Smart Home for the Elderly

The use of smart home automation for the elderly may be a new concept, but it offers significant value to a large part of the world population. The older members of the family are starting to face the challenges we all face as we age. Our bodies weaken, the senses decrease and the memories become less reliable. Some people are more likely to fall, mix up medications or forget to eat regularly. It is more difficult to move quickly, listen out for the doorbell or the smoke detector and see where we are going.

Fortunately, with current smart home tech, it is easier for elderly family members to continue living at home, with great independence, than for their parents or grandparents.

Hiring 24-hour care for loved ones can be expensive and often unnecessary. But adult children can live far away or get too absorbed from work and parents’ requests to check on their parents as often as they want. This poses a dilemma, even when the elderly are healthy. Fortunately, the new wave of smart home technology makes it easier to continue to “independently live” for this generation.

Let’s take a look at the ways in which smart home automation makes independent living safer, more convenient and more secure.

Some of the most innovative technologies on the market are designed to be complete but remarkably easy to use. Even retirees who are reluctant to use a desktop computer can benefit from a well-designed touchpad or smartphone. And once set, many smart home devices can be controlled with nothing but a voice command to an intelligent speaker.

Smart home security combines the benefits of home automation security with professional monitoring and intrusion detection 24/7

The modern home security systems are much more than a simple alarm. The system components are part of an eco-system and communicate with each other. Not only do you get instant notifications and alerts of unusual activity but you also have the option of professional monitoring with emergency response.

Your smart home can be controlled remotely via an Internet browser or a smartphone app. This allows seniors and their caregivers to manage things like locks, lights, thermostats and more from the comfort of an armchair or office across the country.

Wireless home security systems are easy to install and use. Many components are easily attached with double-sided tape or can simply be placed on a shelf. GoKonnect systems come pre-programmed. Even older parents who don’t want to be a burden or who don’t want strangers in the home to install a security system will not hesitate in having a loved one set up a smart home system.

The GoKonnect Call-out indoor video camera combines true HD video, a Bluetooth speaker and a microphone with digital pan and tilt functions and improved zoom.

Existing Gokonnect customers can add cameras to their smart home system and install them in the homes of older family members who don’t have or don’t want their own home security system. This makes it easier for the family to monitor the well-being of an older parent who is overwhelmed by the idea of a complete smart home.

As hearing loss progresses, older adults do not always hear the doorbell ring. They may also have trouble reaching the door before impatient visitors decide that no one is home. Important guests can leave and packages can stay on the doorstep for days.

GoKonnect’s doorbell camera provides instant alerts when someone approaches the front door, even when they don’t ring. Motion-controlled real-time videos let seniors see who is there and video clips recorded in 15 seconds show who they’ve missed. With two-way audio, seniors can also hear and speak to unexpected visitors via the GoKonnect smartphone app without having to open the front door. There is no need to allow potential thieves access or risk and injury trying to get to the door on time or miss the delivery of essential packages.

With smart door locks, seniors can use the same app to conveniently lock and unlock their loved ones’ door from their favourite chair or floor when fallen and can’t get up. You can also create temporary logins for family members, hired health professionals, and other home care providers.

By replacing the base lamps with smart bulbs or by connecting the lamps to smart plugs, your home lighting can be remotely controlled or programmed to turn on and off at certain times of the day. Plan porch, kitchen, and living room lights to turn on and off at dusk after parents are in bed for the night. The lighting can also be set to work automatically in combination with motion detectors, for example by lighting the way to the bedroom, or signalling that there is movement outside. And older parents who live alone can enjoy a well-lit house at night without having to go through the whole house and turn the lights on and off.

Smart home lighting also makes it possible to save energy costs for people on a limited budget. Intelligent thermostats can be programmed to automatically adjust to the correct temperature depending on the time of day and local weather conditions. These devices integrate into GoKonnects smart home security system.

With GoKonnect, you can also integrate smart devices into custom “scenes” that can be set on a timer or controlled manually by your parents or their caregivers using our smart home app. A “nighttime” scene could lock the smart locks, turn off a house’s light, arm the security system, and turn the thermostat off at 10 pm. every evening which reduces the tedious tasks.

Many seniors want to stay at home and remain independent for as long as possible, but their sons and daughters are concerned about their safety. Our smart home security system is designed so that both the elderly and their children have peace of mind knowing that if anything happens, they will instantly know, no matter where they are.

Indoor cameras, motion sensors and door/window contacts, acoustic sensors and panic wrist pendants are monitored throughout the day to ensure the highest possible safety for your loved ones.

Indoor cameras allow family members to hear and speak to their loved ones for daily check-in or in case of emergencies

With GoKonnect’s Indoor cameras and Call-out camera, siblings can check in with loved ones from anywhere, anytime using a smartphone or tablet. These cameras support smart motion detection, clip recording, on-demand playback and two-way talk.

This way, you can find out what happens when man or dad don’t answer the phone, check alerts from smart sensors and make sure that caregivers treat your loved ones properly. You can also use two-way audio to quickly talk to them and make sure help is on the way in the event of an emergency.

Most people think of door/window sensors and motion sensors as a means to warn homeowners of intruders. They can also be used strategically to ensure that older people living at home perform their daily activities. Carers and family members can receive notifications when sensors are activated to inform them of the movement and activities of their loved ones.

Place a motion sensor in front of Mum or Dad’s bedroom so you know whey they get out of bed in the morning.

Door/window sensors can be connected to everything that opens and closes. Check if your parents take medicine on time or are eating regularly by placing them in the medicine cabinet, pantry and refrigerator. Get notifications when your loved ones leave home and when they return home. You can also warn them if they accidentally leave doors or windows open at night, or if they are not there, and ask a trusted neighbour close door and remove the possibility of thieves or animals entering the house.

A GoKonnect smart home also alerts users of unexpected activity. Your smart home learns your daily patterns and behaviour. If a change in these patterns is detected, an instant alert is sent.

As part of an intelligent home security system, smoke and heat sensors, as well as carbon monoxide sensors, offer enormous advantages for the security of older people. Regardless of whether they are hard hearing, have trouble moving, or cannot leave their homes quickly in an emergency, your smart home security is professionally monitored.

GoKonnect Panic Wrist Pendant is a portable wireless device that sends customizable alerts to the GoKonnect hub, which can then alert medical rescuers, family members, and others. Worn around your wrist or neck, asking for help in an emergency is as easy as pressing a button.

As our parents get older, it’s reassuring to know that there are technologies that can simplify everyday activities that become more difficult with age. And that these devices can help our loved communicate with us, even when we’re not there. Modular smart home security systems with smart home automation help ensure the security and independence of many older adults who want independent living.