or smartphone apps.
5. Smart Mobility Aids
These mobility aids provide mobility support for people of older age who have challenges with moving from place to place. Mobility aids can be used within the home or outside, empowering seniors to participate in home and community activities. They include smart walking sticks and remote-controlled wheelchairs and scooters.
6. Smart Thermostats
One of the smart home products to consider to help you age in place is a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats help you to adjust your home’s temperature automatically based on habits and preferences in order to provide comfort and energy efficiency.
7. Security Cameras
Smart security cameras are a home security system that uses your home’s smart Wi-Fi connection to capture videos and images from your surroundings and send them to your device's cloud storage.
Connecting your device to these cameras allows you to safely monitor your home while you're away.
8. Smart Home Hub
With smart hubs, you can use software called command centers to control smart home devices across different locations in your home.
Smart hubs use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections, voice assistants, or smart displays to help you turn smart bulbs on and off, lock and unlock doors, control your TV, and control other smart devices in your home.
9. Smart Contact Sensors
Individual smart contact sensors are inexpensive smart devices that help seniors monitor doors, windows, and drawers and help caregivers track a loved one’s daily activities.
For example, a sensor on a door keeps track of entrances and exits, and a sensor placed on a refrigerator door keeps track of its opening and closing to monitor feeding patterns.
10. Smart Stoves and Ovens
Smart stoves and ovens help ensure kitchen safety and convenience, especially with features such as automatic shut-offs. These help avoid fire outbreaks that could occur from leaving cooking food unattended for a long time, primarily due to forgetfulness.
These smart cooking devices can be adjusted to shut off automatically when not in use for a set duration.
Setting up a Smart Home: Drawbacks and Privacy Considerations
The benefits of a smart home for seniors are impressive. However, there are some drawbacks associated with using smart devices.
1. Privacy Concerns
The fact that smart devices use the Internet and mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones puts your personal data at risk. Seniors have a right to digital privacy, which ensures the protection of users' personal data from cybercrime or unauthorized use.
2. Security Concerns
Technology-savvy individuals engage in activities that violate cyber security, such as phishing, password or device hacking, identity theft, cyberbullying, and so on, which may put seniors at risk of break-ins, information theft, etc.
Digital Privacy and Security Measures
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends the following privacy and data protection measures:
- Remove default usernames, passwords, and network names from all devices.
- Set up encryption to secure all wireless connections and two-factor authentication for all apps and devices using a code, thumbprint, face ID, etc.
- Update device hardware and software regularly.
- Change your privacy settings and remove irrelevant apps that may collect user data.
- Regularly check the access logs of all devices and software for strange and unauthorized access.
- Use strong passwords for your Wi-Fi network and all connected devices, and change them as often as possible.
- Only share data you're comfortable with.
- Do not share your passwords and other personal information with strangers.
- You can keep a note of passwords to avoid forgetting them.
Educating seniors to use smart home tech safely makes a significant difference in controlling the drawbacks and risks associated. With these tips and information, you're well on your way to aging in place the smart way.
Conclusion
Smart home technology offers seniors the invaluable gift of independence while ensuring safety and well-being. Integrating these innovative solutions will help you maintain your autonomy and comfort within your home, with peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones.
If you or your loved one is considering aging in place, Kendal At Home provides the support and resources to make this transition seamless and secure. Contact us today to learn how we can help enhance your home with smart technology, ensuring a safe and independent lifestyle.
