What is smart technology?
Technology can help you, or a loved one, live at home safely and independently while providing automation for running a home, medical support, social connection, and more.
Specific examples of smart technology that can be useful for older adults living at home, include:
- Smart doorbells: Who is it? With a smart doorbell, you don’t have to get out of your chair to find out. These devices provide a video picture of your visitors to help you decide whether or not to answer the door or for you to know who visited while you were out.
- Smart thermostat: With a smart thermostat, you can manage your home’s heating and cooling system remotely from anywhere in and out of your house. Some devices come with motion detectors that enable them to change the temperature if they sense you’re out. Smart thermostats can also be monitored remotely by caregivers to ensure that temperatures in the homes of their loved ones remain comfortable and safe.
- Smart stove alarms: Forgetting to turn the stove off can lead to a dangerous situation. Smart stove alarms offer timers, motion detectors, automatic stove shutoff, and gas detectors.
In-home monitoring systems that can track movement without being imposing
Instead of placing imposing security cameras around you or your loved one’s home, you can use strategically placed sensors that can monitor their movements without invading their privacy.
These sensors can track their engagement with, for example, doors, beds, floors, and refrigerators in order to collect data on their movements, temperature, sleep patterns, and even their gait. The older adult, their caregiver and other members of the older adult’s care circle will get notified if there is a disruption to normal routines or activities. Some systems include communications features, like text messages, emails, or phone reminders and alerts that allow you to check-in and communicate from wherever you and the older adult are located.
