5 Ways a Smart Home Can Make Caretaking for Relatives Easier
Have you considered the advantages of incorporating smart home technology into your home for your elderly loved one? Smart technology can provide convenient bonuses for caregivers that may be more beneficial than you realize. From voice-activated lights to video monitoring systems, a smart home could be a smart move.
Senior Helpers recommends communicating with your parent or senior relative about how it works and how it will benefit them before installing any new technology. Coming to decisions together about smart technology will be key to creating a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone.
What Is a Smart Home?
A smart home uses Wi-Fi or hardwired technology to connect you to every facet of your living spaces. Homeowners can create smart hubs right in their mobile devices, controlling lights, locks, and appliances at the touch of a button.
What Are the Benefits of a Smart Home?
Forbes reports that smart homes can make life safer for people with mobility challenges and other health issues. Upgrading to a smart home can help with many of the common challenges you face as a family member or a caretaker of an elderly person.
Here are five ways a smart home can make caretaking easier for senior relatives who live with you or visit frequently.
1) Monitor Comings and Goings with Home Security Cameras
A home security camera system can be an essential tool for observing who is coming and going from your house. Cameras can be installed to monitor any living area of your house, such as the kitchen, living room, or backyard. Video doorbells are an increasingly popular option that can be set up to notify you any time someone is at your door.
2. Illuminate Dark Hallways with Smart Lighting
Smart light bulbs can be voice-activated to light up dark hallways and unfamiliar rooms without fiddling with a light switch. You can also set up timed lighting options through a smart hub or cell phone to control the lights even when you're not around.
3. Turn Off Appliances with Programmed Timers
Your smart home can automatically turn off appliances that may have been left on accidentally, such as fans and ovens. Gas sensors and activity monitors in some smart stoves can even alert family members or caregivers if the stove has been left on and is unattended.
4. Secure Doors with Smart Locks
Smart locks that can be unlocked via voice command or smartphone make it so that visiting family members and caregivers don't need a key. Remote locks can also secure your home in case you or your loved one forgets to lock up.
5. Alert Emergency Help Through Voice Activation
In the event of a medical emergency or other crisis, a voice-activated alert system can connect you instantly to help when you need it. Some medical alert systems will even monitor temperature and air quality as extra security measures.
Smart Homes and Senior Helpers of Southeast Michigan
If you're interested in creating a safer home for you and your senior loved one by using convenient smart home technology, Senior Helpers can help. One of the best ways to approach this decision is with a complimentary in-house assessment with our certified senior care experts. Along with consulting about smart home options, Senior Helpers provides in-home care for seniors with chronic diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's and dementia.
Senior Helpers works with families in communities throughout Southeast Michigan, including:
- Farmington Hills
- West Bloomfield
- Westland
- Southfield
- Waterford
- Canton
For more information, contact Senior Helpers of Southeast Michigan.