It is nightfall, and 83-year-old Evelyn drifts off to sleep with thoughts are of such a great time she had with her family that day. It’s so nice to be living in her own mother-in-law suite in her son’s home- independently. She has her own independent space, her own furniture, and everything is in its place just the way she likes it.
She wakes up needing to go to the bathroom. Evelyn looks at the clock. “It’s 4 AM but she needs to get up. Nature is calling.
As she steps on the mat that lays by her bed and it instantly is connected to a system logs the time she rises. As she walks to the bathroom pathway lights go on due to a motion detector, lighting her way to the bathroom. Tick tock… the timer on her mat waits for her return. Approximately five minutes later she comes back to bed. All is well, and Evelyn falls back asleep.
By having the mat and the system it’s attached to, If she was gone longer than 30 minutes, an alert would have been sent to her son. It’s a reassurance to her and her family, knowing the risks of falls in the bathroom are high.
Two hours later, she wakes up and it’s 6:30 AM. It’s morning and time to get up! Being a bit forgetful at 83, Evelyn walks into her kitchen to see a red light on a panel. It tells Evelyn that she needs to take her morning meds! As soon as she presses the button to open up the compartment, it turns green. It won’t go on until it’s time to take them again. It helps to remind her that she has taken her meds- or that it’s time to take them.
No, Evelyn doesn’t drive much anymore, but she has an easy smart phone that is available for her should she need it with Apps like Uber, Lyft, her local grocery store that can unlock all openings to access her neighborhood needs to come right to her door.
Today, our society is getting used to the idea of Smart Technology, but for seniors, the opportunities for independent living has never been more realistic than it is now. With inventions like “Alexa” or “Echo” from Amazon, or “Google Home”, we are learning about the ways that these can serve our lives. We are “Facetiming” daily and taking advantage of “same day shipping” on Amazon, through advances in Ecommerce! Our homes are equipped with technologies that we are now taking for granted: Security systems, motion sensors for lighting, and voice activated devices. Our TV is accessing the Internet, and we can watch pretty much anything at any time, due to portals like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.
Even something as simple as a mat by the bed, or a panel in the kitchen can be peace of mind to seniors and their families as they age in place. Home monitoring has made leaps forward from the old, “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” technology, and can be customized and expanded according to the care needs of your elder loved one, both inside and outside of their homes.
Of course, when we think of technology in a home, our minds may instantly go to younger people. The millennial who has a gadget for everything likely comes to mind. But keep in mind, the rest of the population is catching on, and embracing technology at a rapid rate!
Having a “smart home” will help Mom or Dad in infinite ways. It will help them with reminders when they have a challenge with memory. It can help keep them safe but having auto-shutoff valves for appliances. It can provide lighting, motion sensors, remote operation or heat regulation. It can be an alert system, if anything out of the ordinary happens to your loved ones! In addition, they are private, and only accessible to those who are authorized.
In addition to all the necessities, it can also provide entertainment, peace of mind and connection- including:
- Purchasing a tablet can feature games, social media, and the ability to video chat their family members on apps like Skype or Facetime!
- Ecommerce is on the rise with seniors. Now they can shop for clothing, books, meal delivery, groceries, and pretty much everything they need without ever leaving their homes!
- Finally, a smart home can help save money!! It can shut off lights if there is no motion in the room. It can sense if your parent is gone and lower the heat. It will do the opposite once your parent returns!
- Your parent can control areas within your home easily from anywhere in the world, including turning lights on and off if they are out of town, to discourage crime from happening.
- If Mom or Dad are still driving, a GPS on their phone or in their car can help them with navigation, and also gives you peace of mind to find them if they ever get lost.
- There are kits that provide “sensors” that are easily programmed. These sensors can provide information on pressure points (falls), movement, sleeping habits, bathroom visits, eating habits, and more. They will provide an alert if something isn’t right, and they are programable based upon the need of your loved one. It is extremely affordable, with only about a $100 setup free and monthly monitoring fees of under $35 per month.
If you are remodeling a home, or installing a space for your parent, find out about installing a “smart panel.” For a fairly low cost- ($1-2k) you can wire the entire home to be adaptable to your parents as they age or create pretty much adapt to any form of technology that will come along in the future. It can create a framework for pretty much any form of technology you wish to operate. You also don’t have to do a hard-wired system, but instead, go with wireless technology at less than half the price!
