Aging At Home with Smart Home Technology
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America is getting older! Due to advances in many areas of society, such as health care and nutrition, Americans live longer lives than ever in history, and they want to do so in the comfort of their homes! As our families age, they need to be able to make choices in their lives that allow them to prepare for care in the comfort of a home, not to be confined to a nursing home. With the advances in technology, we can help provide comfort for aging family members at the same time as the support needed to allow the family to feel safe. In this month’s blog we discuss different ways that technology of a smart home can help seniors age comfortably at home and help loved ones feel safe with their decision to do so.
Security
Independence, safety and peace of mind. For seniors living at home and their loved ones, these are the most important elements of aging in place. Parents who wish to maintain their independence by living alone can make it hard to keep everyone happy. As the child of an aging parent, you’re happy they’re still self-sufficient, but you worry about what can happen in an emergency.
We can help eliminate this worry with a reliable, 24-7 home security system. Your system needs to be looking at more than just break-ins and burglaries, though you will want to protect from those too. You need a system that monitors every kind of threat and emergency that affects the older generation. Most security systems have sensors that detect when a door is opened. Others allow you to control everything from your lights, temperature, locks, motion, windows, all the way to your smoke detectors. Seniors with mild dementia might forget to close a door or window, making them vulnerable. They may leave a stove on, or forget to change the thermostat when the weather is changing. The right home security system can alert a family member, caregiver or neighbor, allowing you to check in, and verify if there is a problem, or intervene before it becomes a problem. With smart phone capabilities, you can access the system from anywhere and have peace of mind instantly.
Mobile Alerts
Think about the statistics. Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults has provided care to a person with a long-term illness, disability, or aged family member in the past 30 days. Of those caregivers, Nearly half (48%) who provide help to older adults do so for someone living with Alzheimer's or another dementia. (according to alz.org) While caring for aging parents can bring you closer together, it can also be a source of stress. Caring for loved ones can be challenging due to distance, job and family responsibilities. But there is help. Smart home technology, wearable alert systems, telehealth, and mobile apps make it easier than ever before to monitor your aging parents and their medical needs when you can’t be with them.
Hey Alexa
Voice-activated, hands-free devices can perform a large and ever-increasing number of tasks to help seniors with everyday life, You can use these for turning on lights to avoid stumbling in a dark room. Control the thermostat and keep a comfortable temperature without having to get up and down. Order a pizza and keep a shopping list. Let your personal speaker be your personal assistant. Set your reminders for your meds on your schedule and have Alexa remind your loved one when it is time to take them. Let your smarthome work smarter for you. Set reminders to turn off things, or likewise to turn them on. Use your speaker to keep your loved one company so they aren’t lonely. Set reminders for appointments, and social engagements. Weather updates and trivia questions keep your brain engaged. This are all additional ways to help your senior loved ones age at home respectfully.
Scene Setting and Automation - More than an Emergency Button
More comprehensive than traditional Personal Emergency Response (PERS) wearable pendants, Alarm.com Wellness is a safety net that provides a more complete view of a loved one’s well-being, and delivers automatic, real-time alerts. Unlike a PERS button, Alarm.com Wellness does not rely on the individual to take an action or remember to keep the button with them. With additional information like inactivity alerts or unusual activity patterns this provides a more comprehensive solution.
Wellness can also simplify routine tasks, with seamless automation across the home’s systems. Easy to use rules and schedules allow you to automate lights, thermostats, locks and security – so your loved one doesn’t have to remember to do these routine things and caregivers can check-in through the app if needed.
Family members and caregivers can monitor their loved-one’s activity, like how much time is spent in bed, in a favorite chair or out of the house. And, with intelligent sensors to track and learn the home’s activities of daily living, Wellness can identify changes that may signify a problem.To learn more about the wellness system, contact us.
As always, our goal is to help our customers feel valued and protected. We recognize that caring for an aging parent can be as stressful as it is rewarding. Thankfully, there are many ways that technology can help you stay on top of your parent’s health and safety. We are here to help in any way that we can and we welcome your calls anytime.